Welcome to the world of the curious, intriguing and strangely compelling. The Menagerie is a collection of unique and talented local performers brought together for one night on the last Saturday of every month.
This month special guest producer Eli Joseph is taking the reigns. He has filled the show with fresh new talent and unique acts. Come along to see:
The 100% Sascha Experience – Hostess with the Most!
Simone Bensdorp – Poet
Bun-Bun St Velvetine – Nonsense Orator
Popham and Hall – Contemporary Dancers
Viola Nightshade – Striptease Serenade
Tom LaHatte & his Jazz Bandits
Andrew Welsh – The Man in Blue
Eli Joseph – Benevolent Under-Dictator
Sonny and Vanessa – Comedy Duo
Hunter S. Thompson – Poi Performer
The multi-talented Glenn Colquhoun is a poet, musician, essayist, writer of childrens books, and doctor.
His poetry collections were winners in the Montana Book Awards in 2000 and 2003 and in 2004 he was awarded the Prize in Modern Letters.
In 20012 he was part of the ‘Transit of Venus’ poetry exchange at the Frankfurt Book Fair and last year he represented New Zealandon the Commonwealth Poets United Poetry Project that celebrated the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
For his programme at The Fringe, Glenn will blend his talents to present a wonderful mix of words and music.
In a Wellington premier, Sketch/Comedy comes to the Fringe Bar stage. The capital’s top stand up comedians combine with one of New Zealand’s sharpest cartoonists for a spontaneous mix of stand up and visual comedy.
Sketch/Comedy is the creation of cartoonist/designer Hadley Donaldson. With no rehearsal Hadley illustrates jokes and stories on the fly, with just a laptop and a projector to help him. The comedians have no idea what will be drawn, and Hadley has no idea what they’re going to say, combining to make a unique never before seen show.
Hadley was the lead illustrator on Picture This! in the 2013 Adelaide Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival and discovered he had a knack for the rapid off the cuff visual riffing involved. He worked with many comedians across more than 40 shows, including Pete Holmes (The Pete Holmes Show), Michael Che (The Daily Show, SNL), Paul Provenza (The Aristocrats, The Green Room w/ Paul Provenza, Set List), Ronnie Chieng, Claire Hooper and many more.
MC for the evening is the award winning Jonny Potts. A veteran of the NZ International Comedy Festival, in 2015 Jonny won best comedy and best writing in the NZ Fringe and has been invited to take part in the Sydney Fringe Festival in October. An actor playwright and podcaster, his new show River Man will be making it’s debut on the Bats Theatre stage later this year.
With comedians:
New York’s Neil Thornton
2014 Wellington Raw Quest winner Daniel John Smith
2013 Wellington Raw Quest winner Nik Bruce-Smith
Canada’s Rob Harris
Alice Brine – sold out run at the NZ International Comedy Festival
Writer/comedian/DJ – Eamonn Marra
Nice guy – Adam Wright
Carly Simon was wrong, folks – you don’t have to be vain to have a song written about you. For just $5 you can commission a custom song about anything you want – pick a topic, pick a genre and let our team of songwriters and musicians compose a piece just for you.
Free entry, $5 per custom song.
Come along, have a drink, have some fun and be serenaded with a song written just for you.
The Gracious Deviants are an acoustic trio from Wellington, NZ — a highly creative collaboration between three experienced musicians with disparate influences but complementary skills.
The name “Gracious Deviants” is an anagram of “voices and guitars” but it is also a fairly accurate description of the band. Darrel Greaney (right) is a singer/songwriter and versatile guitarist, as much at home on electric bass as on acoustic guitar.
Pete Edge (centre) is a singer/songwriter, guitarist, and avid home studio engineer.
Newest member Emma Bartlett (left) brings a third voice to the mix that is as much at home beautifully entwined in three part harmony as it is front-and- centre on lead vocals.
