Six characters from classic plays meet as present day teenagers at midnight on The Bridge to Nowhere (the one in the Hutt..)  The endless angst of Chekhov and Ibsen, the personal dilemma solilioquies of Shakespeare and the ancient agonies of Sophocles transform to snappy one-liners and hilarious antics as the young people competitively re-enact moments from their dysfunctional lives. Mixing original text and texting, quotes and online questioning, the young people struggle with contemporary versions of age old problems - love, family, loneliness and belonging, to find their way forward.

Meeting first on 'Whats the Point .com' they agree to 'end it all." But really, Antigone and Hamlet want to spite their uncles, Masha (the Seagull) wants sympathy for her humiliating love triangle, Irena (Three Sisters) wants to get out of Foxton and Hedda (Hedda Gabler) wants to control them all, while Helena (A Midsummer Nights Dream) is very keen to meet Hamlet - " He sounds pretty much a mess. I'll just wash my hair.."

An award winning play by Micky Delahunty returning to the Fringe eighteen years after its first performance in the same spot and performances in schools and theatres round the country.

So if you love the classics AND/OR are young OR know some young people OR were ever young yourself!? - you will find this comedy celebrating the power of human connection as funny and relevant as ever.

It's the ultimate outsider's insider's guide to Great Britain!

Having Blitzed the UK Government's controversial citizenship test, Award Winning Comedian and freshly minted Brit Sully O’Sullivan shines a light on the reality of Britain’s claims to Greatness. Like how do you apologise for accidentally hanging a Monkey because you thought it was a French spy? Was Queen Elizabeth really her own cousin? And what’s actually in Brown Sauce to make it taste so....brown?

"After two decades of gigging in every nook & cranny of Old Blighty, Sully O’Sullivan celebrates and satirises all that’s great about Britannia in one comedic swoop!” The Scottish Comedy Festival

“a wicked sense of humour” BBC

“a blast of hilarity” Manchester Evening News

“This show is DEFINITELY NOT sanctioned by the British Tourism Board” britishtourismboard.org.uk

A Man Named Dave tells the story of an ordinary man with an extraordinary problem. Dave lives a perfectly normal life--so normal, in fact, that every moment is dictated by The Narrator. Day after day, he trudges through his monotonous 9-5, until one morning he decides to flip the script.
What follows is a chaotic and playful journey to independence, as Dave wrestles for control of his own story. Along the way, his co-workers--appliances, office supplies, and unexpected allies--spring to life. Some help him, some hinder him, but all push him closer to discovering what it really means to take charge of his own destiny.
Blending voiceover, puppetry, and live performance, A Man Named Dave is a witty and imaginative exploration of self-determination in an absurd world.

Ever heard a bald man sing Rihanna? The Edinburgh Fringe phenomenon returns to NZ Fringe. Scottish baldy Gary Sansome takes an irreverent look at music and popular culture in this hilarious, fun-packed show. 'Recommended for anyone who wants to laugh' (PelicanMagazine.com.au).  'Escapism of the highest order... superb crowd work, improvisation and the largest amount of energy I have ever seen used on stage. An hour of pure entertainment and hilarity' ***** (BunburyMagazine.com).

Ahoy there, me hearties!! Are ye sick of the lily-livered landlubbers and scurvy dogs? Are ye in the mood for high adventure? Then climb aboard Cap'n Bob and First-Mate Mickeys comedy galleon and set sail on the good ship ARRRRRRRRR! Join a fleet of guest comedians as we all walk the plank and snuffle for booty!! Tickets be cheaper than pieces of eight so don't be an arrrrrrrrrsole and join our comedy crew! Splice the mainbrace!!! All aboard!!!.

"A bonkers heartbreaker of a solo masterpiece"

"Original and unique in absolute spades"

"This show is future legendary"

"Alice May Connolly is a bonafide freakin [star]"

"Hugely innovative"

"Extremely silly"

"Funny. Delightful. Surprising. Quirky. Deep."

"A portrait of how we all cope in such varied ways"

"Five star show"

- really cool people who saw the show in the comedy fest

Hot on the heels of her lead turn in NZs festival hit film, The Weed Eaters, Alice May Connolly blends stand up comedy and theatre into a mischievous, perverse, unforgettable exploration of identity, family, and grief.

If you like watching an assortment of Stand-up comedians, while enjoying pizza and beverages, then Alien Comedy is for you.

Join the cult following, its Wellington's second longest running Comedy Show. First Thursday of every month, 8pm at Moon Bar in Newtown.

Fringe Festival Editions! Two shows in one night!

Amid the Summer's Malice is a re-write of A Midsummer Night's Dream that focuses in on agency and consent, while still keeping the humour. Follow Hermia as she navigates escaping an arranged marriage, gets lost in the streets with her friends Lysander and Demetrius, stumbles into Oberon's love potion plot, deals with the fairy king's meddling, and then come out the other side with Lysander happily in love with her, and she is magically drugged to love him back. Classic Midsummer! Meanwhile, poor Richard (just call him Dick) is putting on a one-man show for the big wedding, and of course, nothing could possibly go wrong there either. With all the magical transformations and love-potions, the implications for agency and consent could not be clearer; so come along to see this funny, colourful story told again, in a modern setting with updated language, and with modern issues at the core.

In their laugh-out-loud debut solo show, Edib Farhan weaves between stand-up, clown and character, guided by an ancient desert ancestor. The show is a love letter to the ideals of the Syrian revolution: freedom, dignity, and daddy issues, asking: How do we express our full selves even if it costs us everything? What kind of future ancestors do we want to become? How much cheese is it acceptable to binge in front of other people? Join us in the intergalactic bathhouse where Edib’s ancestor reminds us, “Your healing goes back seven generations–and so do your f*ck-ups!”

Pay what you like to secure a ticket in advance, or pay $20 on the door ($15 for previews).

You know those days when you have to laugh or you'd cry? Mark and Leigh wrote that stuff down, coloured the pages, screwed them up, lit them on fire.. and infused the ashes into poems and songs.The singer of sad songs who sings with "a voice that stops traffic" and longs to be funny, hangs on every oaked word of the wise poet.
Mark's words can soothe the angry, fire up the lowly and hug a grieving heart all at once, such is "the magic one feels when seeing Mark perform his poetry live".
If a good poem is food for thought, Mark's plates, delivered fresh as though he is just streaming consciousness, are a degustation where every morsel leaves you wanting more.
Leigh loves making people laugh and is too often her own material.. (being diagnosed ADHD as a young working mum explained a few things... ) but as a singer-songwriter she just can't seem to write a happy song. People have asked, and she has tried! Her songs see her described as a "female piano playing Bob Dylan". Songs that call for tissues more than dancing shoes.

A hilarious and spellbinding magic show from Melbourne's best queer femme comedian.

Join Tricksy on a my-cheeks-are-sore-from-smiling journey through mind-freaking stage illusions, quick-witted sketches and a shocking final act.

Assigned Magician at Birth confronts the idea of deception, from its innocent use in stage magic to its complicated association with identity, gender and masking. It's a side-splitting, eye-opening look into the world of magic, from Tricksy's unique perspective. Also there are puppets. 

"***** Collins is a polymath" - The Age

"Assigned Magician at Birth is a beautiful, clever, emotional, funny and unforgettable hour." - We are Locals, Darwin Aus

Audience participation is completely optional.

Dancing playfully on the line between being joyful genuinely and performing for others is the devilishly cheeky BUCK SCOURGE. 

“Child-like absurdity and a twinkly eye of menace” says Chloe Jacques from Theatreview, but what will you say? 

Described as “brain rot but in real life”, Dugdale-Martin delivers their clown show all about play. Fresh from clown school where they graduated with the illustrious Stupidest Face Award (joke?) this clown (derogatory) from Wellington, New Zealand has curated a show of tried and true stupid scenes. 

Dugdale-Martin is also responsible for other chaotic successes like the infamous MILK saga, the award-winning ratKing, the ever confused DIFFERENT shows: 'The Devils Are Coming' and 'Dogs In The Hole'.

If you’re happy not knowing exactly what's going on, if you need an ESCAPE from the RAT RACE, if you need a break but can’t afford a KitKat (the candy or the club), come see BUCK run AMOCK (very proud of this).

Brought to you by RUFF AS GUTZ SPECTACLES and Believable Arts Management. 

Content & Trigger warnings: Watch out! This show contains mature themes, loud noises, haze, flashing lights, and lots of clowning around.

Clown: Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin


Producer: Tom Smith (BAM)


Stage Manager: Ezra Prattley


Music/Sound: William Paul

Photography: Charlie Jewell

Anna Dobbie (2025 Raw Comedy Quest finalist) and Meaghan Fisher (2025 NZICF Wellington Comedy Club Rainbow Showcase, 2025 Raw Comedy Quest semifinalist) are bad girls. Two of Wellington's best new comedians, they are teaming up to bring their insights into gender weirdness, the absurdity of straight culture, the exciting world of number plates, microaggressive toddlers, the Brooke van Velden of it all, and whether it's true that mosquitoes prefer the French. Sitting somewhere on the edges of almost any spectrum you can think of, Anna and Meaghan are sure to make you laugh - eye contact, however, is not guaranteed. Join this duo for an evening that will make you laugh, think, and wonder if that was the weirdest striptease you've ever experienced.

Get ready to bang out your favourite hits in glorious harmony like never before - grab a friend for a night of mass karaoke mayhem that will have you on your feet and singing your heart out.

Don't miss this jukebox mash-up of the greatest power ballads, rock and disco hits from the 60s to the 90s, banging out impromptu harmonies and picking up some new ones under the guidance of our funky vocal hosts and massive house choir who have come all the way from Australia!

It's the perfect night out for shower singers, pop divas and even air guitar pros. Join us for a fun night of singing, games and on-the-spot competitions. Lubricate your vocal cords, bring your dancing shoes and sense of adventure!

Bangers and Mash Ups is a 90 minute show that is best enjoyed standing / dancing! The Hannah auditorium will be transformed into a dancefloor, with wheelchair spaces and rest seats available. Additional general admission seating is available in the balcony.

What happens when a comedian walks into a volcano?

In 2023, Ben Miller was the artist in residence at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the first ever stand-up comedian ever selected. This was probably a terrible idea on their part.

Come watch this show where scientist turned stand-up comedian Ben Miller explores volcanology, entomology, Hawaiian history, space volcanoes, cats, cookies, and more.

Ben Miller is an NYC based scientist turned comedian who has been working for the past 9 years. In that time, he has performed at all the top clubs in the city such as Broadway Comedy Club, Carolines, and The Stand. Ben was once ranked as the top roast battler in NYC. He has a degree in Materials Science and Engineering, worked on a science bus, 3D printed cookies and has defused a few bar fights while on stage. In 2022, Ben Miller's debut hour, Stand-Up Science, had a completely sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and he now tours internationally.

Praise for the show:

"Ben Miller's nerdy and vivid comic mind erupts in this hour-long set!" - Winnipeg Free Press (4-star review)

"Ben does a fantastic job of getting the facts across and making us laugh at the same time! A real and rare treat. - The Mumble (4-star review)

"Ben had us laughing until we cried - very funny and very clever! - Audience member

What happens when a comedian walks into a volcano?

In 2023, Ben Miller was the artist in residence at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the first ever stand-up comedian ever selected. This was probably a terrible idea on their part.

Come watch this show where scientist turned stand-up comedian Ben Miller explores volcanology, entomology, Hawaiian history, space volcanoes, cats, cookies, and more.

Ben Miller is an NYC based scientist turned comedian who has been working for the past 9 years. In that time, he has performed at all the top clubs in the city such as Broadway Comedy Club, Carolines, and The Stand. Ben was once ranked as the top roast battler in NYC. He has a degree in Materials Science and Engineering, worked on a science bus, 3D printed cookies and has defused a few bar fights while on stage. In 2022, Ben Miller's debut hour, Stand-Up Science, had a completely sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and he now tours internationally.

Praise for the show:

"Ben Miller's nerdy and vivid comic mind erupts in this hour-long set!" - Winnipeg Free Press (4-star review)

"Ben does a fantastic job of getting the facts across and making us laugh at the same time! A real and rare treat. - The Mumble (4-star review)

"Ben had us laughing until we cried - very funny and very clever! - Audience member

If you are reading this, I have crashed into your present. Unless you've already read this, then
we are stuck in a loop until you have a talk with yourself. Your future self.

Tinker with time my-chime machine and sound yourself out to blip to the future.

Booze and Craic is bringing the laughs to NZ Fringe with a line up of 2 award winning, world travelled hilarious comedians from Bonnie Scotland and the Emerald Isle.

The show features:
Alan McElroy:
Award winning comic who was recently nominated for Best MC at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards. He has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, Electric Picnic & performed to soldout crowds in Australia. His show at NZ International Comedy Festival received rave reviews and more stars!

