BENJAMIN CRELLIN
25/04/2014 - 26/04/2014
Cavern Club, 22 Allen St, Te Aro, Wellington
14/05/2014 - 17/05/2014
NZ International Comedy Festival 2014
Production Details
Benjamin Crellin is finally back in New Zealand, reloaded with another sixty minute salvo of sociopolitical standup in Auckland (25 April –3 May) and Wellington (14 –17 May) as part of the 2014 NZ International Comedy Festival.
If all the different styles of standup comedy were represented on a giant map. This comic’s style would be in the area of the map titled “Here be Dragons”.
This is a comedian who shoots from the lip with lines of fire that deliver a comedic payload on topics that most other comics never address. It’s a style that in 2013 saw him rated by chortle as one of the ten political comics to see in Edinburgh with his solo show “Comic of Duty”.
But as well as hilarity his work has delivered a degree of controversy. Benjamin actually had the police summoned to a gig by an audience member who took objection to his headline set at a new material night. See: www.chortle.co.uk/news/2013/05/29/17971/heckler_calls_the_police_on_offensive_comic
This was a first for London’sWestEnd!
In 2010, Benjamin had to cancel seasons of his show in the NZ and Sydney comedy festivals as he was left grounded in the U.K by the volcano ash cloud so he is well overdue for another NZ festival season.
Other highlights of 2013 included opening for Canadian comedy giant Tom Stade on his U.K tour and headlining a TEDx with a talk titled “Laughter is the democracy of joy“. Benjamin has now served two 2 ½ year “tours” on the U.K/European circuit. Playing a vast range of environments from underground clubs in eastern Europe to diplomatic hotels in the middle east and the officers academy at Sandhurst.
Previously he cut his teeth as a comic with an eight year stint in Auckland. He was the first comic on stage at the opening of NZ’s famous home of comedy “The Classic”. He was the first comic to reach the “Cap” of four nominations for the Billy T James award.
As well as performing he has been running courses in London on standup for beginners and has had a diverse range of students including several members of the London Metropolitan police force.
Benjamin is excited to share the evolution of his act with kiwi crowds and be back with a solo show at the classic…his comedy home.
As part of the 2014 NZ International Comedy Festival in cahoots with Old Mout Cider, grab some mates and join us for a great night of laughs from 24 April -18 May.
For the full Comedy Fest showline-up head to comedyfestival.co.nz
AUCKLAND
Dates: Fri 25 & Sat 26 April, Wed 30 April -Sat 3 May, 10pm
Venue: Classic Studio, Level 1, 321 Queen St
Tickets: $20 -$23Bookings:0800 TICKETEK(842 538) // ticketek.co.nz
WELLINGTON
Dates: Wed 14 –Sat 17 May, 10pm
Venue: Cavern Club, 22 Allen St
Tickets: $20 -$23Bookings: 0800 TICKETEK (842 538) // ticketek.co.nz
Theatre , Stand-up comedy ,
Blunt force comedy with relatable truisms
Review by Stephen Austin 26th Apr 2014
After four years living and working in the UK, one of New Zealand’s best, darkest comedians has returned for a short stint at this year’s comedy festival.
Benjamin Crellin bursts into the venue in a bright pink, brand-new-looking, pig onesie and immediately gets us on side by self-deprecating and calling anyone who’d wear such an outfit a complete hipster. From there he goes on to observe, in his own bleak way, how we’ve become entrenched in technology and points to many contradictions in modern politics and religion.
His delivery is punchy, smart and in-your-face. He seems fully relaxed and engaged with the tiny audience and certainly gives it his all despite the late start and poor attendance. His presence, both emotional and physical, is what sustains us through, but he also has a fascinating use of subtle movement and eye-lines that carry new thoughts across subjects and give them weight. An especially excellent wee moment sees him imaginary-eating with the conviction of a well-trained mime.
The half-dozen of us who are there are treated to his very particular viewpoint that certainly switches our brains on, but not always for the right reasons. Facts probably need to be checked a little better, as there were some opinions closer to home about known quantities (the Auckland volcanoes, Christchurch earthquakes) that don’t quite ring true, due to pacing and eliding of thoughts. (Brief mention in a set of World War One on ANZAC Day without honouring those who have fallen does ring of a wee bit of the disingenuous too.)
Most of the laughs are top-loaded in the show, leaving the weight of Crellin’s philosophy on life to feed the later parts. And he really leans on his dark thoughts, letting us into the disturbing world of his emotional psyche, which makes for a good voice of dissent, but doesn’t leave us with huge grins on our faces on leaving the theatre.
The whole feels like a short hang-out with a drunk highly-opinionated slightly paranoid friend, but convinces with blunt force of delivery and quite a few relatable truisms.
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