Get Your Laugh On!

Media Release – 21 February 2012
For Immediate Release

NZ COMEDY TRUST PRESENTS

The 2012 NZ International Comedy Festival
Get Your Laugh On!

1993 wasn’t a very good year for entertainment. Honestly – Weekend at Bernie’s II? Sister Act 2? Look Who’s Talking Too? Yes, we had Sam Neil in both Jurassic Park and The Piano, but then there was Hulk Hogan in Mr. Nanny. Thankfully, the NZ International Comedy Festival came to the rescue, holding it’s inaugural event at the Watershed Theatre in Auckland. Twenty Festivals on and its going from strength to strength. Hogan’s acting career? Not so much.

This year’s Festival is a mixture of some old friends returning to our shores, local favourites, and some exciting new comedians making their Festival debut. There’ll be comedy talent you may have spotted on Graham Norton, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, Live At the Apollo, Mock The Week and Never Mind The Buzzcocks and, of course, 7 Days, Would I Lie To You? and A Night At The Classic.

The returning Festival favourites include; Rhys Darby (NZ), David O’Doherty (IRE), The Boy With Tape On His Face (NZ), Stephen K Amos (UK), and Urzila Carlson (SA/NZ), Janey Godley (SCOT), Marcel Lucont (FR), Brendhan Lovegrove (NZ), Ben Hurley (NZ), Steve Wrigley (NZ), Craig Campbell (CAN), Rhys Mathewson (NZ), Wilson Dixon (USA) and Terry Alderton (UK); alongside soon-to-be favourites Jason Bryne (IRE), Milton Jones (UK), Des Bishop (IRE) The Axis of Awesome (AUS), Idiots of Ants (UK), Dead Cat Bounce (IRE), Barry Morgan (AUS) and many, many more!

It all kicks off with hearty belly laughs at the Comedy Gala (Auckland) and First Laughs (Wellington), which we’re stoked to announce will hosted by the multi-talented Greg Behrendt (USA), stand-up comedy extradonaire and the co-author of three-million-copy bestseller He’s Just Not That Into You. It may be our twentieth festival, but it’s Greg’s very first appearance in New Zealand.

We’ve got some epic events happening this year with the return of Le Comique, Best of the Billys, Late Laughs, Stand-Up For Kids, SKYCITY Gastrocomique with 7 Days, and the next generation comedians in the Class Comedians Showcase. To finish up, Last Laughs hosted by Te Radar will showcase the best in show with the finalists of the Billy T Award and the Fred Award competing to win the coveted titles!

To top things off the Comedy Convoy embarks on it’s two week road trip, making twelve pit stops along the length and breadth of our great nation, hosted by the country’s Best Presenter, Jeremy Corbett (7 Days) and with performances by Urzila Carlson (NZ/SA), Gordon Southern (UK), Simon McKinney (NZ) and Marcel Lucont (FR).

In the unforgettable lyrics of 1993 Tag Team hit – Whoomp There It Is!

2012 NZ INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL:

The 2012 NZ International Comedy Festival takes place
- Auckland: 27 April – 20 May
- Wellington: 29 April – 20 May
- Comedy Convoy (nationwide): 14 – 26 May

Festival pre-sale: Tuesday 6 March, 9am
Festival public on-sale: Thursday 8 March, 9am

To sign up for the pre-sale, a full line-up of performances, booking and details & more information, visit www.comedyfestival.co.nz

ends

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