☆☆☆☆☆ "Excellent Irish storyteller performing a hilarious night of comedy"
Funny Tonne, Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Gary Sansome:
Baldy Scotsman who is known for his 5 star Edinburgh Fringe show Bald Man Sings Rihanna. Gary has performed across the world at some of the worlds top comedy clubs including Carolines on Broadway in New York, Yuk Yuks Torono, Comedy Store Sydney and The Classic Auckland.
☆☆☆☆☆ "Pure Entertainment and Hilarity" Bunbury Magazine Edinburgh Fringe
"Sansome is a natural entertainer, striking up easy conversation with the audience in perhaps the most improvised, effortless stand-up show I've ever seen." Regional News Wellington

Your wall. Two bugs. They're gonna sing at you.

Every bug knows of Bauble (Lia Kelly) and Skump (Phoebe Caldeiro), the two ladybugs that play a weekly concert on living room wall, in their fittingly named band Bugs On A Wall. Every bug also knows that this concert will tragically be their last before house gets fumigated. Join our little ladybug band for a night of their greatest hits such as: Praying Mantis Wedding, Questions for Humans  and Bugs Find A Way, and answer the biggest question on all our minds: “What music would a bug choose to play at its funeral?”

Come in your best bug outfit and join Lia and Phoebe, as they explore identity and intersectionality in a set of original comedy songs. Directed by award winning comedian Alayne Dick.

"Phoebe Caldeiro's original composition was very impressive... Lin-Manuel? Take notes." - Salient Magazine (not a quote from this show but you know, still pretty cool for someone to say about her)

"Musician Lia Kelly starts the show playing the piano. This girl LOVES playing the piano. She is living for it and I am living for her living for it." - Theatreview (also not a quote from this show but she does still really like playing the piano)

BUG BUNDLE

Get 30% off full priced tickets when bought alongside Gemma vs The Normal Worms and/or Crush The Bug.

Ever felt that wave of tears trying to burst out of you whilst listening to a really good song?
I haven't, cos I just let it all flow. Seriously, I cry a lot. I need help.

Your help! Come and see my live gig! Cry with me! 

CONCERT 26 is an intense set of evocative covers, performed live with instruments and vocals, accompanied by dance. Cultivating a space to feel, heal and express together - and play through some absolute bangers!

A messy amalgamation of rock, pop, punk, funk and disco. What more could you want?

"In an endless scroll, red heart shapes speed by" - SOAK

"Everyone that I know is broken" - The Beths

"Everything I do it just comes undone" - Coldplay

Roll up, roll up, the circus is in town!

Leave your kids at home because things get weird after dark.
This is a show for professional performers to let loose and perform acts that are not fit for a traditional family-friendly circus show. From dangerous circus tricks to risqué burlesque acts to just plain strange, this show has everything.

Produced by Athena Rose, with acts from Wellington's best circus performers.

Closer Than You Know
A social experiment. A conversation. A shared story. A live map of human connection

What if we're all more connected than we realise?
Closer Than You Know invites the audience to step into the space -- literally. Lines and projections on the floor map out continuums: from "I loved school" to "I hated it," from "I take risks" to "I play it safe," from "I feel hopeful" to "I'm not so sure."
You'll move, notice, talk, and listen. Each choice opens up small moments -- vignettes, stories, fragments -- drawn from shared experiences.
This is theatre made together, in real time. It's playful, surprising, sometimes tender, sometimes funny.
We'll find the invisible threads that link us -- through memory, emotion, and the simple act of being in the same room.
Because connection isn't something we make.
It's something we remember.

Buy a ticket to every performance to get a special discounted ticket price of $5.

Get ready for chaos, courage, and comedy under the needle! Presented by Drug of Choice and Flash of Jeanius, this one-night-only Fringe spectacle brings together powerhouse comedians, one of whom has never been tattooed before, for a show that is part stand-up, part endurance test, and all entertainment.
As the buzz of the tattoo gun hums, these comedians will deliver fresh, fearless stand-up sets while real tattoos, that are chosen by the audience, are etched in real time. Expect the perfect mix of adrenaline, laughter, and slightly questionable life choices.
Each performer is bearing skin and soul, proving that the line between pain and pun is thinner than you think. With live tattoo artistry unfolding on stage, audience banter flying, and sterling performances this is not your average comedy show.

Direct from sold-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, your favourite daytime soap is getting a comedic reboot.

Coming up on Coro: someone's up the duff, there's yet another scene in the local pub (of course), and two Kiwis battle with Manchester accents!

Five episodes, two actors, nine characters, and 60 minutes of action-packed mundanity.

"Absolutely hilarious...the epitome of fringe."- Edinburgh Fringe Review

"consistently impressive" - Wellyott

Aimee Thorne is a stand-up comedian with a dark, acerbic wit. Picture Wednesday Adams with a microphone. Her show Cursed is all about the contradictions of what it means to be a woman in her girl boss era who also struggles with the desire to people please. Imagine a queen who wears her crown high and proud but also feels the need to apologize to the wall she just accidently walked into. Her jokes are all about dismantling the double standards and expectations women are cursed with.

Aimee Thorne brings her grim observations to the stage that draw on her experiences surviving the trauma of misfortune. She likes to conjure laughs from the depths of her despair for the audiences amusement, because she is generous this way. Her show is also about finding the fun in funeral. It's giving Elvira meets the Spice Girls. It's giving Siouxsie Sioux in pastels. It's about putting her foot down in her disco ball studded Doc Martins. It's a show about the transformative power of finding humour in the darkest of corners. It's about turning her ashes not into dust but into glitter.

Content warning: This show includes dark and challenging themes that may be confronting for some audience members. To avoid spoilers, these themes are not described in detail here. If you would like a more detailed content overview, please feel free to contact Aimee Thorne at thornyaimee@gmail.com.

"You just have to watch it, it's fucking crack up" 

"D' Things N Such" is Wellington's freshest, wildest and most unhinged theatrical experience since someone slapped corned beef and Nutella on toast.

This absurd, high-energy, non-linear show is a chaotic collision of physical theatre, nonsense comedy and emotional whiplash. 

Four fearless FOB clowns with a broken compass lead audiences through a never-ending game of theatrical tag, where intense moments are created and then gleefully abandoned.

This is a disaster on purpose. Get lost with us and maybe leave with abs.

Cast & Crew: 

Director & Actor: Seiyan Thompson-Tonga

Actors: Brett Taefu, Albert Latailakepa, Caleb Teaupa

Musician: Ete Reupena

Costume Designer: Cokana Fashion – Otoota Cocker-Valu & Helena Cocker-Valu

Stage/Prop Designer: Axel Iva

Creative Media Designer: Vain Creative – Havea Latu

Lighting Designer: Isadora Lao

Technical Operator: Hāmi Hawkins

Dramaturge: Sean Rivera 

Stage Manager/Assistant Producer: Tamia Filipo

Producer: Kasi Valu

If tickets appear to be unavailable, there may be further allocation at circa.co.nz.

Bring spice.

Goodnight Kiwi. Bird of the Year. The hoiho on your fiver. Hatupatu and the Birdwoman. The kākā screaming outside. A silly show with real bird facts. Fringe 2015's Best Newcomer finally hatches a new show - a love letter to Wellington and manu we share the city with.

This live presentation combines facts, jokes, video, prizes and songs into an engaging slice of science storytelling. Bird numbers are way up all over the city - it's a great time to be a bird or bird fan. Learn about the wildlife swooping past you and get excited for a Wellington that becomes wilder every day.

Free Fact - most kākā are left-footed.

David's last Fringe outing was Towards a Better Understanding of the Universe. Theatreview said, "This is an autobiographical journey told through the Universe. Yes, the goddam amazing universe that we're all a part of. I'm hooked." The show also popped over to Melbourne Fringe where reviews glowed it was "almost as perfect an hour as you could have."

Towards evolved into Tour de Science - a science storytelling show. The Tour was on a bike and pedalled all around Aotearoa (down to Rakiura and up to Kaitaia!). Across 60 towns and cities, audiences loved David's easy-going yarns that sneakily piled on some real education.

Most recently, David branched out and became Plant Man: a show for children that wondered, "What would it be like to be a plant?" Kim Hill asked him about trees and vegetables and described him as "cool as a cucumber."

Be cool, get hooked and squawk about this new show. The title says it all - David Klein presents: Birds

Lavinia Draper, alcohol-soaked performer of a certain age, maintains her dream despite the struggle. The strife of aging artists, most particularly women, facing unrepentant discrimination and harassment, and the resultant dysphoria and substance use, is profound. But Lavinia is the rare hopeful dreamer who never gives up on herself and inspires the audience to do the same. A one-woman show performed by Susan Campanaro that shatters genre as deftly as the title character severs the comic/tragic line. Brimming with hysterical comedy, dark sensitivity and harsh reality, the play features a moving score by Lynn Portas.

'A tour de force' (The Village Sun, New York).`
'A masterpiece of creativity and talent by the incredible Susan Campanaro. It is a must-see!' (Audience Review).
'Susan is a gem whose Lavinia is Broadway overdue! Lynn is a musical genius who creates the perfect frosting of lyrics and sound to the delicious layer cake that is Lavinia's story. Smart, funny, poignant, an evening well spent. BRAVO!!!' (Audience Review).

Performed and Directed by | Susan Campanaro
Lyrics and Music Composed by | Lynn Portas
Produced by | Jimmy Burke

Part of the C ARTS programme, a home for international independent arts, showcasing creativity, celebrating diversity, at C venues at the Edinburgh Fringe and on the C digital online platform year-round. Full programme at http://www.CtheArts.com

Leaching off of the human healthcare system isn't a hobby, it's a full-time job...

Welcome to MED INC, a.k.a 'The Monetisation of Earthly Diseases, Incorporated'. Founded in 1353 by the Black Death upon his retirement from freelance field-work, we provide the world's substantial array of diseases with both a workplace and a home.

In this nauseating tale, three conditions residing in the lower 'atopic' suites - Asthma, Eczema and Hay Fever - find themselves with a desire for more recognition for their services to MED INC. Upon an optimistic meeting with the organisation's CEO, the Black Death informs the trio of what must be done in order to climb up the capitalist ladder: ensure a client's life is a personal hell for one week and finish by killing them on the 7th day. Murder can take a mental toll on a disease only known for its irritating symptoms, how will our sickly crew deal with this challenge?

Are you a fan of Tiny Desk Concerts?

Calling out to anyone who loves going to a causal gig, and having a drink with friends. 

Come visit us at FATG for the launch of our new offer of acoustic sets this Fringe. Housed in our foyer, this free event allows for anyone to pop in for good music. 

Grab a mate and enjoy live music from outstanding local artists.

Look out for FATG Unplugged on your social media channels as we announce our artists and special offers. 

FRANK. The Musical

A Bold New Musical Inspired by True Events

What do we fight for? and at what cost? Set against the backdrop of WWI, FRANK. The Musical tells the powerful story of Karl Frank, the son of a German immigrant who chose to fight for Aotearoa, New Zealand in a time of deep national and personal conflict.

Rose Ellis alongside her love Karl, witness a generation torn apart by war and bound by love, duty, and hope. Travel from the shores of Te Whanganui-a-Tara to the brutal trenches of the Western Front in this gripping original production.

Featuring a cast of 10 actors and a live 5-piece band, FRANK. The Musical combines the intimacy of chamber theatre with the emotional scale of musical storytelling. With a sweeping original score blending early 20th-century sounds and modern folk influences, this is a story of resilience, sacrifice, and the enduring power of connection.

The journey begins here.
Join us for a powerful first look at FRANK. The Musical.

A Self-Love Letter

An evening of music and poetry reflecting on what self-love actually looks like, through the lens of dating and relationships. Cute moments (like childhood crushes) open the door to deeper conversations about finding a peaceful, accepting and understanding relationship with yourself. 

So basically, it’s like if you imagine advice on dating and how to navigate the complicated intricacies of love, but you find out that the intricacies you’re navigating are with yourself, your history, your wounds, and learning to accept your own flaws like you would with someone you are learning to love.

I’m joined on stage by two wildly talented friends. Ellie, a jazz trained singer for gorgeous duets and a Hannah on violin to make love songs soar. Hosted at The Undercurrent, the beautiful second-hand bookstore, expect a warm, cozy evening of heart-forward art.

Awards for previous show 'For My Family, And Yours'

- Most Promising Pacific Artist – Dunedin Fringe 2025

- Collective Catharsis Award – Hastings Fringe 2024

Experience a bold theatrical adaptation of one of Japan's most powerful war novels: Ōoka Shōhei's classic Fires on the Plain reimagined for the stage. This solo performance brings to life the harrowing journey of a soldier lost in the chaos of World War II. Through multiple roles, one actor explores the depths of war, solitude, and human survival. Explores themes of faith, dignity and humanity through the loneliness, hunger and moral dilemma of the Philippine front. A visceral, intimate take on Ooka's classic, confronting the darkness of war with haunting clarity.

Original text by | Ōoka Shōhei
Adapted and directed by | Horikawa Honoh
Performed by | Nagai Hideki
Photo | Igaki Photo Studio (use courtesy of Toyooka Theatre Festival, Japan)

Part of the C ARTS programme, a home for international independent arts, showcasing creativity, celebrating diversity, at C venues at the Edinburgh Fringe and on the C digital online platform year-round. Full programme at http://www.CtheArts.com

Four-year-olds ask the biggest questions. As we grow, the answers get tangled--gender, identity, belonging, the slow loss of magic. In this contemporary dance work, a community cast explores moments of wonder, confusion and discovery--reminding us how it feels to see the world again with fresh eyes. Four Questions moves through the stretch and the ache of becoming, and finds, somewhere in the mess, a spark still glowing. Is this proof that the magic never really left?

