Category: Theatre – Improv

I have an innate aversion to one-person shows and I think this one just may have cured me? Mark Vigeant stars in The Best Man Show, an improvised long-form comedy directed by Joanna Simmons. It is chock full of bold choices that aim to push the boundaries of what audience participation can be. The premise Read more

I always have to scrounge around on the floor looking for my jaw after watching Wet Soup. The brainchild of Wellington legend, Joel Luscombe, the show is set up as a variety of different acts, each no longer than ten minutes, most no longer than five. They are all completely mental. In one scene, you’re Read more

The old adage suggests that history is written by the victors. I propose it not be written at all, and instead performed on stage by some of the most talented improvisors in Wellington City. A Very PopRox Christmas is, structurally, an improvised re-telling of the Nativity. Right from the get-go, we’re informed (correctly) that the Read more

The atmosphere inside the Stage is haunting. Candles litter the stage. A lone guitarist sits in the corner, plucking on both strings and hearts. The audience’s volume level is a little more subdued than normal in respect of the ambience that Laenye Productions has set up. Then she enters. A ghostly, overworldly presence darkens the Read more

There’s a specific type of improv show for everyone. One that sates the exact cravings of an exact audience member. For me, it’s murder mystery improv. I was lucky enough to snag one of the last tickets to Farce Onion: A Spoons Out Mystery, directed by Ryan Knighton and Stevie Hancox-Monk. Both of Tiny Dog Read more

It’s officially spooky season. With the first October Friday the 13th since 2017, it’s only fitting that I and a giddy crowd funnel into the Dome at BATS Theatre. We’ve all written down a fake title for a spooky film and placed it in a dingy looking bucket in the lobby. We discuss amongst ourselves Read more

Things are bad right now. Everyone is making a decision this weekend. Their choices are optimism or pessimism. The current state of affairs would have you believe that latter is the safest answer. Can’t be disappointed if you don’t have expectations, right? So it’s fitting that, three days before the New Zealand General Election, I Read more

There’s a lot to be said about platonic relationships that just isn’t. We seek out company and we cherish the memories we have with our friends, but rarely do I find myself talking about about why a friendship means so much to me. Why we go to the lengths we do for the sake of Read more

Can I get a woof woof? The New Zealand Improv Festival is back in full swing now and on the second night, I find myself at a local favourite; Tiny Dog. Comprising a core cast of Gabby Anderson, Alayne Dick, Charlotte Glucina, Stevie Hancox-Monk and Lesa Macleod-Whiting, along with guest (?) star, Ryan Knighton, the Read more

You ever have that nightmare that you’re back in high school and your teachers are telling you quieten down in assembly? There’s a split-second of fear before you realise the absurdity of the situation. Of course you’re not in school. You have a job, you put this behind you so long ago, but it’s so Read more