Established local and international comedy star Johanna Cosgrove brings her new show Sweetie home to Wellington for the NZ International Comedy Festival. While the material is fresh, the premise of intensely personal, no-holds-barred storytelling about life and love will be familiar to her fans, many of whom were in the audience.

Resplendent in a shocking red crop top, short skirt, and her trademark knee-high vinyl boots, Cosgrove takes us on a journey through her early straight relationships before revealing that on a recent trip to Melbourne she fell hard for a woman.

Along the way, we’re introduced to her tattoos, including a badly drawn candle inked by a very high Mexican witch and the one arced over her solar plexus for which this show is named. We also hear about her obsessions with Denmark’s ancient Bog Woman and her post-graduation stint teaching English to 13-year-olds in Poland who she helped to perform Macbeth with witches dressed like the Ku Klux Klan. She even slides in a highly topical political swipe at ACT Party MP Brooke van Velden and an anti-colonialism sex joke.

Her family come under the microscope in a creepy-funny story about a themed Christmas dinner where every course is dedicated to a dead member of the family. Her dad’s PTSD on accidentally discovering her giant strap-on dildo also basks under the spotlight, as does her discovery via Ancestry.com that her great-great-grandmother was Indigenous Australian.

Like all good comedy storytelling, the narrative turns full circle at the end when we’re treated to a replay of the seduction of her first high-school crush. I won’t spoil the surprise but be assured it got the biggest whoops and hollers of the night as Cosgrove displayed two of her other enviable talents.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Johanna Cosgrove is a comedic force of nature. With Sweetie, she cements herself as someone capable of seeing her own life’s weirdness and using it to delight.

Stagecraft’s rendition of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time has taken an inclusive approach to this modern classic, boasting contributions from neurodivergent cast and crew members that clearly enhance the production. Adapted from the novel by Mark Haddon, the story follows Christopher, an autistic 15-year-old who sets out to solve the murder of his neighbour’s dog. While the London production was notorious for its overwhelming lighting and sound effects that alienated audiences with sensory sensitivities, directors Joy Hellyer and Paul Kay have crafted a version that is equally captivating without compromising accessibility.

Simi Ready’s portrayal of Christopher is exceptional: authentic, hilarious, and deeply engaging. They win us over from the outset and keep us invested in the intrigues and emotional upheavals of the narrative. Mary Coffey is brilliant as Christopher’s teacher Siobhan, delivering her lines with impeccable timing, underpinned by a perfect blend of humour and emotional depth. Praise is also due to Mike McJorrow and Amy Whiterod, who give nuanced performances as Christopher’s flawed yet loving parents.

These characters are surrounded by a wonderful ensemble cast, who bring us bit parts, cleverly illustrate Christopher’s relationships with the objects around him, and add emphasis during intense sensory and emotional scenes by emoting as extensions of Christopher.

The production elements support the performances perfectly; ingenious geometric set pieces are repeatedly reconfigured to create diverse environments, complemented by Kimberli Jones’ projected illustrations that visualise Christopher’s thought processes. The minimalist set design and projections allow details in costume (Helen McKenzie) and props (Jo Douglas) to have intense impact – for example, the extraordinary body of Wellington the dog by master model maker Allan Burne. Janet Noble’s fight choreography is grounded and effective, contributing to the authenticity of the scenes.

This production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is clever, intense, hilarious, and heartfelt. Many thanks to the Stagecraft team for sharing your version of this story with us.

On the night of May the 19^th, 2010, five paintings were stolen from the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. The loot included a Braque, a Picasso, a Léger, a Modigliani, and a Matisse valued at more than 100 million euros. While the paintings, to this day, have never been recovered, The French Job tells a frenetic and fictional tale of what may have happened to these famous works.

Opening to grimy streets on a dank, dark evening, it’s certainly not the Paris of our dreams that Jo (Steve Tientcheu) cooly makes his way through after looting an apartment block of valuables. Meanwhile, Eric (Sofiane Zermani), a smooth-talking con artist, promises a Léger he doesn’t own to a rich fellow that he then tasks Jo with finding. The following day, Eric’s chance meeting with the perpetually anxious watch expert Yonathan Cobb (Melvil Poupaud) seems like providence as he convinces the hapless tinkerer to sell his client’s timepieces for profit rather than repairing them. The trio’s lives however are flipped upside down when Jo robs the Paris Museum of Modern Art. With the heist highly publicised, the madness begins as Jo, Eric, and Cobb must decide what to do with the paintings.

Directed by Dominique Baumard, The French Job took home the L’Alpe d’Huez International Comedy Film Festival 2025 Special Jury Prize for good reason. Not only is the script, adapted by Baumard and Benjamin Charbit from Olivier Bouchara’s original idea, clever and captivating with plenty of room for physical comedy, but the entire production is as slick and tight as a high-profile heist. Sitting on the edge of my seat, I revelled in the Ocean’s 11-esque character introductions, squealing with delight as the story took a sharp turn towards Italian Job antics. Perfectly punctuated by Lionel Limiñana and David Menke’s playful score, Julien Poupard’s cinematography is equal parts thoughtful and intrusive, artistic and functional, exploring character, place, and atmosphere with deft sleight of hand.