Can't decide what to see this Fringe? Fringe Bar Comedy Club presents Best of the Fest. This stand-up comedy show features the best and brightest comedians from the NZ Fringe. Every Wednesday brings a fresh line-up and guaranteed midweek laughs. Come along and enjoy the festival's funniest acts in one night.

15 Episodes of beautifully produced, highly infectious audio comedy, inchworming into a mind near you....

Giant space worms are invading Earth, and their wormy hive-minds are driving people Normal!

To save humanity from all that is conventional, amorously-awkward Gemma and loveable loafer Fabblestitch must take the ultimate trip: a kaleidoscopic adventure deep into the bowels of the Lost Worm Galaxy -- where the normal rules don't apply, but the Normal Worms do...

Gemma vs The Normal Worms is about holding your own when you're different, deviant, and diverging from the conventional, in a crazy world where everyone must submit to The Normal Thing to Do.

Warning: Contains 420% reeferences to sex, drugs, & psychedelic worms.

4 hours and 20 minutes of raunchy, whimsical fantasy, inspired by Monty Python's Flying Circus, and the nostalgic, old-timey radio storytelling of Spike Milligan's BadJelly The Witch.

Cosy up with your fav snacks and your best bud(s) and get ready to laugh your ass off! Hi-fi sound gear recommended.

Early Birds can catch our Worms at SPECIAL prices! Sign up to our socials/website to learn more!

Or listen for FREE at our charming Listening Post installation at Hannah Playhouse!

Wellington chamber pop orchestra the Sven Olsens return to the Fringe with another sonic slice of life in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The 18-strong collective has spent the past 15 years recording over 100 songs about what makes people in this country tick. They are still none the wiser but now twice the poorer.

This band presents material others sensibly avoid. They've created an 'ear-worm' farm using topics as varied as: the Fencing Act 1979, ever-elusive Hasting's tagger Kron, Huka Falls' boogie boarding dare devil Dr. Bubbles, the perils of kung fu dancing on top of chicken restaurants and the influence of 19th century painting on the hangovers of local librarians.

The Svens will sing 70 mins worth of material from their endless 'magnum 'opeless'. This show will be a celebration of national quirks, perks and potholes, baffling and fascinating in equal measure, gloriously short and to the point. There'll be strings, choir and a band. There'll be a multimedia extravaganza. There'll be merch. And there'll be you. This Svens' motto is 'one last shot at obscurity'. This is your chance to prove them wrong.

Three great small venues.

Te Hapori/ Newtown Community Centre Theatre,

The Tararua Tramping Club,

bookhounds come to our Friday night show at Undercurrent.

Four nights to choose from. Entry is free/koha.

Wellington chamber pop orchestra the Sven Olsens return to the Fringe with another sonic slice of life in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The 18-strong collective has spent the past 15 years recording over 100 songs about what makes people in this country tick. They are still none the wiser but now twice the poorer.

This band presents material others sensibly avoid. They've created an 'ear-worm' farm using topics as varied as: the Fencing Act 1979, ever-elusive Hasting's tagger Kron, Huka Falls' boogie boarding dare devil Dr. Bubbles, the perils of kung fu dancing on top of chicken restaurants and the influence of 19th century painting on the hangovers of local librarians.

The Svens will sing 70 mins worth of material from their endless 'magnum 'opeless'. This show will be a celebration of national quirks, perks and potholes, baffling and fascinating in equal measure, gloriously short and to the point. There'll be strings, choir and a band. There'll be a multimedia extravaganza. There'll be merch. And there'll be you. This Svens' motto is 'one last shot at obscurity'. This is your chance to prove them wrong.

Three great small venues.

Te Hapori/ Newtown Community Centre Theatre,

The Tararua Tramping Club,

bookhounds come to our Friday night show at Undercurrent.

Four nights to choose from. Entry is free/koha.

Wellington chamber pop orchestra the Sven Olsens return to the Fringe with another sonic slice of life in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The 18-strong collective has spent the past 15 years recording over 100 songs about what makes people in this country tick. They are still none the wiser but now twice the poorer.

This band presents material others sensibly avoid. They've created an 'ear-worm' farm using topics as varied as: the Fencing Act 1979, ever-elusive Hasting's tagger Kron, Huka Falls' boogie boarding dare devil Dr. Bubbles, the perils of kung fu dancing on top of chicken restaurants and the influence of 19th century painting on the hangovers of local librarians.

The Svens will sing 70 mins worth of material from their endless 'magnum 'opeless'. This show will be a celebration of national quirks, perks and potholes, baffling and fascinating in equal measure, gloriously short and to the point. There'll be strings, choir and a band. There'll be a multimedia extravaganza. There'll be merch. And there'll be you. This Svens' motto is 'one last shot at obscurity'. This is your chance to prove them wrong.

Three great small venues.

Te Hapori/ Newtown Community Centre Theatre,

The Tararua Tramping Club,

bookhounds come to our Friday night show at Undercurrent.

Four nights to choose from. Entry is free/koha.

An intriguing, soul-searching masterclass into the personas of jesters, jokers, and clowns, through the lens of the theatrical mask. From Greek trickster gods to Japanese Noh Theatre, commedia dell'arte and opera to slapstick and cartoons, join Professor Rosemary George on a rollercoaster through the joys and sorrows, comedies and tragedies of life, which probes hidden identities in human behaviour.

'The professor's range and extent of research is clearly apparent' (EdinburghGuide.com).
'This is a masterclass in how we become what we are not, from the 'tears of a clown' to the masks of traditional Japanese Noh. It considers the jester as the communicator of the soul’ (LouReviews.blog).
'Brilliantly and eloquently written... Thoughtful... Extraordinarily well-researched' (Audience review).
'Quite unique... Informative and fun' (Audience review). 'Truly thoughtful, educational' (Audience review).

Created and Performed by | Rosemary George

Part of the C ARTS programme, a home for international independent arts, showcasing creativity, celebrating diversity, at C venues at the Edinburgh Fringe and on the C digital online platform year-round. Full programme at http://www.CtheArts.com

Jack Gerards knows better than most that life has it's crappy moments. One moment the sun is shining, the birds are singing and you haven't a care or a worry in the world, the next the spicy vindaloo curry you had the night before makes a sudden reappearance and there isn't a restroom in sight. You're never quite as prepared as you think you are, but it's these trying times that show the true extent of your gastro-intestinal fortitude and just how resourceful you can be when you're under pressure.

"Hook, Line And Sphincter" is a series of half-baked and fully formed movements: one half is work in progress material that is still in the process of being digested, the other half is tested material that has completed it's long and laborious journey into the a(n)nals of Kiwi comedy. Whether this dark matter will reach it's ultimate destination or be prematurely ejected into the universal sewer of space and time remains to be seen. Hold your nose, take the plunge and come experience it for yourself... if you have the stomach for it, of course.

Adrift at sea, Richard and Luigi brave the seasons and days together as they progressively make their way toward the horizon. Will they give into the waves and let the ocean consume them or will they push through to see another day?

HORIZON is a brand new aburdist-comedy play written by NZ playright Nathan King and directed/performed by Rose McKenzie and Charly Baker. The show takes typical absurdist tropes and flips them around from fatalism to hope. HORIZON is an attempt to be a voice in the dark, a sunset on the horizon (HA!) for people who feel they're lost, drifting in a sea they have no say over.

It's a crying call to the void saying, "You matter, this matters, we matter, love matters, and you are worth the effort, time and energy it will take to get better."

If we have any strong testimony, it's the truth that it does get better. Everywhere. Always.

I Don't Know Much About Art But I Know What I Lick is a show about fine art for messy people.

The gallery is a space with particular rules of engagement. Young children do not know these rules and embrace art in the way that makes the most sense to them: physically.

In I Don't Know Much About Art But I Know What I Lick, Trick of the Light Theatre (The Bookbinder, The Griegol) join forces with internationally acclaimed performance designer Meg Rollandi on a new show for children (5 and under) and their accompanying adults. Guided by two performer attendants, audiences are invited to explore a gallery set up for kids, featuring satirical and interactive reworkings of iconic art pieces - The Mona Lisa with eyes that actually follow you, the Birth of Venus in a paddling pool clam shell...

Jak Darling has courageously slept around so you don't have to!



2025 Billy T Nominee and Te Whanganui-a-Tara’s rising star Jak Darling closes their legs and opens their heart for a brand new hour of wit, glamour and allure. After years of meticulous fieldwork Darling vulnerably shares the tops and bottoms of their sex life, exploring themes of lust, longing and loneliness. Featuring stand-up, poetry, theatre, tongue, cheek, and a whole … lot more.

Unapologetically queer and unabashedly themselves, Floozy is a salacious celebration of unadulterated queer joy. Bring protection, an open mind, and a note-pad for intellectual intercourse, intimacy and no intermission!

“It's amazing how much naughtiness you can get away with. Darling ought to teach it.”
 Margaret Austin, Theatreview, NZ

“Jaw dropping and hilarious… Darling has got to be one of the funniest people in the city.”
 Sean Dugdale Martin, Art Murmurs, NZ

A high-class dumpster fire re-ingnites.

Celebrate Jason's literacy AND a lifetime's investment in voice and speech training.

Luxuriate in his mellifluous, golden baritone voice as he reprises this 'un-award winning'*, least worthwhile, and most artistically dubious venture of his career.

From 'Aagesen' to 'Zwartz', embark on a declamatory odyssey!

This show premiered as one of many** global events celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1921 deep sea telephone cable from Key West, Florida, to Havana, Cuba.
**no other events known at time of publication.

Critical Praise:
"Ultimately forgettable."- an actual reviewer (we forget who)

"He studied acting. In New York. For this?" 

"You sounded like you were reading the telephone book." - NYC Acting Coach (If they could see him now... )

"I don't recommend it." - Jason Henderson

"...an insane and inconsequential farrago of sheer fantastic nonsense" - Anna Russell on Mozart's The Magic Flute

*NZ Fringe 2021 Awards - Nominated (Please note: This is NOT an award-winning show - it was *only* nominated)

Internationally touring comedian Jez Watts (AUS) returns to Wellington with a brand new hour. Hot off the heels of his first full-length special this show is all new dirty jokes, bits and stories from his time living all over the world.

Tour support for Sam Tallent, James Donald Forbes McCann, Duncan Trussell, He Huang and loads more - Jez has been seen on stages across 7 countries and 55+ festivals worldwide. Expect jokes from his time as a soldier, husband, international traveller and drug enthusiast.

****½ 'The blend of dark, satirical and proper naughty comedy does wonders to bolster his drug-fuelled and sexual encounter stories fittingly, leaving you on the edge of your seat as more outrageous details spill out. ' Fringefeed

****1/2 Perth Happenings **** 'Watts is a standout' The Music **** Fourth Wall **** "Hilarious" Whats On In Adelaide

The cowboys are galloping back into town for one night only! And this time, they bought friends.

Join drag cowboy band Jim and the Dorothy's as they play all their hits from last year's Fringe show Jim's No Cowboy in a variety showcase alongside local drag artists.

A camp variety showcase of music, theatre and drag! 

Set as a (sort of) prequel to Jim's No Cowboy; Jim's a lonestar cowboy who's been wandering the desert with his bandmates Buck Friday and Big Drummin' for some time, stopping to play in dive bars and rest in seedy motels. On this night, they find themselves playing at a local drag bar, which brings new discoveries of queer identity and persona into the light.

Featuring performances from Pōneke drag artists! 

Hastings Born, Wellingtonian, Jundas Capone, was a staple of the Berlin comedy scene for a number of years. Within a month of starting stand up, he won Wellingtons last comic standing competition, then went on to be a raw quest finalist. His style is alternative, going from one-liners, observations, and storytelling, to left-field surrealism. Accessibly random, surfing the awkwardness, which turns into waves of memorable and uncontrollable laughter. 

Puberty, periods, pregnancy, perimenopause, piss, processed meat and please be quiet.

In a bold and brave new solo hour of comedy, multi-award winning comedian Harriet Moir flips the bird to the patriarchy and the multiple ways it has tried to keep her small and keep her quiet. 

"Harriet delivers an hour of storytelling and musings focussing on the aging female body and the years of energy spent on bodily self-critique before arriving at a place of complete acceptance. This interspliced with many very funny references to felatio". - Flat City Field Notes

"It's a story of discovery, shame, confusion, hilarity, pride, sensuality and everything in between". - Theatreview 

"Harriet holds the audience in the palm of her hands from the get-go". - Theatreview

"A masterclass in kiwi comedy." - Flat City Field Notes

Harriet lives in Dunedin with her two daughters and their ginger pussy, where she works as a comedian, writer, wedding and funeral celebrant, MC, actor, singer, writer, producer and entertainer. Mercifully not all at the same time. 

