Opeti Vaka’s I Love My Mum is a heartfelt, funny, and deeply Kiwi hour of storytelling about culture, chaos, and the strength of solo mums. Warm, honest, and full of lived‑in humour, it celebrates the families that raise us and the love that holds everything together. We rate it a competent 4 out of 5!

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Lily Catastrophe’s Little Sister is a sharp, heartfelt dive into trans femme life, blending queer chaos, vulnerability, and clever storytelling. With big laughs, honest reflections, and Lily’s signature high femme energy, it is a warm and witty look at identity, anxiety, and growing up queer in your thirties. We rate it a heartfelt 4 out of 5!

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Melanie Bracewell’s Dilly Dallying is a fast, clever hour packed with sharp writing, joyful energy, and brilliantly timed callbacks. Relatable stories, creative crowd moments, and a sweet message about taking life at your own pace make this a polished and genuinely uplifting highlight of the festival. We rate it a quick-witted 5 out of 5!

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Thomas Chapman’s Work Safe is an easygoing hour of nostalgic Kiwi humour, everyday chaos, and youthful charm. He jumps from Olympics takes to odd jobs to growing up in New Zealand with a relaxed confidence that keeps the room laughing. A laid back, relatable set from a comedian still finding his voice. We rated it a humble 4 out of 5!

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Henry Yan delivers a charming, chaotic hour about awkward first dates, parental pressure, and the messy search for love. With quick tangents, sharp crowd work, and an unexpected passion for horses, he turns vulnerability into comedy gold. Quirky, heartfelt, and easy to love. We rated it a cringe-inducing 4 out of 5!

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Sashi Perera’s Pear Tree is a smart, heartfelt hour that blends humour with sharp insight on culture, identity, and the weight of expectations. Honest, vulnerable, and brilliantly articulate, she turns complex ideas into comedy that feels both relatable and deeply resonant. A standout highlight of the festival. We rated it a convincing 5 out of 5!

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Laser Kiwi’s Everybody Knows is a full‑throttle circus‑comedy blast. Wild stunts, razor‑sharp timing, and chaotic brilliance collide in a show that leaves you buzzing and wanting more. A five‑star spectacle from a world‑class trio.

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Jonjon Tolovae lights up the room in Man, I Feel Like A Woman, blending sharp comedy, cultural pride, and pure gender euphoria into a show that feels like a celebration. Bold, cheeky, and irresistibly warm, she turns audience participation into magic. A joyful, glitter‑soaked standout. We rated it a bedazzling 5 out of 5!

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The Greatest Showboiz is pure theatrical chaos. The Fuq Boiz explode through rapid‑fire scenes, wild props, and unhinged energy, all powered by their brilliantly volatile partnership. Weird, committed, and endlessly surprising. A wild ride worth taking. We rated it a dramatic 3 out of 5!

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David Correos delivers pure, joyful chaos in Touching My Active Mind. From the moment he appears, the room is swept into his wild energy, bizarre props, and brilliantly unhinged creativity. Strange, fearless, and completely committed, he turns unpredictability into comedy gold. A hilarious, high‑voltage ride. We rated it a rampant 4 out of 5!

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Joel Vinsen’s Renaissance Man is a quietly brilliant hour of subtle, layered comedy woven with beautiful guitar work. Intimate, unexpected, and disarmingly genuine, it feels like discovering a hidden gem. Thoughtful, strange, and completely his own. A standout performer and absolutely one to watch. We rated it an intimate 4.5 out of 5!

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Joe Daymond’s Comedy Mixtape was a chaotic, warm, and wildly funny celebration of Māori and Pasifika comedy. The crowd energy was unreal, the heckling was its own sport, and Joe’s hosting tied everything together with heart. A hilarious, wholesome night. We rated it a solid 5 out of 5!

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Two People On A Stage, Set In A Kitchen But There’s No Cooking And We’re Both Dressed In Evening Wear is a gloriously silly hour of tuxedo clad chaos, packed with slapstick, mime, and absurd prop play. Barnie Duncan and Ella Hope Higginson turn a kitchen set and a Tupperware container into a full physical comedy universe. We rate it an imaginative 3 out of 5.

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Stamptown is pure, unfiltered chaos in the best possible way. A wild mix of stand-up, absurd characters, unhinged audience participation and glorious unpredictability that feels more like a live experiment than a comedy show. You might love it, you might leave stunned, but you will absolutely remember it. We rate it a raunchy 4 out of 5.

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James Mustapic Yourself Up is a soft-voiced, quietly chaotic hour of queer joy where James turns every microaggression, hate comment, flatmate disaster and awkward life moment into pure comedy gold. Vulnerable, weird, relatable and absolutely hilarious. We rate it a triumphant 5 out of 5.

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Playfight is a haunting, dreamlike coming‑of‑age story set beneath a magical tree where three girls navigate desire, danger, and the blurred lines of consent. Beautifully staged, chilling in its honesty, and impossible to shake. We rate it a compelling 4 out of 5!

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Annie Guo’s Artificial Infidelity is warm, sharp and effortlessly funny. A classic stand-up hour packed with smart observations about dating, culture, family and her increasingly chaotic A.I. boyfriends. Light, relatable and full of charm. We rate it a friendship-inducing 4 out of 5.

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Booth the Clown’s Kissing Booth is late-night queer chaos at its finest. A hidden cellar, pom pom chairs, rogue nipples, Uber door revelations and the most tender, unhinged audience interaction you will ever experience. Warm, weird, intimate and unforgettable. Go. We rate it a convincing 5 out of 5.

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Handsome Man is Anthony Crum at his most chaotic and divisive. It’s an hour of anti‑jokes, long silences, surreal bits and gorgeous Sinatra‑style singing that never connects to anything. A few people were in hysterics, but most sat in confusion watching a talented performer commit fully to a show that feels intentionally structureless. We rate it an uneven 3 out of 5.

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Brynley Stent’s Bird of the Year is a hilarious, unhinged triumph. A PowerPoint meltdown turns into pure comedy gold as she improvises, storytells and spirals through bat facts, drama and questionable snacks. Chaotic, clever and completely delightful. We rate it an absurd 5 out of 5.

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