Cracking comedy coming to the capital
The capital’s stages will soon be heaving with some of the biggest names in comedy set to converge on the city in the coming months.
The 27th NZ International Comedy Fest officially opens in Wellington and Auckland in May. To ease into it, Scottish comedian Danny Bhoy will be touring the country in late April with his latest show, Age of Fools.
Bhoy, like quite a few of his UK contemporaries, is no stranger to a New Zealand tour, with his first tour around 2004, when he toured with fellow British comedian Lee Mack and the Flight of the Conchords duo.
‘‘It’s still, to this day, one of my favourite tours,’’ Bhoy said.
‘‘I mostly do bigger tours nowadays but they can be quite lonely because it’s me just going from city to city.
‘‘I remember that first tour of New Zealand with very fond memories where we all just had a laugh and put on a great show.’’
This time around, his show Age of Fools tackles topical subjects – including Donald Trump – but Bhoy is quick to add he’s left the lowhanging jokes about hair and orange skin tones to others.
‘‘I’m sort of very conscious to tell people it’s not a political show. It’s a show about the last two years and all the main issues that have been on my mind. But inevitably there is talk about politics.’’
His shows in Wellington will be on April 23 and April 27 at the Michael Fowler Centre. He’ll also be appearing in Auckland on April 24 and 26, Christchurch on April 28 and Dunedin on April 29.
Bhoy is far from the only Brit bringing comedy to Kiwi stages, with Ed Byrne, James Acaster, Phil Jupitus and more to take to the stage during the NZ International Comedy Fest in May.
Kiwi favourites Alice Snedden, Ben Hurley, Urzila Carlson and others will be rolling out the laughs with their own shows.