The NZ International Comedy Festival kicked off last night with its traditional opener, the NZ Comedy Gala. But this year, among the local and international comedians, there was a whole lot of racism.
Podcast host, comedian and big-brained Brit Andy Zaltzman will be coming to New Zealand later this year for the comedy festival. He spoke to Alex Braae about politics, satire, and the game he can't get enough of.
Sam Brooks roars into the third week with two of this year's Billy T nominees, an impressive hour from local comedian Louise Beuvink, and a great one from Australian Joel Creasy.
Uther Dean is a finalist in tonight's Raw Comedy Quest Grand Final at Q Theatre – and he's terrified. He explains why that is, and why there's a big problem with stand-up comedy that nobody talks about.
Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks starts week three of the festival with a three-show ripper. Alice Snedden kills her first hour, Paul Williams makes a name for himself, and Eli Matthewson only gets better.
The fourth instalment of our video series Comedians Answer Our Questions is here! From mushrooms, to murderers, to farms, to iPads, comedians tell us what they hate more than anything else in the world.
Dialogue: Identity, proudly supported by The Spinoff, is a one-off storytelling event at Q Theatre this Friday, May 19. One of the performers, Sam Brooks (who also happens to be our Comedy co-editor), introduces the show here.
Brendon Green's shows have a tendency to make people laugh, but also make them cry. He explains why that is, and why it's actually okay.
For the third episode of our comedy festival podcast actor, writer and comedy expert Chelsea McEwan Millar is joined by comedy editor Sam Brooks and performer Jess Brien.
Sam Brooks reviews the two recipients of the Creative Comedy Project Grant - Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore's Two Hearts and Sarah Harpur's Dead Dad's Club - and dishes out our third Spinoff Comedy Badge of Honour.
Stand-Up For Kids is the only show in the Comedy Festival aimed at one very specific and special audience: children. Sam Brooks talks to performers Tessa Waters and Chris Parker about performing for kids, and why young audiences love comedy.
Duncan Greive watches Joseph Moore and Laura Daniel weave sketch comedy songs and new material into a choreographed, heavily produced pop powerhouse.
Sam Brooks hits the Comedy Fest halfway point with a lovely story from Nic Sampson, a beautiful shambles from Brit Lou Sanders, and James Roque mixing theatre and stand-up while maybe getting his dick out.
Sam Brooks marks the halfway point of the comedy festival with two slam-dunk shows from Billy T Award winner Guy Montgomery and Snort regular Donna Brookbanks.
Comedy co-editor Natasha Hoyland ended up in hospital as the opening nights of NZ International Comedy Festival's second week were kicking off. So she asked the comedians to review their own shows in her absence.
Sam Brooks checks out James Nokise's new sports-focused show and discovers an hour that's much more than just jokes about rugby.
Amelia Dunbar and Emma Newborn have spent the last few years touring their show The Bitches' Box around the country's woolsheds, but now they're back in the city with their new show: Sons of a Bitch.
