The Comedy Fest Return Season

Overview

The news is out: laughter burns calories, is good for relationships, improves memory, enhances immunity and helps us sleep. So the good news for those of us that have trouble taking anything in life very seriously is that the NZ International Comedy Festival is back.

In early September — for one week only — the Comedy Fest Return Season is staging a takeover of Basement Theatre for a run of seven shows. The team are bringing back a selection of winners and finalists from the 2017 Comedy Fest Awards, including Snort, Guy Williams and Fuq Boize.

Want to know why millennials are having less sex than our parents? You need to check out Eli Matthewson and The Year of Magical Fucking. If you've ever been concerned that you're on the verge of becoming a crazy cat lady (quite frankly, it's a daily problem for me), you're in good company with Donna Brookbanks' show Cat-Lady-In-Waiting which includes characters, amongst others, such as Joan of Arc at a Spinsters' Anonymous meeting.

The festival originated in Auckland back in 1993, and since then can be credited for bringing such esteemed names to New Zealand as Alan Davies, Simon Pegg and Ardal O'Hanlan. It runs for three weeks in Auckland and Wellington each year and includes a variety of stand-up, sketch, improv and comedy theatre.

If you can't wait for the 2018 season to arrive, the Comedy Fest Return Season is the perfect antidote to the Auckland winter spring. Take advantage and book yourself in for a night of hilarity. (With the added bonus of millennial copulation.)