Posts tagged Stand Up

One of Britain’s biggest and iconic comedians will be performing his show Cradle to Rave in Auckland and Wellington this month.

Since winning New Faces at 16, Lenny Henry has added many strings to his bow. Along with his beloved stand-up comedy he has become a well-loved entertainer and earned his stripes in the acting world, recently winning critical acclaim for his portrayal of Othello.

Lenny brings his show ‘Cradle to Rave’ to New Zealand which talks about one of his greatest loves, music!

This autobiographical stand up show allows Lenny to indulge in his favourite pleasures of comedy and music. Taking the audience on a journey from his teenage Elvis impersonations to the Hip Hop that caused a missed cue during his Shakespearian début!

Lenny Henry will be at ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland on 24 June and Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington on 27 June.

Find out more about Lenny on his official site here.

I am a fan of Brendon Burns and first saw him perform live in 2002 during Edinburgh Fringe. Now it seems that I have seen him at 5 year intervals, as I watched his award winning 2007 show So I Suppose This Is Offensive Now and Home Stretch Baby at the NZ International Comedy Festival 2012. 

This Australian comedian is a favourite on the UK comedy circuit and I believe this is his first time performing at the NZ Comedy Festival.

The show Home Stretch Baby covers Brendon’s life since turning 40 and the life changing events that have brought him to create this show. ‘Thank fuck all that’s over’ he says as he expresses the joys of feeling that a lot of life’s stresses are over and he is now on the home stretch.

He is relaxed and expressive on stage raising his animation and volume as anidotes dictate. I find comedy to be at its best when it’s emotionally touching and raw, as this show is. He manages to cover life and death in an optimistic, philosophical and positive way bringing regular giggles, to full blown belly laughs, along the way.

I really enjoy his story telling style which enables you to both get absorbed in the characters, and laugh at the rediculous things, events and people that life throws at us.

I admire stand up so much as an art form and way of expression and see its cathartic advantages and you do feel that you are really learning about this man and the journey he has come through.

Brendon is an intelligent and exciting comedian and is described as an ‘ex - rock n roll comic’ . I am not entirely sure what that phrase should mean but I found him to be full of passion, enthusiasm and honesty, which is probably one the most rebellious ways to be nowadays, how rock n roll is that!

Check out Brendon Burns Home Stretch Baby at The Classic Studio until 5 May.

The NZ International Comedy Festival runs until 20 May 2012.

Tony Law burst on to the Crumblin Cookie’s stage on Thursday night to perform his award winning show ‘Go’, announcing that ‘There aren’t many 19^th century polar explorers doing stand up comedy!’ He had set the tone for the night which would prove to be a hilarious glimpse into his world.

This man oozes funny and knows how to use his appearance and every bodily appendage for comedy effect, even a broken elbow!

You can’t categorise his genius because like most geniuses he is slightly mad. He has honed his craft and produces hugely entertaining stand up, while continually commenting on how bad he is (he’s not!).

Some of his style reminded me of the lovely silliness of Harry Hill, with a real child like quality that a lot of us lose as we grow up, so thanks Tony for reminding us.

Although he seems improvised you can only perform with his confidence and intelligence by experiencing ‘on the job training’ of which he has plenty, telling me pre gig that he performs almost every night as a way to write his material.

However some parts are improvised as he comments on his environment and location in the best and most surreal manner ‘I like to perform in a venue where one wall is a window, that’s not distracting at all?’ he says commenting on the Crumblin Cookies’s open frontage and gold fish bowl effect, and saying of the Leicester accent ‘it’s a made up hybrid’ all of which went down with raucous laughter.

He is a very talented performer who also has a gift for voices, and I lost count of how many he did, all perfectly executed to bring his stories to life including a sketch seemingly devised purely to utilise an African accent.

All of his comedy is inoffensive and fun and he does not pick on his audience but brings you in to his world even turning the porn name game, usually played with friends in a living room, to a live comedy gig.

I find it hard to find a reason why you wouldn’t laugh at a Tony Law gig as his intelligence is clear, and ability intimidating.

I am happy to leave the world of stand up in his hands as with comedians like him, being an audience member is a shear joy that keeps giving. He says if you are not quite sure if you like him or not then just wait two weeks for it to kick in, I didn’t need to, but his jokes have stayed with me in the days after the gig and will do every time I visit a Starbucks or listen to Jazz.

Go and see Tony Law live in the UK at a venue near you (look how nice he is!) http://www.mrtonylaw.com/#d27/feed