Winner - Best Comedy - Dunedin Fringe Festival 2025

Nominated - Best in Fringe - Dunedin Fringe Festival 2025

Winner - Best Comedian - Dunedin Comedy Awards 2024

Winner - Phil Davison Memorial Special Contribution to Fringe Life Award - Dunedin Fringe Festival 2024

Oh, hello there. Are you ready to get up close and personal with renowned lounge singer Carl Poteraychke? Join us for a night filled with sensational music, impeccable vibrations, and unforgettable memories... just for an hour.
Winner: Best of Fest, Outstanding Comedy, World Premier, Cultural Exchange, and Artists' Pick (2025 San Diego Fringe).
Nominated: Top of Fringe, Adelaide Exchange, and Daredevil Award (2025 Hollywood Fringe).
Created and performed by Cam Poter (America's Got Talent, Ecole Gaulier, HBO's Silicon Valley, @CamOnCam69).
Co-devised with Jeremy Poter. Directed by Paulyboy and Shawn Stoner.

In the industry, a stoner chef is just called a chef.

Join Katy Borrows in her kitchen as she interviews local comedians about their favourite stoner snacks and herbal history, all while cooking an elevated version of their go-to munchies.

Buy a ticket now, and you'll receive a link to the video when the Fringe Festival opens!

Grab a snack, pack a cone, and hit play.

When finding love we're always told to "be yourself" but what if "yourself" is chronically comical? Two time Best Comedian winner Booth the Clown is seeking answers.. and a little kiss..

"Booth plays with us, the audience, in a fun and inclusive way which is exactly what we want from a clown." - Emilie Hope, Theatreview

"A brilliant embodiment of mime and a fantastic exploration of the clowning medium, a truly skillful performance" - Issac Andrews, Artmurmers

Lily Catastrophe, Wellington's Burlesque Princess and star of comedy cabaret BOTTOM SURGERY, brings the Dionysian art of burlesque to the Gods at Paramount Theatre. 

Join Lily--described as an "it girl" and "one seriously amazing woman"--in her returns to New Zealand Fringe 2026, as she summons a shimmering pantheon of New Zealand's finest burlesque performers in an opulent, rhinestoned evening filled with classic tease, divine performances, and glamorous sensuality. Burlesque at the Gods is sure to be a monumental event, hosted by one of Wellington's most exciting rising stars.

Come worship at the seat of the Gods.

Our raunchy 4h 20m audio comedy Gemma vs The Normal Worms will be playing on demand for FREE at our charming audio installation at Hannah Playhouse.

Featuring headphones and craft supplies — stop by anytime to cosy down, doodle a worm, and allow yourself to inch deep into the bowels of the Lost Worm Galaxy...

Check out our trailer here.

… The Normal Thing to Do would be: Listen to Gemma vs The Normal Worms …


Supported by Hannah Playhouse and the Wellington City Council.

The Listening Post will be available from Feb 13 to March 8th: 5-9pm Tuesday-Friday, 3-9pm Saturday, 5-9pm Sunday.

BUG BUNDLE

Get 30% off full priced tickets when bought alongside Bug Songs Not Love Songs and/or Crush The Bug.

Local tour guides Marc & Marisha work for Time Tours, the best (?) time-travelling tour company in Wellington. The kicker? They don't just talk about the history, they take you to it.. Download these two self-guided audio tours, wander the streets of Wellington (or listen from home!), and learn about the places that made us and what we'll become. All of it's true. We promise.*

*We can't confirm or deny that. 'Cause some of it's not happened yet.

Marc & Marisha Time Travel Wellington! - Feuding divorcees Marc & Marisha are forced together for their final historical time travelling tour. Join them as they tell you about the history of Courtenay Place and definitely don't rekindle their love...

Listen at home or walk along with us. Start this tour outside Coene's on Wellington's Waterfront. 

Marc & Marisha Time Travel The Theatre! - Marc & Marisha find themselves in a moralistic crossroads with the advent of AI. And they also tell you about some of the history of Wellington's best theatres. 

Listen at home or walk along with us. Start this tour outside the Welsh Dragon (eastern side), opposite BATS Theatre. 

Featuring:

Hamish Boyle as Marc

Emma Maguire as Marisha 

and an ensemble cast of: Bethany Miller, Jim Fishwick, Bea Lee Smith, Felicity Cozens, Ewan Coleman, Shaun Swain, Dylan Hutton, Sam Irwin, Annica Lewis, Ruby Kemp, Hayden Frost, Isaac Hooper and Booth. 

Directed by Anastasia Matteini-Roberts and Emma Maguire

For more from us, check out Tempest Theatre Co on Facebook or Instagram. 

Me vs Myself dives into the mental struggle between the side of the mind that colors inside the lines, and the side that scribbles over everything. Gerard Dougherty returns from last year's critically acclaimed Hang in There! with an hour of sharp, unpredictable comedy.

"Nothing short of brilliant, deeply introspective, and undeniably authentic. His preternatural, almost ungodly comedic talents can only be explained through some Faustian bargain." -- Theatre Review

Expect premeditated visual metaphors, carefully plotted jokes, and absurdly precise punchlines,
intertwined with improvised detours and audience-fueled chaos.

After all, it's an argument with myself -- and I'll need you to back me up.

Me vs Myself dives into the mental struggle between the side of the mind that colors inside the lines, and the side that scribbles over everything. Gerard Dougherty returns from last year's critically acclaimed Hang in There! with an hour of sharp, unpredictable comedy.

"Nothing short of brilliant, deeply introspective, and undeniably authentic. His preternatural, almost ungodly comedic talents can only be explained through some Faustian bargain." -- Theatre Review

Expect premeditated visual metaphors, carefully plotted jokes, and absurdly precise punchlines,
intertwined with improvised detours and audience-fueled chaos.

After all, it's an argument with myself -- and I'll need you to back me up.

Flatmates Gracie, deep in therapy and retail work, and Freya, accidental drug dealer, "barely" an artist, struggle with the psychological toll of their art degree and navigate life post-uni.

Gracie's rage gets the best of her, and Freya is losing hope. The play speaks to how tough it can be not to give up on the arts industry and how necessary mental health support is for our resilience.

Messy is a dark comedy; quippy with fast intellectual dialogue. It pokes fun at the mundane drudgery of life, and highlights the beauty of creating art and leaning on your artistic community for support.

Bringing together four of Pōneke's funniest comedians for a night of laughs, new jokes and silly times, Most Likely is the comedy treat you deserve!

Gabby Anderson - Most Likely to Make a Classics Reference
> 2023 Billy T Award Nominee

Clarissa Chandrahasen - Most Likely to Slay
> "The perfect writer" - ArtMurmurs

Samantha Hannah - Most Likely to Crash Out On Stage
> 2026 Billy T Award Nominee

Hosted by Lesa MacLeod-Whiting - Most Likely to Go Off-Piste.
> 2025 Billy T Award Nominee

Internationally acclaimed physical theatre company, a2 - guide you through the potential cosmic ends of the universe.

This is an hour of urgent electronic music performed live by Toby Leman (Earl Green, HUMMUCIDE, Revulva), and a sharp new text written by Ben Ashby and Performed by Ethan Morse. It's an exisistential crisis at the rave, it's a cathartic hour of fear, rage and hope, scored by an overwhleming and hypnotic AV design by Asha Barr. 

Please take a second to think about the ever-expanding blackness of space, about the vastness of the deep ocean. Consider that human history is only 0.007% Of the earths history. 

While we watch the rise of divisive, fascist policy at home, and genocidal war crimes overseas, scientists are predicting the end of the cosmos, and the end might be closer than you think. To be a tiny part of a massive universe is not the same as being insignificant.

Awards

Internationally acclaimed physical theatre company, a2 - guide you through the potential cosmic ends of the universe.

This is an hour of urgent electronic music performed live by Toby Leman (Earl Green, HUMMUCIDE, Revulva), and a sharp new text written and performed by Ben Ashby. It's an exisistential crisis at the rave, it's a cathartic hour of fear, rage and hope, scored by an overwhleming and hypnotic AV design by Asha Barr. 

Please take a second to think about the ever-expanding blackness of space, about the vastness of the deep ocean. Consider that human history is only 0.007% Of the earths history. 

While we watch the rise of divisive, fascist policy at home, and genocidal war crimes overseas, scientists are predicting the end of the cosmos, and the end might be closer than you think. To be a tiny part of a massive universe is not the same as being insignificant.

Awards for Motion Sickness
Winner - Melbourne Fringe 2025 NSW Touring Award
Nominee - Melbourne Fringe 2025 Best in Theatre
Nominee - My Melbourne Arts Awards 2025 Best Production
Nominee - My Melbourne Arts Awards 2025 Best Performance (Ben Ashby)
Nominee - My Melbourne Arts Awards 2025 Best Sound Design (Toby Leman)
Nominee - My Melbourne Arts Awards 2025 Best Innovation in Tech

Other Awards for a2 Company
Winner - Wellington Theatre Awards 2025 Excellence Award for Movement (for Running into the Sun)
Nominee - Wellington Theatre Awards 2025 Excellence Award for Ensemble (for Running into the Sun)
Nominee- Wellington Theatre Awards 2025 Most Original Production (for Running into the Sun)
Winner - Melbourne Fringe 2024 - Best in Theatre (for Running into the Sun)
Winner - Melbourne Fringe 2024 - The Emerging Company Award

This solo multimedia performance celebrates the raw power of creation and destruction embodied by a volcano, as it explores parallels between the cyclical movements of the earth and the emotional landscape of humanity. Through a series of vignettes, a combination of expressive dance, recorded narration, video, and music, immerses the audience in the essence of an evolving mountain. Performed on a set crafted from recycled and natural materials, Mountain Woman showcases the sacred feminine spirit, embodying growth, self-destruction, and balance as a call to reconnect with the cycles of the earth.

Created, Composed, Choreographed, Produced and Performed by | Ariel Bittner
Engineering Assistance by | Derek Mouton (Tim Curry Designs)
Costume Fabric Donation and Brainstorming by | Olea Stevens

Part of the C ARTS programme, a home for international independent arts, showcasing creativity, celebrating diversity, at C venues at the Edinburgh Fringe and on the C digital online platform year-round. Full programme at http://www.CtheArts.com

Tales From Discøvia follows one PhD student's journey to uncover the history, folklore and culture of the world's most forgotten nation. Discøvia!
In each episode, Emily will interview experts, examine stories from the region, and discover her cultural ties to the country.
Join us on this exciting journey through Eastern Europe's "Border Nation". 
Episodes will be available for free at https://tales-from-discovia.captivate.fm
Instagram: @tales_from_discovia

Get your best gig gear on and join indie-pop artist Hannah Virk for the premiere screening of the Musos Club music video from her sophomore album Pocket Clocks, including an exclusive live performance, behind the scenes stories and more.

Hannah Virk is an independent musician based in Wellington, New Zealand exploring music on guitar, ukulele and keyboard. Hannah uses her own beats and layers instruments and vocals to create upbeat and captivating songs. Hannah's songs bring together electronic, folk and pop styles to create a truly unique flavour. Described as both quirky and like poetry to music, Hannah's songs are set apart by their vivid imagery and explorative sounds, surprising listeners with every note and melody.

Musos Club is the first single from Hannah's sophomore album Pocket Clocks. The album is an exciting step for Hannah - who began here musical career as an independent artist and producer after getting a guitar at age 30 and letting her creativity bloom. Musos Club dives into the live music scene and her experiences growing up around 'the cool kids' before she started her own musical journey and found her 'wild and free' pathway.

You can find Hannah's music here: https://linktr.ee/hannahvirk

Music video credit: Kobenaboo Productions: @kobenabooproductions2912

A painfully honest solo show about depression, mothers, and why love and like aren't the same. 

At eleven, Joyann confessed her suicide ideation for the first time out loud, not knowing her mother could understand more than she let on. 

Now, Joyann is unpacking the generational sadness and the uneasy gratitude of a Black woman who both wants to defund the police and thank them for holding space while she open-mouthed sobbed in their faces.

Through humor and honesty, Joyann attempts to turn grief into punchlines and healing.

"My Mother Should Have Had an Abortion" is not a tragedy -- it's in the grand tradition of blaming our parents for everything wrong in our lives. 
A meditation on depression, migration, and the absurd ways we survive ourselves, this debut one-woman show finds humor in heartbreak, tenderness in shame, and connection in the messiest corners of being human.

Joyann is a Toronto-born writer, teacher, and performer who has lived, volunteered, and worked worldwide -- From Canada to Cuba, China, Germany, Korea, Spain, and Antigua (where her family is from). A former morning show cohost and stand-up dabbler, Joyann blends personal storytelling with observation and radical vulnerability.

A painfully honest solo show about depression, mothers, and why love and like aren't the same. 

At eleven, Joyann confessed her suicide ideation for the first time out loud, not knowing her mother could understand more than she let on. 

Now, Joyann is unpacking the generational sadness and the uneasy gratitude of a Black woman who both wants to defund the police and thank them for holding space while she open-mouthed sobbed in their faces.

Through humor and honesty, Joyann attempts to turn grief into punchlines and healing.

