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16 May 2025

AUCKLAND WEEK THREE SHOWS

Kia ora! 

Final week of the 2025 NZ International Comedy Fest is already here! Check out our spotlight of awesome shows happening in the final week of the Festival in Tāmaki Makaurau! 

 

Q THEATRE, RANGATIRA

Amy Mansfield - I Din't Invite You Here To Lecture Me (21,22,24 May 6.45PM)
From the makers of 2024 NZ Int’l Comedy Fest hit H.R. The Musical comes this solo verbatim comedy set in a lecture theatre, where “outrageously funny” Mika Austin takes you back to the classroom for a quick-fire education guaranteed to get you a degree in 55 minutes.

Melanie Bracewell - A Little Treat (21-23 May 8.30pm)
With the end of her twenties rapidly approaching, Melanie Bracewell unpacks the last decade of her life. As seen on Taskmaster, 7 Days and Wellington Paranormal, you don't want to miss Bracewell's latest offering. Go on, you've earned it.

Jen Brister - Reactive (23 May 6.45PM & 10PM)
Jen Brister is Reactive - or so she's been told. Apparently you don't have to respond to every little thing around you. Finding herself in a constant state of exacerbation at the state of the world and people in general, Brister has been told she needs to chill the hell out. Can Jen find her zen? It seems unlikely to be honest...

Jenny Tian - Jenny's Travels (24 May 8.30PM)
Jenny’s had one of the most original experiences ever: moving to London as an Australian. She’s frozen her eggs, re-downloaded Hinge and is ready for an adventure. Join her as she shares her stories of phone snatching, cultural oddities and ~finding herself~

 

Q THEATRE, VAULT

David Stuart - The Immortal Legacy Of Me (20-24 May 6PM)
Billy T Award Nominee, 2025 NZ International Comedy Festival. The Immortal Legacy of Me is an exploration of survival, resilience, and the selfish need to matter. In a world where fame can be fast, but success can still feel out of reach, internationally obscure pre-celebrity David Stuart reflects on what it takes to keep going when giving up seems easier.

Neel Kolhatkar - Dirty Flirty 30 (20-24 May 7.30pm)
After the success of his 2023 tour and subsequent special ‘Villain Era’ Neel is back on tour with his brand-new show, ‘Dirty Flirty 30’.

Tony Lyall - Talking When I Should Be Listening (21-24 May 9pm)
Tony is one of New Zealand's best stand up comedians, dealing predominantly in stories. To make sure he still has stories to tell he has had to put himself into more and more outrageous situations and often during these tense moments Tony thinks to himself, at least I'll get a story out of this. Come to this show to hear what happens when you start talking when you should be listening.

 

Q THEATRE, CELLAR

Annie Guo - Guo Back To Your Country (20,21,24 May 6.30PM & 24 May 5.00pm)
Join Annie in her solo hour debut as she shares her hilarious journey of surviving in a new country and how New Zealand has re-shaped her in unexpected ways. She's got some great punchlines prepared for you (if you can understand the accent) and is even ready to show off some advanced PowerPoint skills.

Jerome Chandrahasen - On Words (20-24 May 8PM)
The Hutt's favourite raconteur returns to the Comedy Festival, with his new show on language and laughter. From Foxton Beach to Fairlie, Jerome Chandrahasen (as seen on Wellington Paranormal) has performed around Aotearoa for the past 15 years. A bit of good natured banter, some linguistics, and as always, plenty of laughs. 

Zach Hall & Lane Pilkington - The Zach & Lane Show (21-24 May 9.30PM)
If you ever wondered how that weird kid from school turned out, come to this show. A show that's weird because Lane and Zach are weird. They became friends bonding over their love of twisting the most meaningless mundane subjects into something so stupid that you're laughing and don't even know why.

Q THEATRE, LOFT

Eli Matthewson - Heaven's Devil (20-24 May 8.00PM)
He's performed for over a decade and won awards around the country but last year someone asked Eli if he was gay in real life or if he just does it for the jokes. A brand new hour of comedy about if lying can be good, actually. As seen on Celebrity Treasure Island, Dancing With The Stars, 7 Days and heard on The Male Gayz Podcast.

