BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE… FINAL COMEDIANS ADDED TO BEST FOODS COMEDY GALA LINE-UP
The New Zealand Comedy Trust & Best Foods Mayo present
Best Foods Comedy Gala
Hosted by Rhys Mathewson
The biggest celebration of comedy across the year, the Best Foods Comedy Gala, is fast approaching and the final stand out stand up comedians have been added to the lineup at The Civic on Friday 9 September, and at Michael Fowler Centre on Friday 30 September.
Rounding out this allstar night is Billy T winner, writer and podcaster supreme, Guy Montgomery. He’s toured around America with his podcast The Worst Idea of All Time, performed at Just for Laughs Montréal in 2019 and has just been announced as a castaway on Celebrity Treasure Island. He also brought a great deal of sarcasm (and quite a few t-shirts with Paul Williams’ face on them) to Taskmaster NZ Season 2.
Comedy writer, Snort improviser and stand-up extraordinaire Lana Walters joins the line up. Her hilarious hot takes have seen her regularly take to the panel on 7 Days and The Project.
David Correos, the hilarious breakout star of Taskmaster NZ Season 2, Billy T Award winner and 2021 Fred Award finalist, makes his Gala debut this year. His joyous and chaotic comedy style is sure to bring some unexpected antics and big laughs to the stage.
Ruby Esther is on a sky-rocketing comedy trajectory - a graduate of the Trust’s 2016 Class Comedians programme, Ruby won the Raw Comedy Competition the following year, and was then nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2019 NZ Comedy Fest.
Auckland show:
Also taking the stage in Tāmaki Makaurau will be Cori Conzalez-Macuer, Liv McKenzie, Ray O’Leary, Rutene Spooner, Tony Lyall and Paul Douglas.
With his unique brand of deadpan comedy Cori Gonzalez-Macuer appeared alongside Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement in cult horror flick What We Do In the Shadows as well as its TV spinoff Wellington Paranormal. Since winning the Billy T Award early in his career, he’s become best known for his cynical and self-deprecating humour.
Liv McKenzie is sassy, classy and tells the truth we all need to hear in her truly relatable stories. She’s a regular on 7 Days and Have You Been Paying Attention?, made a star turn on Laughs Unleashed and recently appeared on the comedy pilot Rabble Rousers.
Gracing every stage with his charming awkward sense of humour, Ray O’Leary is sure to turn out another crack-up set this September. Ray was nominated for the Billy T award in 2017 and 2020 and is a regular performer and writer on 7 Days and Have You Been Paying Attention?, and recently starred on THREE’s The Great Comedy Debate and Rabble Rousers.
Award-winning cabaret superstar Rutene Spooner, a member of the much-loved Modern Māori Quartet and as seen in Billy Elliot the Musical, Chicago and Jersey Boys, is bringing his musical prowess, natural comedic stylings and buckets of charm to the stage.
Head writer and reporter on The Project and writer on 7 Days, Tony Lyall is bringing his high energy storytelling and good vibes to the ultimate night of comedy.
Winner of Best Live Show and Best Gag at the 2019 NZ Comedy Guild Awards, crack up comic Paul Douglas returns for another hilarious and outrageous set at the Best Foods Comedy Gala.
The Auckland Best Foods Comedy Gala is being filmed exclusively for THREE.
Wellington show:
Wellington will also be treated to the hugely popular Tom Sainsbury. Beloved for his many hilarious Snapchat impressions, audiences will have also seen him on their screens in nearly everything! Including 7 Days, Educators and Have You Been Paying Attention?
Sri Nair, a Wellington local quickly making his mark on the scene, rounds out the line up at Michael Fowler Centre. Winner of Best Show at the 2018 Fringe Festival, he’s recently appeared on TVNZ’s 60 Seconds and is bound to be a new crowd favourite.
Proceeds from these shows will support the New Zealand Comedy Trust, who support the local comedy industry through development initiatives and producing the NZ International Comedy Festival.
2022 Best Foods Comedy Gala
Auckland
Friday 9 September, 8pm
The Civic
Cnr Queen Street and Wellesley Street West
Tickets $45 – $135*
Click here to book for Auckland
*booking fees apply
Auckland show lineup:
Rhys Mathewson, Tofiga Fepulea’i, Hayley Sproull, Guy Montgomery, Chris Parker, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Justine Smith, Kura Forrester, Urzila Carlson, Eli Matthewson, Pax Assadi, Guy Williams, Rutene Spooner, Tony Lyall, Lana Walters, David Correos, Ruby Esther, Ray O’Leary, Nick Rado, Liv McKenzie, Paul Douglas
Wellington
Friday 30 September, 7.30pm
Michael Fowler Centre
111 Wakefield Street, Te Aro
Tickets $55 – $115*
Click here to book for Wellington
*booking fees apply
Wellington show lineup:
Rhys Mathewson, Tofiga Fepulea’i, Hayley Sproull, Guy Montgomery, Tom Sainsbury, Kura Forrester, Two Hearts (Laura Daniel X Joseph Moore), Brynley Stent, Justine Smith, Eli Matthewson, Pax Assadi, Guy Williams, Lana Walters, David Correos, Ruby Esther, Sri Nair