NZ INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL

PRESENTED BY BRYNLEY STENT

Honk honk honk! During her childhood, comedian Brynley Stent experienced a recurring night terror involving a repulsive goose that prevented her from crossing a ravine. To this day, she has never conquered it... until now.

Join Brynley as she attempts to unravel the meaning of the dream and finally face her poultry foe. Part stand-up, part theatrical nightmare, this absurdist comedy show is all about conquering your greatest fears.

PRESENTED BY LANA WALTERS

Lana's bouncing baby grew overnight into a tyrannical toddler. But how terrifying could the terrible twos really be? Surely they're exaggerating right? Right??!

Come along for tea parties and tantrums as top comedy writer and 2024 Billy T Nominee Lana Walters (7 Days, The Project, Best Foods Comedy Gala) gives her absurd and honest take on #mumlife.

PRESENTED BY HANNAH CAMPBELL

Step into the spotlight! We all crave a moment to shine, but what happens when we change ourselves to fit in? Join Hannah for her debut comedy hour, Mirrorball, as she navigates our desperate attempts to be liked, the occasionally cringe-worthy journey of self-reflection and our knack for mirroring others. Get ready to cheer for the beautifully flawed in this feel-good performance packed with sharp wit and laugh-out-loud stories.

PRESENTED BY RHIANNON MCCALL

Strap in for a brand new hour of outrageous stand-up and kooky characters in this heartfelt comedy exploring why we desperately seek the approval of others.

"...from the minute Rhiannon McCall started her highly energetic but warm banter with the audience, I unclenched my jaw and felt instantly relaxed" - The Spinoff

PRESENTED BY COURTNEY DAWSON

The past 5 years have seen Courtney Dawson (Ngāti Kurī / Ngāti Amaru) go from broke solo Mum and ‘crack up chicky at the BBQ’ to award-winning comedian and rising TV star on shows like Paddy Gower Has Issues, and Celebrity Treasure Island. But don’t all stars eventually explode?

Come snuggle up with Courtney as she uses signature warm, anecdotal humour paired with banger punch lines for this hilarious wake-up call.

PRESENTED BY MONFU

An ultra-fun night from the master of out-of-this-world one-liners, outrageous acts and cool music. Take a joyous journey through excessive screen time, origami and finding your mojo behind the couch. Direct from ten international tours comes the nominee of “Most Original Comedy” at the Edinburgh Fringe, the winner of “Best Show” at the Wellington Comedy Awards and as seen on The Project (AUS).

Tired of comics making stand-up look easy? Then slide along to the LATE NIGHT JAZZ SCAT where we challenge the brightest stars of the festival to perform their material to the improvised jamming of a live jazz band. Unpredictable, massively dopamine inducing and like no show you’ve ever seen.

Warning: contains hot jazz, cool tap dancing and comedians totally out of their comfort zones. A sell-out show in past festivals. Don’t miss out!

Dare to enter the dark minds of New Zealand’s 666’s darkest goth band. Darkwave druid Richard Nothing (Jemaine Clement) and Coldwave bassist Clown Of Thornz (Jonny Brugh) conjoin by osmosis to bring you a funeral of songs to send you to a dark place.

PRESENTED BY SAMUEL GEBRESELASSIE

In 1980 Sam’s parents escaped a war-torn Ethiopia for a Sudanese refugee camp. Then in 1998, when Sam was just a child, they found themselves all the way in New Zealand thanks to the UN’s resettlement program.

Today Sam’s one of Australia’s rising comedy stars, a multi-award-winning comedian and producer making his way across the ditch to share his hilariously unique origin story. 

PRESENTED BY FIN & DANNY

Work got you down? Trouble with the s/o? Feel like you have a hole that only two boys can fill?

Come see The Butt Brothers! New Zealand's greatest comical clean-up crew!

They'll give you an hour of comedy that'll leave your cheeks sore.

PRESENTED BY VIKI MOANANU

"Fat, lazy, aggressive and rude". And that was just from Viki's bus driver! Viki Moananu reflects on his life choices and whether or not he would be stuffing a bus driver's body into an unmarked van if his sister didn't give him his nickname Puka.

A debut comedy solo hour about queerness, destiny and arguing with your siblings.

PRESENTED BY POPROX

Murder, mystery, and hot improvisers in three-piece suits, what more could you want?

Farce Onion is an improvised comedy by one of Wellington's top improv companies PopRox. With a rotating cast and guest players to boot, this detective parody is sure to have you hooked from the get-go. All that's left now is to figure out who did it?

PRESENTED BY DAN BOERMAN

Dan is recently single, and finally getting therapy. He's not there to find a solution - he just wants to tell a stranger that he doesn't plan on changing.

Join bright-eyed millennial Dan Boerman on a journey across his non-linear life, in the comedy and chaos of a high-energy Urban Jesus, with his incomparable hour coined 'hilarious' and 'unhinged'.