Brendan Kelly CAVEMAN
Basement Theatre Studio, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
10/05/2017 - 13/05/2017
NZ International Comedy Festival 2017
Production Details
Born to Be Wild: Brendan Kelly is a caveman.
In a past life he was a clarinet teacher, a shopping mall Santa Claus, stuffed animal impersonator and comedian.
But not anymore. Exhausted by the bustling metropolis of Queen Street, he is abandoning his lofty career goals to live in a cave in rural New Zealand.
“People are always assuming I live underground anyway, and this will really save on rent,” he says.
He’s going out with a bang. Anecdotes, puns, fireworks, revenge, baking, car chases and giraffes – all or at least some of these things will be involved in this hour-long farewell to the comforts of home.
After successful performances in the 2015 and 2016 Festivals, the 26-year-old Kiwi brings his first solo show to the New Zealand International Comedy Festival in May 2017.
See him now before he departs civilisation forever*.
*Or until he gets hungry.
“Brendan Kelly is a very smart comedian with genuinely original material. Most importantly though…very funny.” – Brendhan Lovegrove
“…hilariously bizarre…I had silent streams of tears running down my face.” – thespeakeasy.co.nz
Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
Wed 10 May – Sat 13 May 2017
9:45pm
Tickets: $13 – $20
Bookings: basementtheatre.co.nz // 0508 ITICKET (484 253)
Theatre , Solo , Comedy ,
Quietly compelling
Review by Candice Lewis 11th May 2017
One might have expected Brendan Kelly to bound onstage shaking a bone, but aside from his beard there isn’t much in the way of caveman shenanigans. He’s the first to admit that he isn’t a ‘high octane’ performer, yet as he deadpans his delivery there is plenty of intensity.
Kelly takes us on a random and refreshing tour of his own inner labyrinth, and yes, even without a cave it’s very funny. Many comedians end up borrowing mannerisms and inspiration from each other, yet Kelly is quietly revealing some original and delightful observations and inventions.
It’s difficult to keep my mouth shut as he asks the audience questions – some of which are fine to answer – but most are probably rhetorical. Fortunately he has the good grace to kindly turn my lack of filter to his advantage.
When describing (modest spoiler) fly spray and its effects, we hang on every word: it’s like seeing every frame of a graphic novel. I’m unwillingly recalling the 1980s version of The Fly with Jeff Goldblum. Horrifying. Lack of laughs does not indicate boredom, but Kelly doesn’t believe me when I yell out, “We’re into it!”
We are into it. My cousin, a primary school teacher, laughs particularly hard at the gag referencing an educational character used in the school system. Even the most mundane topic is somehow compelling once this guy gets hold of it. He may not be a troglodyte – and that’s okay.
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