Posts tagged Guy Williams

What a great show to finish on! Last Laughs did not disappoint with both the Billy T and Fred Award finalist doing their thing on stage which produced a range of fantastic performances.

Hosted by Te Radar, a full house at SKYCITY Theatre must have all had their favourites but there was no question that all the comedians were deserving winners.

Starting with the Billy T’s, first on stage was my favourite Guy Williams, whose understated and low energy style was a hit. Second on was Tevita Manukia who summed up the similarities between threesomes and weddings!

The finalists of the 2012 Billy T Award.

He was followed by the quirky Rose Matafeo who gave the audience an insight in to her mind through her lists and love of cat stickers. Next on was Tom Furness, he was a surreal comedian who wants us to bring back ‘crisp packet’ humour! Then the final Billy T nominee, TJ McDonald, gave us clever observations with some gentle ribbing of New Zealand politics.

A definite highlight of the night was the 2012 RAW Comedy Quest Winner, Jermaine Ross, who was brilliantly funny and performed some fantastically confident and smart material that proved him to be a star of the future.

Next up were the ‘big boys’, the Fred finalist Rhys Darby, Brendhan Lovegrove and The Boy With Tape On His Face.

The Fred Award Finalist 2012

These guys could not fail to fulfil their status as consummate performers and crowd pleasers as they all received warmth, rapturous applause and laughter from the audience.  Whether you had seen, or missed out on these sold out shows it was a great final chance to catch a glimpse of their genius or to relive some of the best bits!

Following the second interval we were treated to some special International guests, Gordon Southern and Marcel Lucont!

I absolutely loved both of their shows so I was delighted to see them again. Gordon brought his usual brand of silliness and one liners, along with his trusty sound effects box. He busted out some short sharp raps, including a soon to be hip hop classic about the middle ages.

Gordon Southern and Marcel Lucont

However is was Marcel Lucont who stole the show, this understated comedian had the audience in the palm of his hand, so much so that he managed to crowd surf all the way up the vertical seating of the SKYCITY Theatre! Absolute genius and one of my favourite NZICF moments of 2012.

The time had arrived for the big announcements! Guy Williams won the Billy T Towel, handed over by previous winner Nick Gibb, and Rhys Darby took the Golden Gum Boot Fred Award.

I was so chuffed for Guy Williams as I had championed him since seeing him at Ben Hurleys New Faces show in Week One. I think he will go far in his career and I can’t wait to see what he does next. The Billy T Award not only includes the iconic yellow towel but also $2500 prize money plus a guest appearance on TV3 hit show 7 Days! These awards honour one of New Zealand’s greatest comedians, the late Billy T James.

Rhys seemed genuinely humbled and proud when accepting his award from Jan Maree, a comedian he had been a Billy T finalist with in 2001!  The Fred Award recognises and celebrates Rhys’s outstanding achievements in comedy in New Zealand which had taken him all the way to Hollywood. He finished his acceptance by promising to bring This Way To Spaceship back home following his UK tour and season at the Edinburgh Festival.

It was a fantastic end to a fantastic festival where New Zealand can be proud that live comedy is alive and well and thriving. 

I can’t believe how quickly the last two weeks have gone by and I have laughed, giggled, tittered and chuckled my way through them.

I have seen 18 shows and counting and I have even announced my very own inaugural ‘The Grid’ Comedy Award 2012, click here to see my shortlist so far. Watch this space as more will be added during the week!

I have had the chance see some of the Worlds best comedians but now its the last week of the NZ International Comedy Festival so its your last chance to get out there and get your laugh on. Here are my picks for the final week of the festival.

Kicking off this week is the international Kiwi success Boy With Tape On His Face

The boy returns to NZ with a new show More Tape which follows his sell out appearance at the festival in 2011. He has has phenomenal success of in the UK including appearances on the Royal Variety Performance in December, and the Comedy Proms at the Royal Albert Hall.

So catch this new Kiwi comedy legend in a limited season of six shows at Rangatira Q Theatre 14 May - 19 May.

BOOKINGS: 093099771

My next pick is the Scottish bestselling author, playwright and award-winning stand-up Janey Godley

Her hour show will take you through some extraordinary events from personal disasters and strange-but-true happenings.

She performs at The Classic from 14 May - 19 May 8.30pm.

Bookings: 0800 TICKETEK (842 538)

Ben Hurley and Steve Wrigley have teamed up for the their first Festival show together.