Steal into your local cinema for The French Job and let it whisk you away.

The New Zealand Government’s change to the give way rule in 2012 is not the most obvious premise for a musical, but it works. Through witty lyrics, gentle mockery of bureaucracy, and less-gentle criticism of people who are enraged against change, Give Way – The Musical is a highly entertaining couple of hours.

As a new work, it feels somewhat unfinished. The score is purely piano, albeit expertly executed by Hayden Taylor. More orchestration would elevate the mood of each song and clearly differentiate them. More ensemble numbers with harmonies would be good too. When the cast do get to harmonise, it sounds amazing. What lifts the production to being worthy of the Circa One stage is the quality of the casting and the technical aspects.

As protagonist Sophie, Lily Tyler Moore is a strong performer, anchoring the story with her excellent vocals. Jackson Burling as her love interest is delightful. He, like the rest of the cast, deftly plays multiple roles. Carrie Green is engaging as policy wonk Tanya and the moments where she shines vocally are highlights. Bronwyn Turei is equally engaging and her activist Nic and Sophie’s dad are standouts. Alex Greig excels in creating a sympathetic but entertaining portrait of Randall, the unhinged policy advisor who originally changed the give way rule.

Tony de Goldi’s excellent set design is reminiscent of a roundabout on which the actors move a wheeled table and a few office chairs to create the scenes. Vertical panels around the outside remind me of the mats I used to play on with toy cars as a child. Goldi’s accompanying wardrobe design is also spot on, with the walk shorts and socks combo instantly recognisable as the public service uniform of the 1970s. Excellent lighting design by Will Smith adds visual interest and the falling rain effect early in the first half is a wonderful surprise.

Only Wellington creatives could successfully make a musical about policy change!

Guest artist Christopher Cross opened the evening and it was immediately clear that he had a strong fan base in attendance. He was well supported by a talented backing band, featuring Andy Suzuki on wind instruments and three backup female singers. He performed his best-known hits, including Sailing, Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do), Think of Laura, and All Right, culminating in his stunning guitar solo on the smash hit Ride Like the Wind.  

Formed in California in the late 1970s, Toto’s music combines elements of pop, rock, soul, funk, hard rock, rhythm and blues, jazz, and blues. Leader and guitarist Steve Lukather may be the only original member, but this current touring lineup consists of top musicians whose individual musical CVs are too vast to mention. Five of the seven band members shared lead and backing vocals throughout the performance.

The intro music set anticipation levels high for the first song Child’s Anthem. The band was already at full throttle, but it was hits Rosanna and 99 that had the fully engaged crowd singing along. The latter featured the slick bass guitar of John Pierce. Warren Ham on saxophone added a beautiful jazz dimension throughout. For I Will Remember, lead vocalist Joseph Williams got the crowd to sing along with him a cappella to check the venue acoustics! Pamela featured the silky keyboard skills of Greg Phillinganes, whose beautiful solo then led into I Won’t Hold You Back. The funky Georgy Porgy was followed by a solo spot by keyboardist Dennis Atlas – who was brought into the band mid-tour and “had to learn the whole show in two days without any rehearsing”. Lukather’s gorgeous ballad I’ll Be Over You highlighted the striking lighting show and Don’t Chain My Heart showcased his guitar virtuosity. Drummer Shannon Forrest’s blistering solo spot was a highlight. I’ll Supply the Love got the whole crowd up.

Toto’s biggest hits Hold the Line and Africa ended the two-hour-long show on a euphoric high. Rock royalty at its best!

Your favourite Mancunian soap opera gets the comedic parody treatment over five cliff-hanging episodes in Coro, thanks to local improv maestros Nina Hogg and Austin Harrison. Whether you’re a three-times-a-week Coronation Street devotee or an inexperienced newbie to Manchester’s best-known cobbled street, you’re bound to laugh your knitted socks off in this 50-minute show.

Be prepared to be part of the action too. The whole audience is encouraged to join in with the theme tune at the start of each episode, accompanied by Hogg and Harrison on kazoo, squeaky recorder, or barely grade one clarinet. The front couple of rows of audience are also co-opted to be wardrobe minders, tossing ties, woolly jumpers, cardis, leopard-print jackets, flat caps, and bald heads to the two actors as needed.

Playing several characters each, often two at the same time (or even three in one hilarious scene from Hogg), both actors are a non-stop whirl of energy, embodying each famous identity beautifully. Despite concerns expressed pre-show, their Manchester accents are on point and their vocal delivery varied and expressive.

Several plots roll through the five episodes and are neatly tied together by the end, starting with a fatal train crash and ending with the birth of a baby – also tossed from the audience in a moment of comic genius – to teen parents. All your favourite soap tropes are here, including confusion over a non-existent extra-marital affair, mixed-up medical prescriptions, inter-generational strife, and superannuitant dating apps.

The sort of show that could be performed anywhere, Coro needs only simple lighting changes between scenes and a few props to facilitate its superlative performers and clever writing. Hogg and Harrison are taking the show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this year and I’m sure it’ll go down like a two-storey terraced house on fire.