"My Mother Should Have Had an Abortion" is not a tragedy -- it's in the grand tradition of blaming our parents for everything wrong in our lives. 
A meditation on depression, migration, and the absurd ways we survive ourselves, this debut one-woman show finds humor in heartbreak, tenderness in shame, and connection in the messiest corners of being human.

Joyann is a Toronto-born writer, teacher, and performer who has lived, volunteered, and worked worldwide -- From Canada to Cuba, China, Germany, Korea, Spain, and Antigua (where her family is from). A former morning show cohost and stand-up dabbler, Joyann blends personal storytelling with observation and radical vulnerability.

After an enthusiastically received development season in BATS's Studio, My Puppet Who Sighs in Pearl Shavings returns for its premier season.

My Puppet is an intimate confessional that blurs narrative modes from conversational anecdote, to spoken word, to grand myths of creation. Blending the tragic, the comic, and the surreal, the voice of the sole performer constantly shifts and switches.

Cass, an anxious-avoidant trans person relating stories of her life in Wellington after the onset of a slow, and fairly boring, apocalypse. The Oracle, one of the few who still hold separate the aspects of both mind and body, so cruelly stitched together. The Monarch of Lambs; The Dog of Kings;  that which was before, and will be after.

My Puppet is a design-forward, multidisciplinary collaboration brought to you by Landfish, a collective of emerging and established artists and designers.

 Written and spoken by Raven Harvey-Lomas 

Set and costumed by Anne Amber 

Lit by Gabriella Eaton 

Scored by Scarlett Peckham 

Neil Thornton, that grumpy bearded guy who's won all kinds of awards (Best Comedian, Best MC) is back with an hour of new material about his lifelong, ceaseless, and futile struggles and obsessions. Protagonists, Antagonists, and the questionable use of an injectable agonist.

"Thornton is just a master of the craft of comedy - the room is totally unified and he knows how to follow our responses." - Theatreview

"A bold performer with intelligent material. Constantly amusing and thought-provoking." - ruminator.co.nz

Outstanding Contribution to the Industry, New Zealand Comedy Guild Awards, 2023

Best Industry Helper, 2018, 2019, 2020 Wellington Comedy Awards

Best MC, 2022 Wellington Comedy Awards

Best Comedian, 2020 Wellington Comedy Awards

Best Male Comedian, 2020 Cartel Comedy Awards

Best Mentor, 2021 Cartel Comedy Awards

Mmmpop Improv presents: New and Mmmproved!

This show is the culmination of improvizers from Mmmpop skill building workshops. All put together for a show with the theme of improving... things! 

Oliver Pol is a silly goose.

After years of overthinking and self-doubt, he's embracing it. The human brain can be a difficult thing to inhabit. Maybe, existentially, geese have had it right all along.

So Oliver's going to honk and flap his way over to the lighter side. It's time to make peace with having an algorithm irrevocably overrun by hairless cats. To swap alcohol for family-sized apple and rhubarb pies. To realise that giving yourself hickeys is cool and fine actually.

Join Oliver in his energetic solo standup comedy debut as he swaps introspection for silliness. Expect a playful, sharp, and surprisingly uplifting hour of comedy.

A cocoon bursts open into a fever dream.

Operamoth is a contemporary dance that negotiates the ebbs and flows of holding things dear and allowing oneself to let go. Cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction are upset by dissonant gestural embroideries. Contorted postures and lashing appendages permeate three bodies as they melt towards collapse. Against the backdrop of a world turned sideways, how much pressure can our natural flow of life withstand?

Operamoth pries open fossilised remains in a gathering of movement, wax, and sinew tethers. Exaggerated forms cascade through scenes of turbulence and harmony. This work presents a tangle of holding self, holding together, and holding none; folding audiences into a dreamlike vista. Meet us at the crest of growth and departure, where surreal pricklings scratch our tangible world.

Hailing from Tāmaki Makaurau, Ctenophora Co. is a group of dance artists interested in crafting nuanced and imaginative performance pieces. Their works span moments of extreme subtlety to visceral unwindings of movement.

Orin Ruaine-Prattley turns his back on the mainstream style that brought him early success and stumbles hairlessly into the world of alternative stand-up. He wrestles with politics and the predictability of mainstream comedy, finding humour in the cracks where stand-up falls apart. Critiquing comedians like Jimmy Carr, Joe Rogan, Chris Bishop and Elon Musk, Orin takes on figures who chase outrage and confuse controversy for substance.

Can Orin's "performative" comedy speak truth to power? Or will his act become part of the same circus he so pretentiously tries to expose?

Layered, experimental, and unapologetically satirical, Orin Performs Performative Stand-Up Comedy delivers a bold new voice in Aotearoa's comedy landscape.

Awards:

⭐ 2023 New Zealand International Comedy Festival Best Newcomer

⭐ 2023 NZ Fringe Most Promising Pasifika Artist Nominee

⭐ 2021 Wellington RAW Comedy Quest Winner

⭐ 2021 Wellington Comedy Awards Best Newcomer

Step into a world where dreams blur with reality, and beauty meets the bizarre. Our Dreaming Bodies is a surreal contemporary dance work weaving Victorian aesthetics with dreamscapes of queerness, kinship, and femme power.

Through lush imagery and raw physicality, three dancers embody stories of resilience, intimacy, and self-discovery -- revealing the body as both archive and dreamscape.

Visually striking and emotionally charged, the work invites audiences into a world that feels at once otherworldly and deeply human.

Created by Quiet Chaos Dance, Our Dreaming Bodies is an ode to connection, transformation, and the strange magic that lives in our collective dreaming.

What would you do with a car park for a day? (PARK)ing Day has the answer.

(PARK)ing Day is an annual global event where creatives take over middle Cuba Street to engage, entertain and ask how we can better use public spaces.

Now in its 13th year, Wellington Sculpture Trust turns the meters off for one day.

Cuba Street will come alive as participants temporarily transform 30 carparks with performance, art and entertainment from 10am-5pm. Seven hours of family friendly fun for everyone, come on down!

Winning in life isn’t about the size of your balls.
It’s about how you spin them.

Wouter Moerloose presents his debut stand-up hour about the triumph of attitude over accolades.

This Belgian raconteur spins sharp, self-aware stories from his chaotic journey towards the only thing he never knew he wanted: to make you laugh!
Expect crying on planes, poorly chosen hobbies, and an unhealthy obsession with celebrities’ wealth – featuring (without their consent) an AK-47 hoarding grandfather, Latvia’s worst kidnapper, and some surprisingly horny sea mammals.
PING PONG BALLER: the nearly-award winning show where almost does count!

Wouter’s accolades (just in case):
* Raw Comedy Quest 2025: Canterbury Finalist / Auckland Semi-Finalist
* Winner, Good Times Comedy Club 2025 “Goodest Newcomer” + Nominee, “People’s Choice”
* Nominee, Best Newcomer South Island, 2025 NZ Comedy Guild Awards

With support from Ōtautahi-based Jarrod Cook (Winner, 2025 NZIF Pearls of Wisdom Award and Nominee, 2024 Best Newcomer South Island, NZ Comedy Guild Awards)

BALLERS BONUS (because why not):
• Every ticket goes into a nightly raffle to win a SMASH ROOM + axe-throwing session for two (worth $120). Buy a “Ticket + 10” and double your chances!
• First 8 ticket buyers each night get a free drink ($12)

Greek mythology's most fateful moment: Pandora opens the box. In this circus spectacular, the evils of the world spill out as the lid lifts, but hope remains within. Journey through an acrobatic exploration across myths as mortals confront the darkness unleashed upon them.

A wildly quirky piece of physical theatre from Japan. Watching PeoplePeople is like peering into the minds of its five characters: a professor, a punk, a pierrot, a patient and a pupil. The experience is strangely humanising and somewhat mad. The movements are carefully crafted and highly stylised through the unique theatrical language of Corporeal Mime. The characters speak in their native tongue (Japanese, Chinese, English). There is no story. There is no set. Just five people, being people, in their own surreal way.

Created and performed by | Tomoki Nonaka, Ruxun Dai, Teruya Sugimoto, Masaya Tsujimoto, Harry Dean
Directed by | Kentaro Suyama, Tania Coke
Assistant direction | Yukiko Masui
Music by | Tania Coke, Henry Morse, Dreamylapse
Projected images by | Kentaro Suyama
Lights by | Kentaro Suyama
Produced by | tarinainanika

Part of the C ARTS programme, a home for international independent arts, showcasing creativity, celebrating diversity, at C venues at the Edinburgh Fringe and on the C digital online platform year-round. Full programme at http://www.CtheArts.com

Please Let Me Remain, is A/Motion's debut work as an emerging project-based contemporary dance collective, founded by Aylin Atalay. The work is an intimate exploration of sisterhood through the lens of Aylin's roots and identity as a Turkish/Pakeha woman.

Five dancers will explore how sisterhood affects the individual and the group as one entity. Women together in comfort, sharing the same mundane experiences.

The games we make up, the‬ ‭future we see together, the life we romanticise. The culture we are all at the root of, and the‬ hope there are better days ahead.

Taking influence from Turkish traditions and Aylin's interest in reflecting the human experience, the audience will witness intertwined female connections that hold up the group and carry stories, memories and values. Viewers will observe how this culture stays rooted in the individual while they are alone and how sisterhood is a bond that keeps things moving. 

It is a journey of surrendering to the space together and enjoying simplicity, nostalgia, and the tangents relationships have. In contrast to this, it holds a melancholic quality when a dancer is alone. We are a result of the women who raised us. How do we continue to carve this path for others?

"Please adjust your G-string" is a theatrical memoir at its zaniest! Writer and performer Margaret Austin, in partnership with director and dramaturg Ralph McAllister, gives us an intriguing and wryly funny take on the experiences of the innocent New Zealander abroad. 

There was nothing about Austin's conservative upbringing in 1950s Palmerston North, complete with a stint as Sunday school teacher, that gave any hint of the life of adventure that was to follow. 

If there's one thing that bugs her about being a woman, it's the attention that big tits get! "I was teased by my school mates in the swimming pool dressing room for not needing a bra," she says. But twenty years later, during her OE in Paris, her very small breasts proved to be a godsend and the reason why she got a job in the most famous music hall in the world. Legs mattered! That meant a year in the chorus line appearing topless before an audience 1,600 onlookers six nights of the week, 52 weeks of the year. 

Armed with the lessons of the dressing room - how to apply full body make up, get false eyelashes into place, and of course master the art of wearing a G-string - further adventures took her to the Cannes Film Festival as a rookie reporter. Brushing shoulders with fame at interviews and celebrity parties meant contacts with the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Catherine de Neuve and Christopher Reeves. 

Once back in New Zealand in the late eighties, adventuring took a very different form. Or maybe not. Find out! 

Elections are right around the corner, and only Politician Sam is fighting for the change you want to see! Join him at his latest rally and see for yourself that Politician Sam isn't like other politicians; he supports what you support (whatever that may be).

Politician Sam is excited to meet his constituents and publicly announce his candidacy. This will be a night that you will not easily forget, and a rally that, like Politician Sam's plan for New Zealand, will stay entirely on track (mostly).

So join Politician Sam, where you'll laugh, cry, and ultimately decide to #votesam.

This message was endorsed by the office of Politician Sam

Ikaiti is a truck driver and minor gangster, trying to make a living in 1940's Pōneke by acting as the criminal underworld's delivery boy. However, after discovering the true nature of his latest gig, he abandons the job and runs off into the night. Now he has just a few hours to right his wrongs, with the help of some local allies, before his former employer's operatives catch up to him.

This performance shows its love of Wellington and explores several iconic locations as well as references to local history. A heavy focus on Māori identity is showcased through the various characters, who different different aspects of tangata Māori and the various personalities among our community who inhabit our urban centres.

For the 13th year running, it’s our avant garde offering to celebrate New Zealand’s fantastic Fringe Festival. Ramen Lager, rice lager brewed with ramen noodles, shiromiso, kombu seaweed and just a little sprinkle of MSG. Crisp, clean lager with a subtle umami sweet body, balanced with delicate hop bitterness. Just like the Fringe, it’s weird but it’s wonderful.

Available from all good venues throughout the 2026 festival.

The end is close, but it's medication makes it hard to come.

Raw Nerve is a surreal stand up comedy/horror show about time running out and wanting to be more than you already are.

Come along if you dare but remember: if you laugh in the theatre, you laugh in real life.

Chaos. Carnage. Courage. REDEMPTION.

Local chaos magnets, Ginge & Minge (Nina Hogg & Megan Connolly) are here to give failed comedy ideas a second chance.

REDEMPTION offers hopeful 'redeemables' a chance to direct their dream sketches, improvised formats, scenes or comedic characters that haven't worked, been rejected, or just didn't receive the love they deserve.

Prepare for epic flops and surprising superstar successes during this 50 minute special that combines Ginge & Minge's love of sketch and improv comedy with a cast of ready and game comedians from across Pōneke.

BUT THE POWER IS IN YOUR HANDS.

Only YOU, the audience, gets to decide what will be REDEEMED and what was better left in the BIN.

If you love witnessing magic moments being made right before your eyes, commitment to big stupid ideas, gambling or just a good spectacle, this show is for you.

