The Liberal Agenda – Basement Theatre Comedy Fest

ByThe Daily Blog
Kia ora Basement whānau,

Nau mai haere mai ki ngā whakaari hou i tēnei wiki

It’s the second week of the NZ Int. Comedy Fest and Basement’s serving up the kind of comedy that hits different. Whether you’re after big laughs, wild surprises, or something delightfully unhinged – we’ve got you.

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Sheppards Food Truck will be at Basement for the next two weeks! Open from 5:30pm til late Tuesday through to Saturday.

Bring your mates, your date, or just your good vibes and get amongst it.

Mā te wā,
Basement Theatre x
Johanna Cosgrove: Sweetie
13 – 17 May, 8pm. Theatre.  JOHANNA COSGROVE IS BACK AND MORE CONFUSED THAN EVER! After one tumultuous month in Melbourne in 2024, she returned to NZ no longer straight and, after a family secret was unearthed, no longer as white as she once thought she was.

AS SEEN ON MADAM (TV3)
WINNER – Most Unhinged Show, NZICF 2024
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Liv Parker: Requiem For Year 13
13 – 17 May, 7pm. Studio.  RIP HIGH SCHOOL – GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN.

2009 – 2013 were some of the most vulnerable years of our lives.

Liv Parker returns after her award winning debut to take you on a wild trip down the warped memory lane of an all girls single sex high school experience through her own unique and passionate story telling with theatrical flair. Revealing the good, the bad, the ugly and the straight up horrifying;

Horny junior dances, school camps, the vicious rumour mill, electric stage challenge performances and above all the intense power and curse of female friendships.

“A singular talent of rare charisma” – The Spinoff

WINNER – Director’s Choice, NZ International Comedy Festival 2023
As seen on Educators TVNZ+
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Takashi Wakasugi: Comedy Samurai
13 – 17 May, 8.30pm. Studio.  Japanese comedy boy Takashi thinks stand-up comedy is similar to samurai. You are always alone on the stage. Kill or die. Better to be sharp and quick but also think about the space and the distance. It looks simple but is complicated. Thinking a lot but pretend to think nothing. Sensitive and timid like a cat but solid and fearless like a large cloud. Please don’t miss any strokes of his jokes and souls. As seen on the Gala, Thank God You’re Here & Taskmaster Australia
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Abby Howells: Welcome To My Dream
13 – 17 May, 6.30pm & 5pm. Theatre.  Welcome to Abby’s dream.

Abby Howells takes you on a journey into her own mind. In many ways, she has everything she ever wanted. She’s a comedian full-time! She lives in the big city (well, Auckland is big for New Zealand)! And in a ‘game-changing’ move, she just bought some new outdoor furniture… But alas, there is still much that plagues her.

Abby Howells is best known for competing on season five of Taskmaster NZ, and winning NZ comedy’s prestigious Billy T Award in 2023.
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Josh Metcalfe: All My Pets Keep Dying
14 May, 7pm. Studio.  Are you a cat person? A dog person? Or, in Josh’s case… just not a pet person. It’s not like he hasn’t tried…They all just keep dying!

Join him as he goes through his lifetime of animal horrors and his long list of deceased pets. Then decide for yourself, is it his ignorant impulsivity or just plain bad luck?

Come be a part of his spectacular and slightly concerning Comedy Festival debut hour!

As seen in Bullrush Improv, Snort and Educators. Raw Comedy Quest Finalist 2021
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Liv McKenzie and Evie Orpe: Hot 2 Go!!
14-17 May, 9.45pm. Studio.  It’s the hot and spicy combo that 2025 has been ordering! Liv & Evie, Evie & Liv, this is like two sides of the same pizza. This split bill will present some side-splitting laughter! Evie (TAHI, News2Me, and featured on John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight) has been killing it wherever she performs, while Liv (7 Days, Have You Been Paying Attention?) has been one of the most exciting comics in Aotearoa recently, with TV appearances and more live shows than toppings on pizza. Get your favs together!
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Live Reel: DogBar Bigdreams
14 May, 9.30m. Theatre.Coyotes assemble! It’s time to mount the bar, set it on fire, and reach for your dreams. Join Live Reel host Nicky Vella and six crack-up comedians as they perform the cult classic flick Coyote Ugly completely from memory, in just 60 chaotic minutes. Will Jersey’s music dreams come true? Will John Goodman stick to eating healthy? Will anyone try to fight the moonlight? It all depends on if the cast can remember this movie at all. It’s improv at its best for one night only.
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Anthony Crum, Bailey Poching: On The Shoulders Of Giants
15-17 May, 9.30pm. Theatre.  What’s the hardest you’ve ever laughed in your entire life? Prepare to change your answer. In 2025, Bailey and Crum present “On the Shoulders of Giants” an education in comedy and success. With the confidence and pizazz of ten confident and pizazzy men – the Daring Duet bring you an all-new original masterpiece from their twisted but also deeply thoughtful minds. Barriers will be broken, lines will be crossed, undies will be soiled (number 1’s AND 2’s). Learn to unleash the comedic power within.
Book Now
Lesa MacLeod-Whiting: Rebellina
20 – 24 May, 8.30pm. Studio.  Rebellina [noun] cheeky lil rebel.

Determined to impress and positively influence her strong-willed daughter, Lesa MacLeod-Whiting is a Rebellina with a cause. From her literal baptism in a hot tub (while wearing Canterbury pants, thank you very much) to taking on tailgaters, this is a jam-packed hour full of characters, niche references and live wire tales of small acts of rebellion as Lesa learns to stand up for herself. “She owns her stage” – Stuff.co.nz Directed by Zach Mandeville.

