Christchurch is a great wee city. Sure, we've had a rocky few years, but we've hung in there, and we're well and truly getting back on our feet. We're creating a vibrant and exciting city, and although we've not got a huge CBD, we do have access to the bars, movies, theatres (and more!) that give us plenty of options for an evening out.
Announcing the final line-up for the Funny As event on 13 Sept! Join David McPhail, Justine Smith and @madeleinesami to hear the stories of the New Zealand comedy scene and share the laughs, with producer Paul Horan & writer Philip Matthews @secondzeit. https://t.co/PluLCZMco5 pic.twitter.com/71ZAO3KFAm
— WORD Christchurch (@WORDChCh) August 20, 2019
My perfect night out is to go and see a show: A musical at the Isaac Theatre Royal, a movie at one of our boutique movie cinemas, stand-up at a bar, or improv at Scared Scriptless, I'm keen for any of them. I remember going to Scared Scriptless back in the Arts Centre pre-earthquake, and it's always amazed me how the Court Jesters are able to create such funny skits right there and then, using only the suggestions from the audience. So this year I decided to take the plunge, and to do something that absolutely terrified me: I signed up for one of their eight-week adult improvisation classes. I was so nervous showing up to that first class, but three terms later, I'm still coming back, and am absolutely loving it. The classes are great fun, you learn loads, and you see just how easy comedy actually is.
HA! ... NOT!!!
All those people you see doing stand-up comedy, improv acting, and MCing events to make sure the guests are having a fun time? They have put in MASSIVE amounts of work and practice to get to the stage they're at, and they only reason they look so comfortable doing it in front of us all is because they've spent years honing their skills, and looking and feeling really uncomfortable. That's one thing I've really enjoyed about Funny As, the hilarious and informative documentary currently streaming on TVNZ OnDemand - you get to see all the footage of the hard work that went in to our comedy stars becoming who we know them as now. Topp Twins, Flight of the Conchords, Mike King, Laughing Samoans... they all started out as young comedians, and all had to put in the hard yards. They've faced obstacles - insert all the '-ism's in here! - but they've come through them ... and now they've all got more comedy material to work with.
If you've also been laughing along to the TV show, you'll be pleased to hear WORD Christchurch is bringing 'Funny As' to the stage of The Piano (8pm, Friday 13 September). Come and hear the show's producer Paul Horan, writer Philip Matthews, and contributors Madeleine Sami, Justine Smith, and David McPhail as they share their memories and stories. We will also get to hear about some of their failures, and see some of the outtakes that didn't make it into the doco. Go and grab your tickets now. Sure, there's a couple of weeks to wait, but you can always check out 'Funny As' on TVNZ OnDemand, get your hands on the book at your local library, or check out some of our other comedy DVDs for an hilarious evening in to tide you over.
Funny as. Friday 13 September 8pm at The Piano
- Borrow Funny as: The story of New Zealand Comedy from the library.
- Watch Funny as on TVNZ OnDemand.
- Watch Funny as extended interviews with comedy talents on NZ On Screen.
- Find works in our collection by:
- Subscribe to the Facebook event.
More on New Zealand comedy
WORD Christchurch Shifting Points of View
WORD Christchurch presents Shifting Points of View — a spectacular line-up of New Zealand and international speakers to warm you up and get you thinking. Shifting Points of View runs from Sunday 18 August to Saturday 14 September 2019. Visit our page on WORD Christchurch Shifting Points of View for more information, previews, reviews, and WORD reading.
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