We can promise it'll be a show you can't forget.

Ginge & Minge are a comedy duo from Wellington. They have worked together for four years creating and touring improv and sketch comedy. Recently they were awarded Most Spectacular Organised Chaos at the NZ Fringe Festival for their sketch show House of Ick. However, Ginge & Minge cite their most important achievement as the fact they still like one another.

"Ginge & Minge are experienced performers, and it shows [...] they know how to play the audience and each other."
Art Murmurs

"...The duo's chemistry, creativity and charisma ushers in a new era of comedy"
Wellyott

Catch more Renegade upstairs at Whisky & Wood from the 13th - 20th of February.

The award winning Renegade Cabaret returns to Wellington! After 2 smash hit seasons in 2025, we're bringing the sequins and sleaze back to the Pōneke Fringe with ten wild shows. Circus artists, burlesque babes, and cabaret queers from around Aotearoa are descending upon Pōneke to serve up the fringiest bits of the fest.

Enjoy a celebration on the strange at Whisky & Wood. We're serving up a buffet of scandalous stunts, death defying acts, and idiotic party tricks. Roll the dice, spin the wheel, and mix the metaphor as experienced artists offer us their oddest acts. Each night promises a lineup that's unrepeatable, unpredictable, and potentially unmentionable.
This will get weird. . .

Catch more Renegade upstairs at Whisky & Wood from the 13th - 20th of February.

What if the review was the show?

For NZ Fringe 2026, an election year that couldn't come any sooner, musical comedy duo Bethany Miller and Logan Hunt imagine a best-of-all-possible-worlds-Aotearoa.

That's a tall order, so we've invited some friends (foes?) for feedback...

Each night we're bringing in a local theatre reviewer to critique our musical live on stage, and you'll get to witness the results.

See below for the confirmed reviewers (from Theatreview, Art Murmurs and Regional News)!

______

ABOUT THE DUO:

Nominated for "MOMENTOUS MUSIC" (NZ Fringe), Logan and Bethany have been making zany musicals every year since 2023, complete with crunchy social commentary, witty lyrics, and loveable/hateable characters. Logan loves to write, Bethany loves to improvise. This time, they've agreed to do both, at the mercy of live reviewers.

Their previous shows (Goody Goody Glam Pop, Touch Grass, and Battle Riffs) have been described as:

- "Supremely relevant social satire cleverly written and gorgeously portrayed" (Theatreview)

- "Delightfully ‘Fringey’, frenetic and buoyant with glorious energy and musicality" (Theatreview)

- "[Bethany Miller] is a consistently strong vocalist, as anyone who’s ever seen her perform will attest to." (Wellyott)

- "[Logan Hunt's] Tim Minchin-esque lyrics are brilliant and Miller’s performance of them a delight" (Regional News)

THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Logan Hunt - Co-Creator & Performer, Composer

Bethany Miller - Co-Creator & Performer, Producer

Finn McKinlay - Keyboard

Beans Wright - Violin

Chloe Marshall - Lighting designer/operator

Isaac Hooper - Sound operator/support

Malcolm Hunt - Graphic Design

Em Maguire - Publicist, alongside Bethany Miller

LIVE REVIEWERS:

Campbell Wright (Tuesday)

Alia Marshall (Wednesday)

John Smythe (Thursday)

Tanya Piejus (Friday)

Two years ago my mother decided is was time to exit this life. The ensuing turmoil was well worth writing a play about…

A one person play - and a multi-generational cacophony of conflicting motives and points of view.

Big topics surface in this dynamic often humorous attempt to make sense at the periphery of life and death.

SAFA is a global citizen and musical storyteller based in Aotearoa. She composes and sings in French, Spanish, English, and Tarifit -- a Tamazight language spoken in northern Morocco. Her music draws from a rich tapestry of cultural roots, creating a sound that feels both grounded and borderless. A passionate multi-instrumentalist, SAFA brings a captivating live experience to the Fringe, crafting layered soundscapes with a looper pedal, a variety of flutes, hand drums, accordion, and more. Her performances invite listeners into music that speaks across cultures and carries the soul of many places.

It's a Boy Band Murder Mystery Musical! After the tragic death of their leader, Scott, SKWERT is reuniting for one massive memorial tour. However, not is all as it seems as the show is taken over by a mysterious force that exposes the band's secret: one of them killed him. Can the band pull themselves together and solve the mystery before SKWERT is destroyed forever?

SKWERT: The Reunion is an original musical featuring music and lyrics by local Wellingtonians, Elliott Lam and Finn McKinlay.

to: snart@university.edu

from: lukapiripi@gmail.com

re: Fringe Festival

Kia Ora Snart,

I don't really mind how this email finds you (well, sickly, etc). I'm just writing to let you know I'm going to be putting up the show about you again. It'll follow you during that time you fell in love with that portrait... of yourself. Yes, we all remember. I'm going to play you, despite how it may reflect on my character. We're going to be using projected animation to display the world around you, because we don't want anyone to take you particularly seriously. I think it will be fun. I hope anyone like you can learn something from it. By the way, can I please have $20? 

Ngā mihi and reluctant love,

Luka. 

Saddle Up & Set Sail is an exciting, swashbuckling adventure featuring the magical pirate Jack Albatross and "The Fastest Pun In The West... Coast" Silly The Kid. Our two heroes clash as both are searching for the same treasure, but over the course of the show learn to appreciate each others skills and learn about the value of teamwork and friendship. This show contains amazing magic, terrible jokes, line dancing, shoe-based combat and heaps of interaction with the kids.

Steve Wilbury is Jack Albatross. Steve is a globe-trotting entertainer whose journey began on the streets with a deck of cards, a few circus props, and an irrepressible grin. Over the past twenty years, he has taken his unique blend of comedy, circus, and award-winning magic to audiences across five continents. Career highlights include five star reviews and festival awards, multiple international tours, and countless unforgettable performances at events ranging from street festivals to corporate galas.

Taylor Ruddle is Silly The Kid. A multi award-winning Christchurch comedian, Taylor is known for his friendly, relaxed delivery. He performs a mix of storytelling, one liners and satire in his cheeky pop-culture and wordplay-laden style.Taylor has been performing since 2015 and has opened for such acts as Aunty Donna, Joe Daymond and Blake Pavey. Taylor's most recent theatrical performance was as Papa Bear in the completely sold out 12 show run at The Malthouse Theatre in Christchurch.

Saddle Up & Set Sail is aimed at children 5 and up, and promises to be an interactive experience full of mind blowing magic and belly laughter that you won't soon forget

Art is pain. Pain is art. Two "definitely not masochistic" artists take on the challenge of a lifetime: to create musical comedy with feeling--while feeling the real pain of electrocution.

In what may be their worst idea yet, veteran musical improvisers Lee Apsey ('CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation,' 'Your Flaws: The Improvised Musical') and Jayda Fogel ('Bird & Tax Collector,' '¡Horario Estelar!') weave hilarious and sincere songs, sketches, and stories with the inspiration of the audience and the threat of being shocked, shackled, dunked, and beaten by an elderly woman with a stick.

You'll be shocked, and so will the players--literally.

From the award-winning co-creator of multiple Edinburgh Fringe sell-out hit 'CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation.'

Artist Praise & Accolades:
WINNER - The Comedy Award - Colchester Fringe 2024
WINNER - Best Improv/Musical - Leicester Comedy Festival 2023

"A truly fantastic show that you will talk about for years to come" ***** THEATRE AND TONIC

"So funny it would be a crime to miss it!" ***** CURTAIN CALL REVIEWS

Saksham is one of the fastest-rising stars in the magic world, with over 6 million YouTube subscribers and millions of views worldwide. Known for blending cutting-edge technology with jaw-dropping illusions, Saksham has captivated audiences with levitations, teleportations, and stunning transformations. His innovative approach has earned him acclaim on Australia's Got Talent and a reputation as a trailblazer in modern magic.

Having performed for Hollywood celebrities including Liam Neeson, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Scherzinger, and David Dobrik, as well as Bollywood stars like Rani Mukerji, Saksham brings a unique energy and charisma to every stage. His shows combine powerful storytelling with dazzling visuals, creating immersive experiences that ignite wonder and inspire belief in the impossible.

After sold-out performances around the globe, Saksham is bringing his groundbreaking live show, Saksham Magical Madness, to the NZ Fringe Festival for the first time. The show is a spectacular fusion of technology and magic, designed to thrill audiences of all ages.

With a high-energy performance style and mesmerizing illusions, Saksham is redefining what magic can be for a new generation. Whether you're a lifelong fan or new to magic, this is an experience you won't want to miss.

Prepare to be amazed, inspired, and completely captivated by Saksham Magic--where dreams come alive in spectacular fashion.

- Australia's Got Talent Performace

- Studio 10 Magic Performance 

Lights are low, tunes are pumping, and we're stocked with Jolly drinks! Join us for the biggest night of the year, the School Disco! Neon lights, slow dances, choice beats. Bring your mates, your groove, and don't forget your pocket money for the tuck shop. See you in the hall!

Created and performed by the ensemble of Wellington Young Actors.

Begin with a circle. Work your way up, slowly. Bravely. The Macarena happens to completion. Scream.

This is how you summon Sexy Ghost Boy, the award winning and hilariously f***able spirit haunting Whiskey & Wood this Fringe.

The show dissects the unspoken rituals and micro neurosis we have around sex and the presentation of ourselves as sexual agents. Satirical in its burlesque and invigorating in its clown, this wordless performance inspires the audience to heroically rebel against insecurity.

Described by witnesses as a hot mess mash up of Mr Bean and Marina Abramović, it has split the sides of audiences across New Zealand and is boldly propositioning Wellingtonians to have an unforgettable evening of Theatre.

"A theatrical alchemist, Fenn has the rare talent to create something ridiculous yet very clever." - Rosheen Fitzgerald, Theatreview

"I left with a sore throat and vaguely manic euphoria from laughing so uproariously" Ellen Murray, Theatreview

"we both feel so... I don't even know how to describe it. I feel like I'm floating while simultaneously feeling grounded, I'm ecstatic while also very chill. Maybe it's the full moon, or maybe I'm just a little bit possessed by the Sexy Ghost Boy" Laura Ferguson, Art Murmurs

Sexy Ghost Boy is also on at Whisky & Wood from the 13th - 15th of February.

Early-bird Comedy! Wellington's fantastically funny comedians, all over the age of 50, storm the stage with an evening of entertainment. A fast paced and sharp-witted showcase of stand-up comedy showing that the silver haired are also silver tongued.

A crew of die-hard skater boys get sucked into the video game Skate or Die. At first, it's all sick tricks, banter, and bros, until the game starts to glitch. Hard. To escape, they'll have to do more than land a clean ollie. This game is wired to force a reckoning with their past, their egos, their fragility and fears. 

Created by Ōtautahi artist Millie Hanford and performed by five powerhouse women, Skate or Die fuses satire, movement, and gaming culture in a bold theatrical collision of comedy, chaos and actual skateboarding. Expect laughter, discomfort, and the kind of truth that hits like a fall from a halfpipe.

"I felt so seen, like I knew each of those guys."

"I can't believe you had Grizzly grip tape on your board!" 

From Pretty Little Sweethearts, this is the feminist revenge fantasy of your dreams, disguised as a video game. Funny, furious, and unflinchingly relevant.

Come on down to Slimey's Slimetastic World for a Slimetastic time with everyones favourite host: Slimey the Slime! Slimey has been feeling a little bit sad and doesn't know why! Is it because they haven't eaten enough Ice Cream? Or is it because of late stage capitalism? Join them on a song filled adventure with friends such as Sally the the Socialist Sock and Monsieur Sticky. Hopefully Slimey doesnt have an exsistenal crisis on stage the night you come because that keeps happening and it gets a bit awkward. 

Strawberry Baby is a bold, camp, and colourful solo dance-theatre work, and the debut choreographic piece by Fiona Saunders. After a wonderful and successful premiere season in Auckland, this vibrant new work is heading to Wellington to delight new audiences.

Set in a chaotic, bright pink bedroom, Strawberry Baby invites audiences into an intimate, immersive world that captures the messy, playful, and deeply personal experience of growing up and discovering one's identity.
Blending contemporary dance, storytelling, and humour, the work follows a young girl navigating the pressures of beauty standards, neurodivergence, and queerness -- and the universal desire to belong.

At its heart, Strawberry Baby is a joyful act of rebellion against societal expectations, celebrating authenticity, imperfection, and the power of self-acceptance.

Playful yet raw, funny yet deeply sincere, Strawberry Baby is a love letter to anyone who's ever felt like they don't quite fit.

Some people are tops, some are bottoms but here at PopRox we're all switches. In the age of Tik Tok and Reels, our average attention span has maxed out at 7 minutes so PopRox has crafted a show where everything swaps on a buzzer. The cast, the musician and even the tech operator swap roles with each other after just 7 minutes. It's a character based, high-speed romp pushing top improv comedians to the brink of their skills and their sanity. If you don't like what you see, you'll have the chance to change it up and swap it around.

Expect huge characters, heaps of laughs, stitch-ups and people so far out of their skill zone it'll remind you of the coalition government. No night is the same. Not even every quarter hour is the same.