Britain’s longest-running TV soap is ripe for parody and Coro manages to strike the balance between entertainment and upholding the relatable, working-class core that has made the show so successful. Best of luck in Edinburgh, team!

If a goofy, funny, heartfelt, heroic adventure is what your little one enjoys, then KidzStuff Theatre for Children’s Badjelly the Witch is the show to check out these school holidays!

Meet the lovely brother-and-sister duo of Rose (Adriana Calabrese) and Tim (Haydn Carter) as they look for their beloved cow Lucy (Calabrese and Carter), who was stolen by Badjelly (wonderfully portrayed by creative director Amalia Calder) and her giant Dulboot (Dryw McArthur).

Joining in on their adventure, the set and props (creatively designed by Andrew and Laura Loach) transport you between the different locations of the story and introduce you to all the cute characters that help Rose and Tim find their beloved cow. Alongside these friends that we meet along the way, the enthusiastic audience ventures through forests and mountains to bring Lucy home. Technical manager Deb McGuire creates magic by changing the vibrant lighting, music (Geoff Davidson, with lyrics by John Cairney), and sound effects on cue with the scenes. And from a little person’s perspective, when the theatre illuminates red, we all know what that means!

The costumes and puppets are colourful and bring the characters to life with talented voice acting from Calder and McArthur. Davidson’s music brings the show together so well and Cairney’s fun lyrics have everyone dancing and chiming in. The audience is on edge to see what happens next, and the cast improvises beautifully to interact with us during the show, which keeps us all on our toes – and not just the kids amongst us!

Of course, after every show, I always love to ask Mister Six what his favourite part was. “My favourite was the cricket, the witch, and the giant!” Full of surprises, Badjelly the Witch has the audience pitching in with the rescue, belly laughing all the way.

We love chaos, mess, magic, and a good belly laugh! Kitchen Chaos ticks all the boxes and so much more.

In Kitchen Chaos, Spray (Lizzie Tollemache), Wipe (Darlene Mohekey), and the whole audience are invited to a surprise birthday party. Everyone is so excited and we all help prepare for the surprise. Wipe is so goofy, with a weakness for chippies and cake, and often comes up with brilliant ideas that Spray goes along with. While goofing around, there is an accident and the duo needs to fix the situation pronto. They enlist the help of the audience, a very helpful cookbook named Edmonds (voiced by original production director Greg Cooper), and some magic!

The colourful set and props (production design by Rollicking Entertainment) enhance the magical experience. The magic itself is mind-blowing – just some of the reactions I overhear are “wow,” “that’s unbelievable,” and “how did they do that?” The sound effects and lights are on cue and create hilarious scenes.

The playful and mischievous vibe is so contagious that Mister Six could not stop laughing, dancing, and just wanted to join in the fun. The magic intrigued him so much that when we got to meet Spray and Wipe after the show, he had to know how they did it. He also showed them his dancing skills and we all danced together in the foyer. They were happy to indulge their newfound fans with photo opportunities and high fives!

He was still dancing as we left, and we were having a good giggle when we discussed the show afterwards. His favourite parts were the magic, Spray and Wipe being stuck together when they high fived, and the sneaker juice! Guess what, though? Kitchen Chaos had me laughing even harder than my son at some stages. Bringing out the excited kid in all of us, we had the best fun and laughs at this must-see show.

Are you one of the Fish People? Even if you’re not and have no idea what that means, there’s still much to enjoy in this Kate Bush tribute show cum comedy cabaret. If you are one of the Fish People (i.e. Bush’s die-hard fans), you’ll be hoarse by the end, so frequent are the opportunities to sing along with Sarah-Louise Young’s impressive vocals in An Evening Without Kate Bush.

Bush’s fans are nothing if not supportive and the spirit of collective celebration is strongly encouraged through Young’s frequent audience engagement. Don’t sit in the first couple of rows if you’re shy about being lured to the stage. One brave couple slow danced to Don’t Give Up while Young sang Bush’s part beautifully.

While not trying to do a straight impression of one of pop’s quirkiest divas, Young pulls off a spirited and highly entertaining homage. Her powerful voice doesn’t quite have Bush’s freakishly huge range, but who other than Kent’s favourite daughter could sing the opening notes of Wuthering Heights? Young, to her credit, doesn’t try. Her renditions of Bush’s biggest hits and some lesser-known B sides are stunning and her ability to pull off Bush’s signature dance moves is astonishing and hilarious by turns. The comedy highlight is a rendition of Babooshka in Russian, including its correct pronunciation of BAH-booshka.

Stage manager Will Spartalis becomes an unintended star when Young’s head mic battery fails not once but twice. Young’s stellar ability to improvise song lyrics about buying more double As at the supermarket makes this technical glitch even funnier.

With just a red leotard plus various add-on costume pieces and wigs, a few props, and some fantastically creative lighting effects (all by Young), the performer’s segues between songs are a joy to watch and keep the show flowing.

If you want to howl with the Hounds of Love, go Running Up That Hill with the other Fish People, or snigger knowingly at the Stranger Things reference, you can’t go wrong with An Evening Without Kate Bush.