Seats had to be added as it became a full house for the 1st show of 2023.

After weeks of horrendous rains, floods, and cyclones, battered the North over Anniversary weekend, the players were grateful that the show was in Tauranga, where things hadn’t been quite so dire.

Waitangi weekend saw sunshine in the Bay and the 1st comedy improv show welcomed in 2023 for the Honest Liars. Last-minute ticket sales boosted the audience, but the unexpected number of ‘walk-ins’ got the players running for more chairs.

The audience settled in with drinks in hand, and from the moment Jon (emcee) ran onto the stage and began the banter, the players knew it would be a great night.

After a good game of ‘Categories’ to warm everyone up, it was onto the ‘Good, Bad and Ugly’ advice game. A boisterous and appreciative audience got involved offering excellent suggestions, including one that sent them into peels of laughter. “What advice do you give for erectile dysfunction?” The recommendations from the players went from “consulting with your doctor” to “chop off the penis – you obviously won’t be using it!”

‘Pocket Note’ saw Ryan, Mark and Ian trying to win a prize for the taxidermy of a naked mole rat (as you can ascertain, the audience’s suggestions were on fire!). The notes woven into the plot were quite challenging: “I’m in the dog box”, “I’ll never let go, Jack”, “I’m having a baby”, and “I touch myself”, giving the story quite the twists and turns. It turned out that Ryan couldn’t find a naked mole rat, so in the end, he got a chihuahua pulling teeth from Mark’s mouth to give it fangs. The last note Mark picked up, “I’m on the highway to hell”, was very apt for the now toothless taxidermist.

‘My Movie’ is a game where the players pitch movie ideas to a producer. The titles of their movies come from letters called out by the audience.

This one deserves the video.

‘Improvisers Anonymous’ is an Honest Liars’ creation and a game that takes something straightforward and turns it into a hilarious, innuendo-filled session for the addicted trying to quit.

This time the group were into hanging out the washing to such an extent that it was intruding chronically on their lives. Summer got so good at it that she even did it for the neighbours. Sue had to have more kids in order to have a good supply which was thwarted by her husband buying her one of those evil machines that take the fun out of it. And finally, Ian confessed that he had watched his mum doing it and spied on the neighbours, but the pegs got him in the end. Kathy, the new addict in the session, finally guessed what it was she was addicted to after listening to all the hints that had been forthcoming.

What can be better than a symphony? Well, the Honest Liars’ Emotional Symphony was conducted by Jon. Summer, Ian, Steve and Ryan did a stellar job, as you can see in the video below. (Although Ian did lose the plot at the end because the noise Summer was making jogged a comedic memory.)

Two audience members volunteered to be the puppet masters as they worked their puppets, Kathy and Sue, to tell the story of a bank robbery which went wrong. Other games included ‘Foreign Film Dub’ and Themed Restaurant.

The ‘Twitch’ game ended the show as Jon interviewed for a shoelace designer. Each candidate had a different mannerism that Jon had to copy and continue to do. By the time the interviews were over, he was exhausted. Mind you, it didn’t help that an extra five Honest Liars from the audience also stepped up to be interviewed.

It was a well-deserved drink the players had after the show, and all went home tired and happy from an extremely fun night of laughter.

Thanks to players

Summer Sue Kathy Mark

Steve Ryan Ian Jon (emcee)

And thanks to..

Crew: Fee
Sound engineer: Anthony

 

Book your tickets for the next show and join the players for loads of laughs.

1^st Saturday of every month.
16th Ave Theatre.
16th Avenue, Tauranga.
Show Starts: 7.30 p.m.
Licenced bar available.