PopRox is a professional improv theatre company entering its 5th year of operation. Having dazzled audiences across Te-Whanganui-A-Tara, the motu and even the world, PopRox's slick and stylish improvisation has received critical acclaim and delighted sold out audiences.

PopRox is:

Tara McEntee
Austin Harrison
Dylan Hutton
Jed Davies
Lesa Macleod-Whiting
Lia Kelly
Mamaeroa Munn
Millie Osborne
Nina Hogg

Wellingtons hit new quarterly comedy variety show has lined itself up nicely for FRINGE!

Featuring your favourite recurring cast of clowns, comedians and improvisors THIS SEASON the Devils are focusing on games to play WITH THE AUDIENCE (think of the infamous watermelon smash).

The stage is ours, yet power thine - we, the Fools; you, the Gods divine. THE FOOL'S CABARET is a delicious taster flight for Fringe's feast of talent. We FOOLS wait in the wings with offerings for you, our Gods!

We're The Goodmans, America's favourite family! And you're invited to the season finale taping of everyone's favourite family sitcom. When new neighbours Hannah and Barnaby arrive for dinner, it's up to the family to make a strong first impression, get Noble a date for the prom, and round everything out with good old fashioned American family values. At 'The Goodmans' every story has a lesson! And we're all family here!

1977, Georgetown, Georgia, USA. 'The Goodmans' offers a peek behind the scenes of America's favourite primetime sitcom. Featuring the infectious nostalgia of 1970s music and aesthetics, and intertwining horror, comedy and musical theatre. Two brand new neighbours arrive at The Goodmans' humble abode for dinner, and hijinks ensue as the Goodmans put out fires to ensure a pleasant dining experience. The question on the newcomers mind: is this picture of a perfect family too good to be true, or is there something more sinister lurking behind the TV camera? Inspired by classic sitcoms such as 'Full House', 'Happy Days' and 'All In The Family'. Get ready to be transported, excited and disquieted; featuring irrisistable musical numbers, and audience participation, with comedy, suspense and surprise at every corner. So if you're in Wellington this February, why not come over and grab a plate; it's always time for dinner!

TNT! is a musical project incorporating the explosive power of big band jazz with the mana and beautiful lyricism of te ao Māori.

It features Wellington's Capital City Big Band and a team of top-notch musical personalities, led by Vaughn Roberts, fronted by Lisa Tomlins, Greg Crayford, and special guest Jeremy Hantler -- combining to do something creative and new, where big band meets te ao Māori.

The programme features bespoke musical arrangements, presented bilingually and sung in Te Reo Māori in a friendly and accessible format. It involves newly commissioned works, stage music, kaupapa Māori, big heart, and great excitement!

Tadra Vata Aotearoa is a sister literary series to Tadra Vata Fiji, produced by Studio Kiin. At NZ Fringe 2026, Tadra Vata explores the intersections of identity, decolonial storytelling, and speculative imagination through the theme 'Beyond Islands, Beyond Borders'.

This theme speaks to the spaces that connect and separate us: the ocean as both distance and bridge, the border as both limit and invitation.Through this theme, we celebrate creative collaboration as a crossing - of cultures, disciplines, and dreams. Whether through words, image, or performance, Tadra Vata becomes a meeting place where artists of Oceania imagine new ways of belonging and becoming, grounded in the shared understanding that our islands are not boundaries, but starting points for collective creation.

Through talanoa, workshops, and performances, the series brings together writers, illustrators, and thinkers from across Oceania diaspora to reimagine futures that honour ancestry, connection, and creative sovereignty.

The topics per session are as follows:

Friday 20th February:

Saturday 21st February:

Sunday 22nd February

Monday 23rd February:

Booksellers: Book Haven

Website: www.tadravata.com

Purchase a ticket to three events and get them for $60, or see all five for $100.

Noah Levinson (US) brings his immersive storytelling style to Aotearoa in Takesie-Backsies, an original piece of absurd and darkly comic fiction. In 2024 he delighted audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his original story, "Of Course You Are, We All Are," lauded as "witty, wise, touching, [and] indelible" by Ashley Ramsden, author of The Storyteller's Way.

"Takesie-Backsies" is told in two parts with a brief intermission. The show:

Jordan Dimo lives with a debilitating fear of making major decisions. At each turn, he does everything within his power to keep all of his options on the table for as long as he possibly can, and only when the time to take one course of action or another is undeniably upon him and can not be deferred even a second longer, does he ever choose a path--and then, each time, immediately regrets it.

When Jordan stumbles upon an explosive secret at US Army Corps of Auctioneers, he is suddenly faced with the most impossible decision of all. In the balance hangs the fate of his impulsive older brother, the environmental activist on whom he harbors a hopeless crush, a Quixotic attorney, a megalomanaical colonel, the migratory ducks of North Carolina, and the entire international order. The only thing Jordan knows for sure is that whatever he decides, he'll regret it, immediately, and for the rest of his life.

Don Luchito opens studio doors to welcome another year of NZ Fringe guests. Get the details on shows and creative talent every weekday, 10am. Tune in and let The Don help you decide what shows to attend. Listen on 88.6fm in Wellington & 'radioactive.fm' online.

WINNER: BEST IN THEATRE SYDNEY FRINGE 2025

WINNER: NZ TOUR READY AWARD SYDNEY FRINGE 2025

Thoroughly relatable humour, staggering humanity...and pushy Aunties from the ancestral plane!​​

​

Engulfed by nostalgia, a woman stands at the funeral of a primary school friend that she hasn't seen in years. As she remembers her 90's childhood in a close-knit suburban Catholic community, she questions how their lives diverged.

When two peculiar beings disrupt her sense of reality, she is forced to re-evaluate her understanding of everything she thought she knew.

An unlikely coming of (middle) age story about facing the uncomfortable realities of the past and living in the present.
​​​

Concept /Co-writer/Performer Rose Maher

Co-writer/Performer Alison Bennett

Performer Martelle Hammer

Director Ali Gordon with additional direction by Jo Turner

Production Designer Andrea Espinoza

Lighting Designer Chloe Weeks

Sound Designer Gail Priest

Movement Director Cloé Fournier

​

Content Warnings: this show infers suicide and child sexual abuse.

www.hurrahhurrah.com.au

IG: @hurrahhurrah16

FB : hurrahhurrahtc

Directing a struggling new circus act is hard work, the financials, the festivals, the venues, the murders. When director Sam arrives for a show, only to find the star act have been slaughtered in their caravan, she comes to the grizzly conclusion that the murderer must be in the building (tent).

There's no other option than to press on with the rag-tag remains of her cast and keep the audience enthralled until the police are done chasing sheep off the highway.
This circus-murder-mystery-comedy, has all the elements of show-must-go-on style play, folded into a real time whodunnit. The small cast create an immersive experience that blends comedy with mystery and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.

Brought to you by the team behind Rubber Gloves, the multi award winning Nelson Fringe Festival show 2025.

*Not a Circus. 

So, you hate improv? Tell us why... then be forced to watch it.

From the unhinged minds of Wellington's most insane comedy trio comes an original improv format that is so boundary-breaking and genre-defining that it made Van Gogh s**t his pants.

What begins as punishment becomes prophecy, as Catfish Trifecta performs relentlessly, defiantly and with far too much commitment, finishing towards an unholy finale nobody asked for.

You won't be ready, but you're coming anyway.

ABOUT CATFISH TRIFECTA

Catfish Trifecta (Mo Munn, Ralph Hilaga, and Joel Luscombe) is a Wellington-based comedy trio. The group formed after training together at the iO Summer Intensive in Chicago in 2024, and have since produced a new experimental concept show each month. Together they fuse experimental improv and devised comedy with general chaos into live comedy shows that are as sharp as they are unhinged. Catch them at the Circus Bar every last Thursday of the month.

The Age of Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement characterised by reason, tolerance, progress and scientific method.

Now that's all turning to shit.

Not a high-brow evening of erudite and political discourse, but merciless mockery of a bunch of dicks and absurdities where we might try to answer such deep, existential questions like:

Has the world reached peak stupid yet? Yeh, nah! 67!
Can a Kiwi be persuaded to eat the world's worst pie?
Are we heading for 1984, Black Mirror and A Handmaid’s Tale, or just Idiocracy Live?
Who will win medals in the See You Next Thursday World Championships?
Can you finish this sentence: Donald Trump is a ...? (Best answer wins a prize)

Featuring President Donald Dump and other deplorables.

FREE ENTRY (unticketed) - just come a long and bring some cash for a donation to the food bank.

The Fijian Flying Circus is Fiji's first circus -- a breathtaking fusion of aerial acrobatics, daring stunts, vibrant island storytelling, and cheeky slapstick humor. Performed by the world-toured VOU Dance Company, it's a magical, high-energy celebration of Fiji's mana, spirit, and joy.

The Geoffrey Beaver Podcast - LIVE! is a new contained podcast-style comedy show featuring the grand return of the disgraced (he would prefer 'misunderstood') television personality (he would prefer 'journalist') Geoffrey Beaver. Coming back from a disastrous documentary in which Beaver falsely accused an aerobics club of being a Satanic cult, Geoffrey is once again trying to rectify his reputation in the viral podcast format. A self-proclaimed seeker of truth, he sees himself as a figure like Louis Theroux or David Farrier, when in reality, he is more akin to Alan Partridge and Sean Plunkett.

Undoubtedly, Beaver's grand return will be met with none of the enthusiasm he expects, and the podcast landscape contains far stranger people than he could possibly imagine. From Prank calls, infuriating elders, conspiracy nut jobs, and an unusual autobiography reveal this return to the 'journalistic stage', may not be as grand as he hoped. 

We are everything and nothing. 

Plagued by Lynx-Africa. 

Tap dancing. Plastic. Lana Del Rey. And how to cook the perfect roast. 

Death is inevitable. 

The Jellyfish is Immortal. 

Coriander tastes like soap. 

And when everything matters and nothing matters, who chooses what is moral? 

Who gets to decide our fate? 

And why is no one talking about the fish that can live forever? 

They say to be a woman is to perform, so let me put a show on for you. 

The Immortal Jellyfish is an absurdist, camp, comedic exploration of femininity, performance and existence itself - following the inner monologue of an existentialist housewife in an uncanny patriarchal world. Messy. Political. Playful. Unapologetic. And a little insane.

Made by a powerhouse team of emerging female creatives, this show is a smorgasbord of collaboration, experimentation and everything we want to scream (and laugh about) right now.

Written and performed by Margot Coleman who is entering her final year of acting at Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, The Immortal Jellyfish is the debut show for emerging theatre company, Lupin de Krank Productions.  

It's the distant year of 2030, the "tolerant left" have released the Woke Mind Virus upon an unsuspecting Wellington, turning the population into the Woking Dead. Only Josh Franken, the last straight man standing - who is very straight and normal and definitely not gay - can put a stop to Big Woke and their legion of Diva Police, who seek to infect the rest of the nation and then the world with their sick agenda. 

The Last Straight Man on Earth is brought to you by an ALL QUEER production team that was featured in 2025's Murder on the Dance Floor. We're back again to bring you over the top insanity and the occasional political commentary.

John Filmmaker presents: The Lizards Lie Within: A lizardmen Movie Play Musical. 

Part time spy/super model, Pogolo Vaunslaught is trying to hunt down the Lizardmen who secretly rule the world, mainly through the power of their hips. After 11 years, he finally has a lead but no idea what he's in for.

One woman, seven characters: an explosion of satire and hilarious farce.

"Suddenly [she] bursts out, capturing the audience with her vibrant energy" Lisa Allan, Flat City Field Notes

A top secret, future-defining meeting is about to take place. Everything falls on an overworked cleaner, three bumbling P.A.s, and a paranoid secrete agent... Subversive and snappy, the circus of civil affairs in Aotearoa is brought to life with humour and vitality in this farcical one-woman political satire The Meeting.

From two vibrant seasons in Otautahi to an international Commedia dell'Arte festival in Italy, The Meeting is making a debut season in Wellington before continuing to spread its chaos across Aotearoa.

This project was created by Lola Houghton, with and directed by Pedro Ilgenfritz, as part of Hagley Theatre School's Six Month Theatre Creation Course in partnership with Isaac Theatre Royal.

Join local artist-absurdist-comedian & Tiktoker Daniel McClymont as he explores and plays with one of the country's most regal traditions:

The National Anthem

The Night Ali Died is the second multi-award winning solo thriller by Christopher Sainton-Clark (A Year and a Day).
Ali is wanted dead by a vicious London Gangster and is placed under police surveillance for the protection of him and his family, yet for some reason, on one night, Ali decides to sneak out into the night and leave his family behind, sparking a bloody domino effect that ricochets through the sleepy streets of Norwich, UK.

Through the brutal accounts of Ali, a henchman, a detective and a mob boss, find out what on earth happened on the night Ali died.

The Night Ali Died premiered at Prague Fringe 2025 and won three awards in its first ever run including a vote as audience favourite. Described as 'like watching a Tarantino film onstage' by Theatreandartsreviews.com, its cinematic style and bold and punchy soundtrack took over the Prague festival with an electric buzz.