Billy T Award Nominee, 2025 NZ International Comedy Festival
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Hoani Hotene: It’s Getting Hot-ene, So Tell Me All Your Jokes
20 – 24 May, 8pm. Theatre.  The world’s heating up, going wild, and Hoani Hotene is trying to get through it all with what…? Jokes Yep. Asking the big questions like ‘how do you become a better person?’ and ‘why does everyone pick on gingers?’. Hoani brings his personal style of comedy in a show about finding your place and getting by in a crazy world. See one of Aotearoa’s best up-and-coming comedians talk about ‘What Now?’ at his kura kaupapa, trying to grow up at 30, and honestly a bunch of other good stuff.

Billy T Award Nominee, 2025 NZ International Comedy Festival
WINNER- Breakthrough Comic, NZ Comedy Guild Awards 2024
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Barnie Duncan: Ooky Pooky
20 – 24 May, 6.30pm. Theatre.  Last year, Barnie and his best friend Trygve won the Fred Award for their office-based docu-drama Different Party. This year, Barnie is back with himself and a brand new show designed to create a volcano of laughter within your body that will erupt out of your face with the force of a thousand sparrows. Expect to experience Barnie blending the physical with the cerebral in profoundly stupid ways. Topics include soup, Russell Brand and dust.

WINNER – Fred Award for Best Show, NZ International Comedy Festival 2024
WINNER – Best Performer, Whangārei Fringe Festival 2022
WINNER – Best Comedy, Adelaide Fringe Festival 2018
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Booth the Clowm Jak Darling: Delightfool
20 – 24 May, 7pm. Studio.  Booth the Clown and Jak Darling are DELIGHTFOOL! This campy comedy duo come together in holy(ish) matrimony to showcase their silly, joyous, and unapologetically queer cabaret.
This top notch showcase features a series of acts including stand-up, mime, theatre, clown, musical comedy, magic, and… emus? However, things go awry when a storm disrupts the show – forcing our two heroes to look beyond their sparkling surfaces and tackle their internal turbulence.

Billy T Award Nominee, 2025 NZ International Comedy Festival
WINNER – Auckland Tour Ready Award, NZ Fringe 2024
WINNER – Dunedin Tour Ready Award, Auckland Fringe 2024
WINNER – Outstanding Theatre, Auckland Fringe 2024
WINNER – Outstanding Performance, Auckland Fringe 2024
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Elouise Eftos: Australia’s First Attractive Comedian
21 – 24 May, 9.45pm. Studio.  Winner Director’s Choice 2024 Sydney Comedy Festival
You’ve had a lifetime of lame anecdotes from all the average-looking comedians, but the reviews are in – self-deprecation is dead! It’s time to hear from Australia’s First Attractive Comedian.

Hot girls aren’t supposed to be funny, but Elouise Eftos is. Some people may think it’s a blessing, but she’s here to tell you that being cute comes at a cost. Like all Australian pioneers, Elouise leads you on a journey through the unchartered territory of hotness in comedy.

Elouise bridges the thigh gap between serving good jokes and giving good face. Australia’s First Attractive Comedian is a raucous romp through the life of a quadruple threat, tackling outdated feminism and disgusting men through stand-up, extensive dance training, a trained singing voice and professional acting (you’re welcome). You think it’s hard being funny? Try being smart and good looking on top of that.

After sold out seasons and standing ovations across Australia in 2024, join Elouise for a very special return season of her award-winning hour of comedy as she subverts the meaning of feminism, attractiveness and owning yourself in a world that tells you to hate yourself to be funny.

‘Meta feminist comedy, so meta & so feminist, you probably wouldn’t get it” – Abbie Chatfield
‘She’s the future superstar.’ ★★★★ Chortle (UK)
‘Elouise Eftos is a comedic force to be reckoned with.’ ★★★★ Louder Mag
‘Empowered, confident, sassy, smart, funny, relevant, sexy – Elouise Eftos has it all… Six stars and a big f you to patriarchy for this show.’ Stage Whispers
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Tom Cashman: 2 Truths, 1 Lie & 17 Slight Exaggerations
22 – 24 May, 9.30pm. Theatre.  Tom Cashman is flying to New Zealand as we speak, with a new hour of stand up that may or may not include the secret to happiness. You might know Tom from TikTok, you might know him from Taskmaster Australia, or you might be grappling with the idea of him for the first time right now as you read this. It’s pointless to continue guessing your mental state. But if you like the mental state of laughing, you won’t miss this show.
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Bull Rush and Friends
23 May, 10.45pm. Theatre.As seen in their award-winning regular show every Friday at Basement Theatre. Expect new games played, new stories told, and new music made up on the spot each week. With a roster of Tāmaki Makaurau’s most talented, award-winning performers, it’s always sure to be a riot when you rush with the Bulls!
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Itay Dom: Crowd Pleaser
24 May, 10.45pm. Theatre.Always wanted to chat to your favourite comedians? Now you can! After a SOLD OUT run in the 2024 New Zealand International Comedy Festival, CROWD PLEASER is back! Watch the funniest comedians improvise and riff based on your suggestions! Witness as they pull punchlines out of thin air and wow you with their off-the-cuff wit. Just don’t forget to pick up your jaw from the floor on your way out. Hosted by Itay Dom (Guy Mont-Spelling Bee, The Bachelorette).

WINNER – Best MC, NZ Comedy Guild Awards 2023
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How can I support Basement Theatre? Donations help us keep advocating for artists. Becoming a Basement Lover or a Basement Mate is the best way you can continually support us – and you get some bonus treats too!

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