Gloat like a butterfly, brag like a bee.

That’s the prevalent attitude going at tonight’s Fight Club, a new comedy game show that’s positioning itself as a raucous Thursday night event filled to the brim with hilarious comedic atmosphere.

Created by Emma Jean and Katy Borrows, two excellent Wellington Raw Quest finalist comedians, the show pits four of their fellow comics in a no-holds barred contest of arguments, interruptions and roasting.

And sometimes violence?

The format is, in structure, very simple. It’s a 1v1 single bracket with a loser’s round for third place. In each of the main rounds, two comedians argue over a set topic and are judged by the volume and enthusiasm of the crowd, of which there is plenty tonight.

The build and rapport the cast brings to the audience is what makes this show. It’s no surprise that the comedians that take care to include the cheering audience end up with most of their support. In most sports, such behaviour would be vilified as showboating or brigading. It Fight Club, it is the lifeblood.

Katy Borrows is the host of tonight’s bouts, entering with a glamorous look that would fit in any high class burlesque. She pulls double-duty as MC and timekeeper, flitting backstage and frontstage with minimal interference. She is the glue that holds the chaos of the show together and delivers a grounded performance that keeps the audience engaged with the world.

Bringing the complete opposite vibe is Emma Jean whose character umpire, Jeff the Ref, enters with high-octane machismo to ensure the rules are carefully followed. It is hilarious that the strong puffed up exterior is revealed to be a languishing façade as he refuses to call balls and strikes on the performers’ increasingly bold rule infractions.

Our first debate is between Keegan Thomas and Lily Catastrophe, and it’s over whose niche hobby would be better in an emergency. Keegan provides a very strong argument for his One Piece Trading Card Game collection, but it is ultimately Lily who takes it with a masterful tactical play, espousing the benefits of her Fire Emblem skills. Throughout the night, Keegan channels his ADHD into pure comedy, quietly doing bits until the entire room is hyperfixated on the weird things he’s doing in the background. Lily is a delightful performer who isn’t afraid to use her triple-minority status to really get the crowd on her side. Her weaponisation of empathy is incredible and her ability to rebut a point with just a confused facial expression is phenomenal. There’s some great banter between the two and a classy handshake at the debate’s end.

Kipling DC and Aaron James Douglas, however, arent afraid to get violent. From the start, these two are at each other’s throats, slinging insults, accusations of foul play and bombarding their opponent with compliments to disarm them. Neither of them can really say a word without the other interrupting them, and it all culminates in a physical confrontation that sees Aaron losing the wrestle, but winning the hearts of the crowd. It’s so hard to de-tangle their performance here because they do such a good job at feeding off each other’s energy, resulting in a scene that’s more dance than it is debate.

It is very cool to see this kind of variety in Wellington City. There’s sort of an unspoken rule that all comedians need to get along with each other to the point that it feels like some of the edges have been completely sanded off. It’s refreshing to see a show that actively encourages its participants to get aggressive with each other.

But the thing is, it never feels genuinely nasty.

The selection of performers is so clever and planned that even when you’re watching two talented and witty comedians fight, you never feel like these performers aren’t best friends outside the show. The love and support they have for each other is beautiful and it only adds to the drama when they must inevitably cut each other down.

I’d love to see more second story elements, like why exactly the performers are so thrilled to have a go at each other. The moments where these motives came through were the best part of the show, and the audience lapped them up like crazy. Very few shows can have an audience jeering a performer on as a ‘stinky pope’ and have it be endearing. The audience’s approval is measured in massive waves of hollers and hoots.

We are witnessing the beginning of something really really cool here. A show that’s willing to loosen the reins a little but and give the crowd a good violent time. This is Fight Club.

Ding, ding.

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