The TV3 7 Days stars will deliver stand-up and unplanned banter alongside guest comedians and musicians. 

Check out this Kiwi comedy duo at Rangatria at Q Theatre 15 - 19 May from 9pm.

BOOKINGS: 093099771

Following seeing my next pick at a New Faces show in week one I can’t wait to see his full show. Guy Williams On the Verge of Nothing is a Billy Award nominee show!

This young comedian who worked his slightly geeky image well I found him to be clever and original mixing excellently delivered jokes with more random visual ones.

 I definitely wanted to see more from him and so should you,descrived as, “Tosser“ Paul Henry, Australian Woman’s Weekly how could you resist? 

Guy Williams is on at The Classic Studio 14 - 19 May. 

Bookings: 0800 TICKETEK (842 538)

For a combination of stand-up and characters then check out Tarun Mohanbhai and his show Joke in he Box.

After 10 years writing and performing the successful play, D’arranged Marriage from London to Mumbai, Vancouver to Dunedin, Tarun returns to the festival with a brand new comedy play.

Tarun plays successful comic  Ziggy who decides to reinvent himself much to the horror of his agent!

Tarun is at the Vault at Q from 15 - 19 May

Bookings: 093099771

Following the the success of his TV show Wilson Dixon - A NZ Tour, everyone’s favourite cowboy from Cripple Creek performs in SKYCITY Theatre for three very special shows.

Wilson Dixon’s shows have sold out for the last 3 years so book soon to see him play a mix of old favourites and a few new tunes in this show Wilson Dixon Greatest Hits.

You don’t want to miss his stories of his most recent travels not to mention his horse Andrew’s court appearance. 

The show is on from the 17 - 19 May at SKYCITY Theatre.

Bookings: 0800 TICKETEK (842 538)

Its the last day of the festival and what better way to send it than with this final pick.

Last Laughs on Sunday 20 May at SKYCITY Theatre will bring together all the best of the festival during a 2 hour showcase.

Hosted by Festival favourite Te Radar and featuring performances by the winner of the 2012 Raw Comedy Quest, nominees for the Billy T & Fred Awards this show will bring you  comedy excellence at all levels of the industry.  The Billy T & Fred Awards will be judged on the night so you can be there to see who takes out these top prizes!

Bookings: 0800 TICKETEK (842 538)

I hope these weekly picks have helped decide which shows to see, its going to seem like an empty place when the festival is over to remember to keep live comedy alive and support your local comedy clubs and comedy nights.

Looking forward to 2013 already!

Ben Hurley presented a night of new talent from New Zealand last night at the Loft at Q Theatre.

Unfortunately the room was not full but those of us that were there were up for a laugh, and for supporting up and coming comedy.

Ben Hurley is a seasoned performer so he is at ease both on the stage, and with chatting to the audience, which included a chat with with me! After a short warm up he introduced the first new act of the night.

There were four comedians on, the first of which was Sanjay Patel whose dead pan delivery had everyone giggling. Unfortunately as a newbie to NZ I missed some of the pop culture references but I enjoyed his on stage persona and slightly surreal subject matter. Sanjay has a show at the festival called At Last The 2011 Show on until 5 May at Brooklyn Bar.

Next up was the youngest comedian I think I have ever seen, just turned 18 Lewis Dean was confident and had some good material and stage demeanour. I am sure he will go from stretch to strength and get over the stigma of being a comedian who likes Hamilton. 

Following Lewis was Pax, a naturally comedic  person who used his body movements and physicalities in his act to make us laugh which included some tips on how to get out of a fight by looking a bit ‘rapey’.

Finally Guy Williams, our last comedian, was on stage. He worked his slightly geeky image well and was my favourite of the night. I found him to be clever and original mixing excellently delivered jokes with more random visual ones.

He is confident on stage and of his material, which came effortlessly from his lacklustre attempt at audience interaction, comments on moving to Auckland and understanding the global financial crises through the extortionate price of cheese. I definitely wanted to see more from him.

Luckily for me, and everyone else, Guy also has his own show at the festival called On the Verge of Nothing 14 - 19 May at The Classic.

Ben Hurley will be presenting another New Faces on Sat 5 May and will also be performing in a show with 7 Days co-star Steve Wrigley - Live & Unleashed 15 - 19 May at Q Theatre.

This show was part of the NZ International Comedy Festival.