Their repertoire blends both original material and select covers incorporating pop, rock, and folk sensibilities into an easily accessible sound with a broad appeal. Emma, Pete, and Darrel are all strong singers both in lead and support, their voices blend in harmony while the acoustic guitar work from the two boys provides the rhythmic interplay and melodic accompaniment. Their songs are catchy, the lyrics evocative, poignant, and suffused with sardonic humour.
The comic cabaret is a blend of geeky and sexy with a side of awesome and unusual skills thrown in for good measure. With a roster of performers with a self-professed love for the nerdier side of things, Nerdlesque promises a fun and unique night out for those of you that like a side of debauchery with your Dungeons & Dragons.
Dressing up/cosplay is highly encouraged as we have spot prizes for the best dressed!
Last year we saw Voldemort put on his dancin’ shoes and Jareth the Goblin King also blessed us with a magic dance. Darth Vader fully embraced his dark side and a Doctor’s clothes exterminated amongst a multitude of other fan-tastic things. What will Nerdlesque cook up this year? Get your tickets now and find out!
Wellingtons Finest Comedians get together to do a Stand Up Show which will be real ‘Dank’
Last one sold out, so maybe throw a 10er at Eventfinda instead of throwing 15 ($7 students) at the door
MC is US Molly Sokhom who now calls ‘Wellys’ home. What a legend!
Come along Adults $15, Students $7 (pre sales $10 on Eventfinda) 8:30pm Friday 14th of August at Fringe Bar on Allen Street.
Louis Tait is back by popular demand to talk about the young nats or Gerry Brownlee or something!
Jundas Capone is also back and headlining is local Legend Shaun Howes who has been owning on the UK circuit and Auckland. Back down here for the first time since his sell out shows at the NZ International Comedy Festival
We will also be joined by a very special guest to round out the eventing of ‘Dank’ Comedy
Tropical, city scenes and silly things projected behind the comedians.
From the Feral Audio podcast Weird Adults With Little Esther and television’s New Girl, Parks and Recreation, @midnight, Key & Peele, Jimmy Kimmel Live and more!
Esther Povitsky, aka Little Esther, is a fixture of the LA comedy scene; best known for her breakout podcast Weird Adults With Little Esther, where she finds out what makes her fellow comedian friends ‘weird adults’.
Esther’s irreplaceable quirk and charm has made her a stand-out among her comedy peers, and has seen her make regular television appearances on New Girl, Parks and Recreation, @Midnight, Key & Peele, Jimmy Kimmel Live and Brody Stevens: Enjoy It!
While other children watched cartoons and played video games, Esther was watching Saturday Night Live, and was starving to see Second City shows every other weekend. Esther considers herself a ‘Theatrical Comedian’ with comedic obsessions and references from the LA comedy scene.
In 2012, Esther co-created and starred in the MTV docu-comedy Little Esther, which chronicled her life as a young comic, and her relationships with her mostly-male contemporaries. The following year, Esther performed as part of the New Faces Showcase at the 2013 Just for Laughs Comedy Festival.
Esther’s vibrant web presence has resulted in a recent partnership with Refinery29.com, bringing her stage show ‘What’s in Your Bag’ to the masses, and a part in Netflix’s Judd Apatow produced series, LOVE. Esther also wears a mouth guard due to her grinding her teeth at night. She often speaks in a baby voice with the mouth guard in.
Fresh from recording her debut album, Esther will bring her revered stand-up to Australia and New Zealand for the first time in 2015.
Don’t miss this opportunity to witness a comedic star in the making perform her signature idiosyncratic millennial brand of humour live.
Multi award winning Emma Paki, twice nominated Best Female Vocalist of New Zealand is performing at the Fringe at Courtney Place in Wellington. Emma hasn’t gigged in Wellington for a decade.
Her live performance is utterly embracing. No need to have heard her songs before, she will immerse you and your senses into her magical musical journey ….. An experience you shouldn’t miss.
