Awesomeness Comedy Lives up to its name...again

Eclectic lineup comes to the NZ International Comedy Festival

Awesomeness Comedy has built up its reputation over 5 years bringing the surprise standouts from far and away and the best in what the local scene has to offer.  Each show is handpicked by bosses Rhys Darby and his wife Rosie Carnahan. They promise this years picks are just as exciting.

Jarred Christmas, the ex pat Kiwi comic based in London is back with his new show "Let's Go MoFo!". A successful standup on the UK circuit, Christmas has only returned home a handful of times since boarding a plane in Christchurch in 1998. His sharp wit, hilarious anecdotes and energetic performances have impressed NZ audiences and seen him grace our screens on 7 Days (TV3), A Night at the Classic (TVNZ), Comedy Convoy (TV3), Funny Roots (TV3) and The Year that Was (TVNZ).

Aussie Steve Hughes had never been to NZ before 2012 loved what he saw. He spent a week looking for the "shit bits".  Having found none he returns for 3 weeks this year. (Shit bits, you know who you are, keep quiet.)  Starting out as one of Australia's top heavy metal drummers, he found his voice 15 years ago and grabbed the microphone. Since then he has become one of the most exciting voices in standup comedy today.  Speaking of the political, philosophical and alway hilarious world around him, he was a sell out in 2012 and is not to be missed.

Billy T Nominee Eli Matthewson returns to the festival after experiencing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His new show, Proposition: Great! looks at gay marriage and what this means to him as a 25 year old who still plays with Pokemon and has a mild obsession with pop culture. Matthewson's play Square Eye Pair won Best Comedy at the 2011 Auckland Fringe and he is certainly one to watch.

On day one of the Edinburgh Fringe Rhys  and Rosie met Hedluv + Passman, two serious, white rappers from Cornwall. It transpired that they were baffled as to why they were put in a comedy festival. Rhys and Rosie are bringing them home to NZ to show you why. With a performance akin to Freddie Mercury after eating energiser bunnies from Passman, catchy tunes on the Casiotone and songs about Cornish Pasties, flippers and sat nav you will see why! Get in and catch the next big thing to hit the music (and comedy! ) world.

ELI MATTHEWSON in  PROPOSITION: GREAT!
AUCKLAND 14 – 18 May 7.15pm, Basement Studio, Book at Ticketek
WELLINGTON 30 April – 4 May, 7pm, Cavern Club, Book at Ticketek

JARRED CHRISTMAS
AUCKLAND 14 – 18 May 8.45pm, Loft at Q Theatre, Book at Ticketek
WELLINGTON 30 April – 4 May, 8.30pm, Downstage Theatre, Book at Ticketek

STEVE HUGHES
AUCKLAND 1 May – 4 May, 8 May – 11 May, 10pm, Loft at Q,  Book at Ticketek
WELLINGTON 13 May – 18 May, 8.30pm,  San Francisco Bathhouse, Book at Ticketek

HEDLUV + PASSMAN: TWO CORNISH RAPPERS AND A CASIOTONE
AUCKLAND 9 – 11 May, 16-18 May 930pm, Cassette 9, Book at www.eventfinder.co.nz
WELLINGTON 1 – 4 May, 7.30pm, Puppies, Book at www.eventfinder.co.nz
LEIGH 20 April, 930PM, Leigh Sawmill, Book at www.eventfinder.co.nz