'BLOODY, GRIPPING AND EXCITING' Binge Fringe
'SAINTON-CLARK GIVES AN OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE' Theatre and art reviews
'LIKE WATCHING A TV CRIME DRAMA CONDENSED INTO ONE HOUR' Broadway Baby

WINNER OF THE PRAGUE FRINGE PERFORMANCE AWARD
WINNER OF THE PRAGUE FRINGE AUDIENCE AWARD
WINNER OF THE BROADWAY BABY PICK OF THE FRINGE AWARD
NOMINEE FOR THE PRAGUE FRINGE INSPIRATION AWARD
NOMINEE FOR THE NEW YORK SOHO PLAYHOUSE FRINGE ENCORE SERIES

Five girls. each with her unique background and struggles, have spent the past five years living together in a boarding school. They've shared everything from laughter to tears, faced challenges, and formed a bond that sometimes felt unbreakable. But as they approach their final weeks together before they go their separate ways, buried secrets begin to surface, testing their relationships and understanding of each other.

The Remaining is a new theatre work created by Waikamania Seve, drawing from her lived experience of adolescence in an all-girls Māori boarding hostel. It's raw, funny, and unflinching, exploring friendship, resilience, and the messiness of growing up. Dedicated to all the boarding school kids. 

Experience the uplifting journey of "The Rocking Rainbows," a band of talented musicians who embrace their disabilities with unwavering passion and exceptional skill. The band emerged four years ago at Evaro, a service for adults with disabilities situated on Cuba Street.

They showcase the limitless potential of music and made their appearance at schools, Thistle Hall, for The NZ Fringe Festival, Newtown festival and also appeared on radio and TV shows.

The event will be opened by the soulful singer songwriter Zeeva. 

The Rebel Alliance have adapted the stage production of their award-winning space adventure, The Valentina, into a radio play with pictures!

Join 8-year-old Ellen and her trusted crewmembers Neil Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin, Valentina Tereshkova and Laika the space dog on an extraordinary journey, past the edge of the unknown, and onto the surface of the mysterious and dangerous planet, Vitanonan X.

A family friendly adventure for anyone who's looked to the stars and imagined the cosmos.

About The Rebel Alliance

The Rebel Alliance is an independent Auckland based theatre company. Founded in 2006 they have,to date, presented 11 works, 7 of which have been premieres of new New Zealand plays. They also started off the development of Centrepoint which co-won the Adam Award for best new New Zealand play in 2015.

Often solidly planted in real life the works they present prove that truth often surpasses fiction. Extraordinary life stories move, provoke, inspire and put our own lives into perspective. They can anchor us in turbulent times.

In 2024 they premiered their 11th play, The Valentina, as part of the Auckland Arts Festival.

TheRebelAlliance.co.nz

A family friendly adventure for anyone who’s looked to the stars and imagined the cosmos.

Watch the trailer here.

Watch the first chapter here.

"Raw Comedy Quest - 2023 Semi Finalist"

Lucy Gardner is a Wellington based comedian, with her signature deadpan, dark and delightful humor, It's funny till it isn't, then it's funny again.

"I don't want to include reviews and quotes about how funny I am, come and see my show or do not." - Quote by me. 

D, Muss & JLaw is a jazz trio that embodies the spirit of creative rebellion, their music a potent fusion of genre-bending experimentation and emotional intensity. Comprised of pianist James 'Muss' Illingworth, drummer Darren 'D' Mathiassen, and bassist Johnny 'JLaw' Lawrence, this trio has forged a unique sound that defies categorization. Soundscapes oscillate between heavy jazz and thumping hip-hop beats, soaring to emotionally powerful improvisations and dissolving into moments of sublime euphoria.
Their compositions are a testament to their collective creativity, weaving together intricate polyrhythms, hypnotic melodies, and explosive improvisations that conjure the raw energy of a live performance. Illingworth's piano playing is a masterclass in dynamic range, shifting seamlessly from delicate nuance to thunderous crescendo, often augmented by his deft use of synthesizers and electronic textures. Mathiassen's drumming is a force of nature, his polyrhythmic wizardry propelling the music forward with unstoppable momentum, while Lawrence's bass lines provide the foundation, his earth-shaking tones anchoring the trio's sonic explorations.
The trio's connection is palpable, their synergy born of years of collaboration and experimentation. They've worked with some of the biggest names in music, from Shapeshifter to Bliss n Eso to Louis Baker to Allen Stone, and their experience has honed their craft, allowing them to push the boundaries of jazz and beyond.
When D, Muss & JLaw takes the stage, the energy is electric. Their performances are a testament to their deep connection, their music a living, breathing entity that evolves and adapts in the moment. They're not just playing notes - they're conjuring emotions, telling stories, and transporting their audience to a realm of sonic wonder. This is their Third Chapter.

Eight of Te Whanganui-a-Tara's most acclaimed emerging playwrights (Rachel Atlas, Rachel McLean, Campbell Wright, Zachary Klein, Viki Moananu, Amy Wright, Sophie Maree, and Matt Loveranes) tolerated one another, as they paired up to create four short plays on the theme of Tolerance. Come witness the result, an eclectic work about the ways we should (and shouldn't) put up with those around us, as the world burns down.

"Compromise was something special; I'm genuinely grateful that I got to witness this nexus of talent. Varied and out-there, yet restrained and expertly-crafted, it had it all. " - Salient

Tolerance is the continuation of a project started last year with Compromise (Nominee, Best Organised Chaos NZ Fringe 2025) focused on bringing together playwrights to collaborate, build community amongst writers and supply a little bit of creative chaos. It is once again directed by Lia Kelly (Most Original Production Wellington Theatre Awards, One Night Band), and features a cast of vibrant local talent.

Featuring plays about self care at the end of the world, the power games of celebrity power couples, office politics, and interventions gone awry, Tolerance is bursting at the seams with ideas, laughs, and fluids of all varieties. Make sure to "witness this nexus of talent" (Salient), only in NZ Fringe.

From the frozen tundras of Canada to the blazing stages of New Zealand, Tor Snyder has landed and she's here with one mission: jokes. Armed with wild stories, bad impressions and her favourite weapon of all, crowd work, Tor is a high-energy comic force unlike any other.

Don't be fooled by the polite Canadian accent. Tor is a cyclone of sass and silliness, crassness and charm, equal parts loveable and unhinged. For over 12 years, she's stormed stages across Australia, leaving audiences gasping for air and clutching their ribs. Now, for the very first time, she's unleashing a full hour of power on Kiwi crowds.

Tor de Force is a laugh-a-minute spectacle riot where no one is safe from her mischievous eye. It's stories spun into absurdity, impressions that hit too close to home, and off-the-cuff crowd work that makes every show different, dangerous, and deliciously fun.

This is not polite, sit-and-nod comedy. This is a stand-up storm. Tor sweeps through with the kind of chaotic joy that'll have you wondering if you've witnessed a show, survived a sugar-high goose stampede, or met your new favourite cult leader.

Whether you're a seasoned comedy-goer or just wandered in for shelter, Tor de Force will leave you breathless, broken with laughter, and asking the most important question of all: is Tor Snyder here to save comedy... or destroy it?

Three of Wellington's sharpest comedians come together for 60mins of guaranteed laughs!

Line up to be announced soon. Keep an eye on this listing, or @monplaton_productions for updates. 

"Triple Threat stands out as a reliably great night in Wellington's crowded comedy calendar."- Theatreview

Two teams of music lovers battle it out in musical comedian Troubadette's brand new game show Tune in a Bucket.

Led by team captains Clever Hansel and Cordy Black, our contestants go head to head in a series of musical challenges, inspired by a bucket full of bangers. Who will hit the high notes? Who will fall flat? Which team will come out on top in all-out acapella war?

Crows Feet Dance Collective and Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand present WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM a free outdoor dance & music protest event. We come together

to raise awareness about women's and human rights violations in Iran, to stand in solidarity with Iranians resisting authoritarianism, gender apartheid, and state violence. Through public protests, cultural events, exhibitions, and advocacy, the Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand aims to amplify Iranian, in particular women's voices and support political prisoners.

WOMAN, LIFE, FREEDOM is the second collaboration between Crows Feet and Iranian Solidarity Group, and follows the critically acclaimed performance at the Hannah Playhouse in 2024 where Crows Feet performed WLF, a full length work to Goretsky's Symphony of Sorrowful Songs. In this new 2026 outdoor event we perform with the Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand to contemporary Iranian protest songs.

Crows Feet director, Jan Bolwell, says "we are thrilled to be presenting this free outdoor event with Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand. We believe in the power of the arts to expose and comment upon injustices in the world - indeed, we see it as our responsibility, living as we do in Aotearoa New Zealand, in a free democratic society. The bond we have formed with Wellington's Iranian community is a very special one, and the Crows Feet dancers lives have been enriched through this partnership. We hope to attract a good sized audience to our outdoor performances. And may the weather gods be with us!!

A world-first theatre project entirely devised by members of the Ace/Aro/Aspec community. This is a joyful and insightful exploration of our varied experiences and identities, brought to the stage for our community, friends, the curious and kind.

Brought to you by the creative teams behind Ungartered Territory and the Dr Drama Trilogy- We're Weird for Other Reasons promises to be fun, theatrical, enlightening and a celebration of an emerging identity through performance. 

Supported by Wellington City Council and Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington.

"it's also so powerful to be able to watch a piece and feel represented in a way that I've just never felt"- Theatreview (Ungartered Territory)

Brought to you by LT McGuinness Ltd and Laughs on Tour.

Weekend Laughs is a comedy showcase of some top NZ and international talent, right in the heart of Petone at Abandoned Taproom.

Each show features a changing line up of your favourite comedians, and up-and-coming talent.

Friday 20th and Saturday 21st February features:

Jeremy Corbett

The host of 7Days, and one of NZ's favourite MCs and comedians, Jeremy has headlined stages around NZ, and is appearing for one night only on the Fringe Bar stage.

"A Classic Comedy legend" Scott Blanks, Director of The Classic

and Justine Smith

Having won the Billy T Award, the NZ Comedy Guild Best MC (three or four times) and the NZCG Best Female Comedian (like five or six times, losing count), Justine has established herself as one of the best bloody stand ups we have here in New Zealand.

Friday 27th and Saturday 28th February:

Jack Ansett - as seen on TaskmasterNZ

Jack has also appeared on Guy Montgomery's Guy-Mont Spelling Bee, the NZ Comedy Gala, and 7Days.

James Nokise

James has carved out a reputation in New Zealand going after everything from gangs, to politicians, to stereotypes within Pacific culture. Winner of the 2019 Fred Award, and the 2025 Topp Prize for contributions to NZ comedy.

Friday 6th and Saturday 7th March:

Ben Hurley

As seen on The Project, Seven Sharp, and more

With a massive but hugely likeable stage presence, Hurley can win over even the toughest room. A sharp improvisational mind and well honed original material make Hurley a popular act with audiences and critics alike.

Hoani Hotene - 2025 Billy T Award winner

A rising star in the NZ comedy scene, Hoani has opened for Joe Daymond, Tofiga, and more. His NZ Comedy Festival show sold out in 2025, and he returns for two nights only to his home base in Petone.

Also featuring 2026 Billy T Award nominee Kipling DC

more acts to be announced!

This event made possible with support from LT McGuinness Ltd, Kiwi Gaming Foundation, Hutt Mana Trust, Ava Lodge, and the Creative Communities scheme.

A whimsical show centered around the elements: earth, air, water, fire, and the sun and moon! Something that we ALL have in common is the natural world we exist in... which we tend to forget or take for granted, however we have our own unique relationships with it. By exploring these connections and broadening our understanding through research, storytelling, and play we will bring these elements to life by personifying them in a theatrical sense. Here we will create our own narrative where we can tell a story that is important to us. We shall build a physical and mental space where our cast, crew, and audience can escape and delve into their inner whimsy while grounding themselves in the natural world around them.

'Yours Truly' will be a visually striking show with movement/physical theatre, lots of colour and fun costumes which will help us as a team explore and portray our story of the natural world. As for emotions there will be love, yearning, laughter, sadness, nostalgia, basically a place where everything can exist at once. We will bring attention to the small things in life that we forget to notice/feel while also being big and expansive in our imaginations to tell a story that is larger than us.

Zach Mandeville has a long and storied history in comedy, one that's largely unknown to New Zealand. In this hour, he tells the stories behind his most beloved jokes. It is a rare look behind an oft-misunderstood man, and a survey of the strange and serpentine history of alternative comedy. .

Zach is a standup comedian who has performed multiple award-winning shows at the Fringe and is the co-producer of Airhorn, one of the town's best loved montly shows. This will be a new hour of fresh takes on older sets and a dose comedy history that is all about the past but also, in it's own way,  all about today.  It'll be edge of your seat fun!

Praise for Zach Mandeville

"a genuine thrill...a marvel"

- wellyott.com

"Zach has a true talent for world building, and his characters have a wonderful sense of humanity to them even if they aren't human"
- theatreview.org.nz

"So well honed, so sharp, so funny...the type of comedy I love - a fantastical thread of storytelling that was all at once cerebral and absurd"

- Simon Sweetman