Josh Thomson - Old Mate 20-24 May 8.30PM)
Josh Thomson thought he’d always be a cool young buck, but he’s slowly becoming an old man. He’s started offering help to people reversing cars, saying “here we go” out loud, and giving long directions to people who just want an address to put into Google Maps. As seen on 7 Days, Educators, Taskmaster NZ, and more, Josh has been making us lol for yonks.

Kirsty Webeck - Everything I Need To Say About Sea Creatures (20-24 May 6.15pm)
Australia's reigning champion of cheerful comedy, Kirsty Webeck, is coming back! As seen on NZICF Best Foods Comedy Gala in 2024 and 7 Days. This year tickets to her show will be in high demand, don't miss out!

Pax Assadi - Off The top (22-23 May 6.15PM)
There comes a time in every comedian's life when they must do the CROWD WORK HOUR, the hour of comedy completely improvised on the spot. For award-winning comedian Pax Assadi, that time is now. With zero preparation and no safety net, each show brings its own unique energy that exists only on that night, never to be repeated again.

Dr Jo Prendegast - (24 May 4.30PM)
Dr Jo has boobs behaving badly! Laugh through the tough stuff with an hilarious night of meaningful comedy! A light-hearted show about Dr Jo’s victory over cancer and her cartwheeling ability. Illness, menopause and aging! A comedy show about coping with change.

 

BASEMENT THEATRE

Barnie Duncan - Ookie Pookie (20-24 May 6.30PM)
Last year, Barnie and his best friend Trygve won the Fred Award for their office-based docu-drama Different Party. This year, Barnie is pleased to debut his brand new show about destiny and grossness. He recently uncovered a cassette tape his mother made with an astrologist in 1980, predicting his entire life. Has he lived up to the prophecy of the stars? Why is he so yuck?

Booth The Clown & Jak Darling - Delightfool (20-24 May 7PM)
2025 Billy T Nominees. Booth the Clown and Jak Darling are DELIGHTFOOL! This campy comedy duo come together in holy(ish) matrimony to showcase their silly, joyous, and unapologetically queer cabaret.

Hoani Hotene - It's getting Ho-tene, So Tell Me All Your Jokes (20-24 May - 8PM)
2025 Billy T Nominee. The world's heating up, going wild, and Hoani Hotene is trying to get through it all with what…? Jokes Yep. Asking the big questions like 'how do you become a better person?' and 'why does everyone pick on gingers?'. Hoani brings his personal style of comedy in a show about finding your place and getting by in a crazy world.

Lesa Macleod-Whiting - Rebellina (20-24 May 8.30PM)
2025 Billy T Nominee. Rebellina [noun] cheeky lil rebel. Determined to impress and positively influence her strong-willed daughter, Lesa MacLeod-Whiting is a Rebellina with a cause. From her literal baptism in a hot tub (while wearing Canterbury pants, thank you very much) to taking on tailgaters, this is a jam-packed hour full of characters, niche references and live wire tales of small acts of rebellion as Lesa learns to stand up for herself.

Tom Cashman - 2 Truths, 1 Lie & 17 Slight Exaggerations (22-24 May 9.30PM)
Tom Cashman is flying to New Zealand as we speak, with a new hour of stand up that may or may not include the secret to happiness. You might know Tom from TikTok, you might know him from Taskmaster Australia, or you might be grappling with the idea of him for the first time right now as you read this.

Bull Rush & Friends (23 May 10.30PM)
As seen in their award-winning regular show every Friday at Basement Theatre. Expect new games played, new stories told, and new music made up on the spot each week. With a roster of Tāmaki Makaurau’s most talented, award-winning performers, it’s always sure to be a riot when you rush with the Bulls!

Crowd Pleaser - Hosted By Itay (24 May 10.45PM)
Featuring: Jenny Tian, Josh Thomson, Elouise Eftos, Eli Matthewson + more to be announced.

 

 

 

THE CLASSIC COMEDY CLUB - STUDIO

Michelle Wiley - Is Who She Says She Is (20-24 May 6.45PM)
Michelle Wiley is who she says she is - despite what everyone else is saying - and she wants to tell you why she thinks they're all wrong. This is a show packed with gags, stories, and mistaken identities, where she invites you to take a good look at her face and never forget it; Join Michelle as she figures out how to use Google Drive and combs through the clues of why she keeps being mistaken for people who are not her!

