The New Zealand Int'l Comedy Festival

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on April 29th, 2005

New Zealand Herald writer Scott Kara turned in a whopping article on the NZICF, going on now through May 21. He says, “Even though the comedy festival is in its 12th year there is still the stigma that because it’s New Zealand it isn’t any good. It used to be the same with local music. Remember?”

Kiwi comic Michele A’Court is fired up and not taking it any more:

Ask A’Court about that stigma and she will say it’s well and truly alive. “It’s always fascinating to see at the Melbourne and Edinburgh festivals that comedians are revered and treasured. But here, for a while, there were rumours that standup comedians were prohibited from auditioning for TV comedies because obviously they were standups so they were s***. That’s exactly the opposite of what happens overseas.”

And Festival Director Hillary McMillan says:

“New Zealanders have the mentality that if it’s on TV then it’s okay, or it’s acceptable. And because there isn’t a lot of New Zealand comedy on TV they have this cringe factor about it. But, when people go out and see it [live] they’re actually surprised that it’s really good.”

Hmmm… sounds like comedians on the other side of the planet have similar problems to those of U.S. comics. Read the whole thing for a fascinating look into a whole other comedy world!

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