Coming up in comedy

One of the reasons Wellington’s comedy successes – from Flight of the Conchords through to a whole host of Billy T Award winners – are so remarkable is that regular gigs in this town can sometimes be few and far between.

Sure, a number of venues have held monthly or weekly comedy gigs over the years, but there are still relatively few opportunities for Wellington comics to hone their craft. The Fringe Bar can only do so much, which is why the two recent additions to Wellington’s comedy lineup are so welcome.

First up is the Comedy Chat, a new monthly gig at Katipo Cafe on Willis Street. Pitching itself at the after work crowd, the Comedy Chat has a relatively early start (7pm) and will be running on the third Thursday of every month for the rest of 2010, with a view to going weekly next year (the next show is on Thursday 16 September).

UPDATE: looks like there’s no Comedy Chat tonight after all. However there are two other chances to get your comedy fix this week – including Steve Wrigley and Justine Smith at the San Francisco Bathhouse (Sunday 19 September, mentioned below) and the LaughAble Charity Comedy Night at Fringe Bar, which runs for the next two Fridays (17 & 24 September).

The other new regular gig is at the Cambridge Hotel – which back in the day was one of the first standup comedy venues in Wellington. To say the bar has had a tidy-up since then is the understatement of the year. Last month Jan Maree, Brendhan Lovegrove and Jamie Bowen brought comedy back there for the first time in years, and a follow up gig (hosted by Jan, but with another two comedians in support) should be announced soon.

Also in comedy this month: Steve Wrigley and Justine Smith stop in Wellington as part of their national tour. They’ll be playing the San Francisco Bathhouse on Sunday 19 September.