Itay Dom - Itay Phone Home (20-24 May 8.15PM)
2025 Billy T Nominee. Itay brings you a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud look at his life. From immigrating to New Zealand to navigating 20s dating disasters (plus an unexpected run-in with Valerie Adams’ dog), Itay takes you on the journey that led his 18-year-old self to grab a mic in a heroic bid to win over his crush.

Joel McCarthy - Tongue In Cheeks (21-24 May 9.30PM)
He charmed us at the NZ Fest in 2019, now he's back in 2025 with a new show. “Clever, passionate and soulful“ ★★★★★The New European

THE CLASSIC COMEDY CLUB

Rhys Mathewson - Time Trial (20-24 May 7PM)
Rhys Mathewson is a very competitive person – he holds a record three wins on Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont-Spelling Bee and has ruined two separate couples' games nights. But how do you compete in a one-person art form? By racing against the clock and yourself. Rhys will perform a perfectly-timed set against a live countdown timer.

Classic Comedy Fest All Stars (20-24 May 8.30PM) 
Littered with International and local headliners – Tues to Sat – across the 3 weeks of the Festival. Lookout in Week One (Tue 6 to Sat 10 May) for Special Guest headliner, ANDY ASKINS, and Guest MC DANNY WARD both from England. Check the Classic website for daily updates & line-ups as there will be plenty of surprise 'drop ins' and bonus features.

Classic Comedy L8 & Live (23-24 May 10.30PM)
At the end of the day, every Friday and Saturday night during the Fest, the international and local comedians from across the Fest provide a late night frenzy of fresh and juicy standup comedy. An ideal opportunity to sample the full flavours of the Fest in our very own world class venue and maybe discover some fresh acts that you want to see more of.

 

 

COVERT THEATRE

Skits & Giggles - Covert Players (21-24 May 7PM) 
From absurd characters to razor-sharp satire, Skits N Giggles brings you the very best sketches from the last three seasons in one unmissable night of comedy chaos! Expect rapid-fire punchlines, unexpected twists, and side-splitting moments as our cast brings the funniest, quirkiest, and most outrageous scenes to life.

The Chuckle Monsters - Covert Teen players (25 May 3pm)
Get ready for a whirlwind of laughs and mischief with Chuckle Monsters! This family-friendly comedy adventure brings Big Red and the hilarious Chuckle Monster gang to life in an action-packed show filled with side-splitting improv, catchy tunes, and delightful dance moves.

Jester - Covert Players (25 May 6PM) 
Think Whose Line Is It Anyway? but with way more chaos. Our improvisers leap onto the stage to create scenes, sagas, and songs based on whatever wild suggestions you can dream up, all while battling it out for the ultimate title of Jester.

SkyCity Theatre 

Mo Amer - El Oso Palestino (23 May 7PM)
Mohammed "Mo" Amer is a celebrated Palestinian-American stand-up comedian and award-winning writer. He stars in the acclaimed Netflix series MO, a semi-autobiographical show certified fresh by Rotten Tomatoes with a rare 100% from critics. Named one of 2022’s best shows by The New York Times and NY Magazine, MO earned Amer a Gotham Award, 2023 Peabody Award, AFI Honors, and a Television Academy Honor. Season 2 premieres January 30, 2025, on Netflix. 

Nazeem Hussain - You Paid For This (24 May 7PM)
This is the official bio for my brand-new show You Paid for This. Not to be confused with any of the fakes ones out there. I had to write this bio myself, which really threw my morning plans. I thought coming up with the title was the hard part, but writing a 150 word biography about a comedy show I haven’t performed yet is really hard. It’s called You Paid for This, and yes, I’m aware you likely haven’t actually paid yet. It’s what we call in the biz “presumptive selling”. A bold, but risky move.

Last Laughs (25 May 7PM) 
Farewell the Comedy Festival for another year in one glorious night out at SkyCity Theatre! Grab your comedy-loving mates and be a part of the magic as we announce the winners of the prestigious Billy T and Fred Awards and celebrate the very best of the 2025 Fest - all in one show.

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So what are you waiting for? Dive into our second week of crack-up comedy!