NOTE: A previous version of this review had vastly incorrect information and has been updated now

Welly’s got laughs, baby.

Presented by local production company, Mon Platon comes A Welly Full of Laughs, a gala event featuring Wellington’s best comics. With twelve 6-minute acts from varying schools of comedic expertise, you’re always just around the corner from another surprise, and another serving of hilarity.

At its core, A Welly Full of Laughs is structured like any other line-up show. An MC shows up, in this case it’s Wellington’s comedy main character, Lesa Macleod-Whiting. She sets the room up for the individual acts to come on and knock them out of the park. It’s a tried-and-true formula that has no reason to deviate from tonight. The result is a simple, clean execution that audience trusts completely from the moment the first act comes on-stage.

And the trust never falters.

Mon Platon are not kidding around when they say these are the best comics in Wellington. Each performer is an established act, validated by their inclusion at last year’s New Zealand International Comedy Festival. It’s clear that this show’s been months in the making. Just the fact that all fourteen of these stellar performers were free tonight is insane – schedules like these never line up. I can only imagine the logistics nightmare involved in making this work.

But it pays off like crazy. Each comedian brings their absolute A-game, a necessity when this is being professionally filmed in front of a live audience. From perfectly rehearsed stories to off-the-cuff tirades about Taitā, everyone knows what their audience wants, and everyone delivers. No exceptions.

I’m not going into standouts, because ultimately that’s not the point of the show, and also I’m aching from laughing too much at too many different things. This is a celebration of the Wellington Comedy Scene and more importantly, a showcase of what our scene can do when it’s given the opportunity. The city is notorious for being one of the hardest crowds to perform to. We know this. That doesn’t mean we don’t have talented comedians. It just means that our best have to work harder for the laughs they rightfully deserve. In turn, the mahi improves to a point well beyond what would be necessary in any other city. It’s easy to be discouraged here, to gig repeatedly to inconsistent audiences with inconsistent comics, for very little prestige.

Shows like this provide a new target, a new goal for local comedians to aspire to. Mon Platon know how to put together a goddamn good line-up, and every single comedian in Wellington should be aiming for a slot here in 2027 and beyond. It’s the new standard, both on a performing level and a production level.

It’s honestly a shocker to see a line-up this huge that’s able to pay its performers a reasonable fee, even at the cost of the unpaid labour that goes into setting this whole thing up. The professionalism on display is phenomenal, with the production compensating its performers generously and providing them with television-grade clips of their material to further bolster their profiles. The audience is even directed to posters on the wall upon exit, labeled with each performers name and their social media handles. It’s refreshing to see a production taking such good care off their acts, despite their independant nature.

In a system where massive players like the New Zealand International Comedy Festival can get away with charging exhorbitant venue fees to emerging talent in order to fund international acts, it’s wonderful to see a crew like Mon Platon smash a high-quality production out of the park without compromising on morals. We’re in a weird time where aspiring professionals are treated like hobbyists by the establishment. A Welly Full of Laughs proves that they’re so much more. I’d have paid twice the full price of a standard ticket to see this show, and it’s time Wellington recognised the value of the comedians they’re growing in their own backyards.

I’m very glad that A Welly Full of Laughs exists, and I really hope it becomes a stalwart of the Wellington Comedy Scene. I hope it accomplishes its goal of drawing more and more audiences to the fourteen comedians who all brought their best tonight. I hope it provides a serious goal for local comics to reach on a yearly, even quarterly basis. It’s so great to see our local talent develop professionally, despite the ongoing sustainability issues in the scene. It’s a beacon of hope that we, as a community, should rally behind.

Because Welly is full of laughs, and it’s always hungry for more.

Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I may be quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show. Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.

Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.