Smoke No Joke

Smoke No Joke

Media Release – Friday, April 26

A blaze at the University of Auckland’s Maidment Theatre has left a comedy company out in the cold.

Internationally acclaimed improvised comedy group, the Covert Theatre, has been left with nowhere to perform for the NZ International Comedy Festival due to open tonight, because of a fire started by a curtain on a light at the Maidment Theatre. The fire also caused smoke and electrical damage to the Musgrove Studio above it.

“We’re gutted - excuse the pun,” says Covert Theatre Director, Wade Jackson. Our players train hard all year to showcase what they can do at the Festival and the Musgrove has been our home. It’s so late in the piece now, every other venue in the CBD is already booked out for shows. I thought we’d have to cancel the lot.”

Jackson says the Festival has been very proactive in helping him find another performance space however, still four of the six productions have been cancelled.

“We’ve been offered a last-minute deal at the Herald Theatre for two shows which is brilliant. The Herald is an expensive venue to hire and a big space to fill though so straight away we’re looking at double the rental and less than half the shows. We need to attract a lot more people this year.”

Jackson says the Festival is an expensive business and more about giving the players a shot at performing on stage as well as keeping improvised comedy in New Zealand’s comedy mix.

“I’ve had to cut some of the rookie shows from the bill which has been really disappointing for everyone but I’m hoping we can get as many of the new guys into our other shows as possible. This year we have the world premiere of a great new format we created called ‘Ferris Wheel’ - each scene plays out in a carriage on a Ferris Wheel, so we keep revisiting each play within a play as they pass. It’s original and it’s very, very funny.”

Jackson says the professional core of the Covert Theatre, The Improv Bandits, will also keep their spots as they’re the biggest drawcard.

“We just need to get the word out there that we’re having a Fire Sale,” says Jackson. “It’s a horrible way to start the Festival – getting ejected from your venue at the last minute – but we’re hoping to end the season with a bang. Not literally. We promise we won’t be damaging any theatres in the production of our show. Just slaying a few sacred cows.”

Ferris Wheel is from 9 – 11 May 7pm at the Herald Theatre 0800 BUY TICKETS
The Improv Bandits is from 8 – 11 May 8.30pm at the Herald Theatre

ENDS

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