The joke’s on Wellington with Comedy Fest

April 10, 2007
Attn Arts and Entertainment Reporters
The joke’s on Wellington with Comedy Fest

Hold on to your bellies Wellington, the Comedy Festival is set to blow through the Windy City with side-splitting laughs and cutting-edge comedy.

The New Zealand International Comedy Festival begins in Wellington on May 7 and ends on May 26, featuring a slew of local and international comedians appearing in 36 acts, delivered among 135 performances across ten venues.

Numbers aside, it’s the laughs that count – and there’s a bunch of them coming to town.

The Comedy Festival kicks off with First Laughs, presented by Lindauer, held Tuesday May 8 at 8pm at the Paramount Theatre. Wellington comedian Ben Hurley, 2004 Billy T Award winner, hosts the opening night showcase that features Dai Henwood, Steve Wrigley, Brendhan Lovegrove and others.

This year, the comedy broth features international spice in the form of Al Pitcher (UK), Andrew McClelland’s Mix Tape (AUS), Joanne Brookfield (AUS), Nik Coppin (UK), Stephen K Amos (UK) and Irish super-comedic-heavyweights Ed Byrne and Dylan Moran.

The Lindauer Comedy Divas breeze into town May 22 at the Paramount with a barrel-full of belly-laughs from the female perspective. Hosted by Jan Maree and featuring Irene Pink, The Improv Divas, Cathie Sheat, Caroline E Waltz, Ivanja Dabrowska and more.

And then there’s Late Laughs, held every Friday and Saturday evening at the home of the Comedy Festival, the San Francisco Bathhouse. Only the most scandalous, cutting-edge comedy for Late Laughs, hosted by MCs Brendhan Lovegrove (May 11-12), Nik Coppin (May 18-19) and Steve Wrigley (May 25-26).

From May 7 to May 25, the Cadbury Crunchie Comedy Booth will be open between 12pm and 2pm in the Leftbank, off Cuba Mall, manned by our Crunchie Comedy Crew for all festival info, Crunchie bars and special two-for-one tickets for shows happening that evening (subject to availability). Programmes are out now, or check out www.comedyfestival.co.nz for more info.

2007 NZ International Comedy Festival
May 7 – May 26, 2007

ENDS

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