BRAD ZIMMERMAN in SKYDIVING WITH MY MUM
Kitty O'Sheas, 28 Courtenay Place, Wellington
08/05/2013 - 11/05/2013
NZ International Comedy Festival 2007-09, 2013
Production Details
HAVE YOU EVER ACHIEVED ONE OF YOUR DREAMS? BRAD ZIMMERMAN HAS… SORT OF. IN HIS NEW SOLO SHOW, BRAD SHARES HIS GOALS, HIS FEW SUCCESSES, AND HIS MANY FAILURES. DARE TO DREAM.
Having dreams is an integral part of the human experience. Sometimes we achieve our dreams, sometimes we don’t. Sometimes our dreams come true in a completely different way from how we ever imagined. Recently, Brad Zimmerman achieved his decade-long dream of jumping out of a plane. His mum went too.
Whether you’re looking forward to your dreams, or you’re looking back on your own accomplishments, visit Kitty O’Sheas in May, to join one of Wellington’s favourite comedians as he explores the nature of dreams coming true, not coming true, and sort of coming true.
Brad Zimmerman is a comic from Wellington. He has performed all over New Zealand and the United Kingdom, including the world famous Comedy Store in London, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland.
With mostly observational and story-based material, his jokes come from life experiences, and range from travel adventures and relationship woes, to basic frustration aimed at the absurd behavior of the average human being, including himself.
“Hilarious… not to be missed” – Salient
“A confident, engaging performer… a must see” – Chortle
As part of the 2013 NZ International Comedy Festival
BRAD ZIMMERMAN in SKYDIVING WITH MY MUM
WELLINGTON
Date: Weds 8 – Sat 11 May, 8pm
Venue: Kitty O’Sheas, 28 Courtenay Place
Bookings: www.eventfinder.co.nz
Tickets: $10 – $15 (booking fees may apply)
For the sweetest deals and hottest comedy news throughout the Festival head to www.comedyfestival.co.nz
Living the dream
Review by John Smythe 09th May 2013
Leading off with a put-down of Porirua, Brad Zimmerman is quick to claim he’s allowed because he was born and raised there – then he adds another generalisation which also calls (non-verbally) for a sympathy vote. Clever.
His observations on people determined to have “a shitty time” and the consequent lecture on how to be a comedy audience – which also involves put-downs of Invercargill (cheap ‘laugh at’ rather than ‘laugh’ with humour) – should by now have put us right off. And yet …
Zimmerman’s timing and delivery elicit warm laughs and there is a relaxed charm about him that lets him get away with it. Besides, a guy that goes skydiving with his mum can’t be all bad, even if he goes a bit off-colour (joke-wise) in the retelling.
The unifying theme of his show is ‘follow your dreams’ although he wittily explores why that may not be advisable with your actual uncontrollable dreams. En-route he talks about being married, buying stockings, online dating, blow-up dolls (drawing an analogy with delivers the best/worst line of the night), his love of gardening …
The sobering question of whether any of us is living the adult life we dreamed of draws him, and us, into the realm of confronting our mortality, which sees him oscillate in his self-perception as he pits anorexia against morbid obesity; indolence against fitness.
How can we not be impressed that after a bad start in life and a serious prognosis for the future that materially affects his present, he can be indeed be said to be ‘living the dream’?
But he’s saved something else for his finale; a visual gag that he’s subtly set up early on. And it’s a beauty.
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