hlimprovers, Author at Honest Liars Improv

Competing with the All Blacks

By hlimprovers | July 23, 2022

Numbers were down at the show simply because the show was competing with the All Blacks and the dreaded lurgies attacking those hearty followers.

With one player out due to suspected Covid (update: thankfully not) and another called away, the Honest Liars roped in one of the newbies and one from the crew to make up a full complement of players on stage.

Matt stepped up as Emcee for the first time and proved his excellent improv skills easily spilt over into the job. The audience was slightly reduced because of the nasties floating around the community. On top of that, there was the All Blacks’ game against the Irish. Who can compete with that! But those who were there enjoyed an evening of improvisation comedy, and the laughs were abundant.

This was a special show as all the proceeds were going to Gender Dynamix and Rainbow Youth to help rebuild their building which had burned down after a vicious arson attack.

Balloons, flags and paper umbrellas adorned the room to make the evening more festive.

With the open bar and the audience warmed up by Matt and the first game of ‘Categories’ warming up the players, it was straight into ‘Limited Words’ where newbie Steve was assigned eight words, Kevin three and Sue one. The three of them were planning a Bar mitzvah with their limited words. With just one word, Sue got out “snip” as she had confused the Bar mitzvah with a Bris – easy to do. And like any grand celebration, there was more than enough food resulting in stomach troubles for all.

After the Bar mitzvah, the players went into the game ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’. Three players advised how to overcome getting old, find a boyfriend and stop your dog pooping on the floor.

‘Foreign Film Dub’ was a Russian film about Aubergine capitalism. Ian and Kelly’s translations were wildly outrageous as Sue and Kevin played out the crashing rouble and the rise of the aubergine as the new currency. All of it went horribly wrong as the aubergine turned mushy in Kevin’s pocket.

The crowd favourite of ‘Pocket Note’ saw Ian, Sally and Sue planning a trip to Japan with the Squid Games being high on the agenda.

Watch the snippet to see what happened.

Kelly was excellent at guessing the contestant’s quirks on ‘The Dating Game’. As the erotic coin collector, Kevin had to ward off Ian, who had an erogenous zone on his nose. Sally had the idea she was a pot plant and wasn’t too happy when Ian thought he saw some sooty mould on her leaves.

‘Hollywood Director’ saw Brett making the players act out his blockbuster movie “The Honest Liars go to the Zoo” in various themes. From playing their roles as ants, being synchronised swimmers, and being Vikings on the Moon, the players had to keep to the “script” but certainly improvise the scenes.

The show wrapped up with another visit to the ‘Themed Restaurant’. This time it was set in Hell, a wickedly evil place for all sorts of food and beverages, wacky waiters, and a bill paid off by eternal damnation.

As it was a chilly night, the players stayed in the theatre for after-show drinks. This meant they were also able to mingle with some of the audience.

Thanks to players

Brett
Kevin
Sally

Sue
Ian
Steve

Thanks to the Crew: Fee

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.

A Packed Night

By hlimprovers | June 19, 2022

Not only were the audience numbers up from the previous show, but the games flowed thick and fast, making it one very packed night of fun and laughter.

After a bit of warm-up, it was straight into the first game of the night, the ‘Clap Game’. This had Kathy and Brett’s suggestion of “motorcycle” turn into a moped and a marital dispute.
Ian and Sue had to deal with a pumpkin where one of them had a veggie fetish and wanted to introduce spicy pumpkin into the bedroom.
From the word “Golf”, Jon and Kelly ended up pimping their golf cart into a Cadillac simply by putting the Cadillac symbol on the sides.

‘Pocket Note’ – Sue and Fee were sisters planning to do away with their mother to get the inheritance. Mother, played by Kathy, had other ideas. As she made her way into the room, complaining that no one had come to help her in the shower, she announced that she would go on a cruise. The brochure said, “At first I was afraid, I was petrified”, allowing Kathy to add that it was a horror-themed cruise.
As the notes continued, Fee not only became pregnant, but the chance of “Here’s my resignation” meant she would be able to go on the cruise as well.
The lines came thick and fast amid much laughter, which even the players were hard-pressed to contain.

Needless to say, the sisters threw in their plans when Mother announced she had struck them off her will.

With ‘Sign Language Interpreter’ another crowd favourite, Jon interviewed Brett, better known as Mr Slipover, because of his ability to train Koalas to be firefighters. Mr Slipover took great delight in taking his Koalas to Melbourne into the nearest bar, where they got wasted. At that point, he put a hat on them and guided them to the nearest fire – which in Melbourne was nowhere.
Kelly had the audience in stitches as she flung herself about interpreting the crazy lines thrown out by both Jon and Brett.

The ‘Dating Game’ had Cindy (Kelly) asking the contestants questions to see if they would be a suitable date for her.
A snippet of the game will give you an idea of who she was dealing with.

She was able to guess what each one’s quirk was and decided, in the end, to go with the eggplant.

The second half saw ‘The Relay’, a long-form game with all the players. The suggestion from the audience was “jealousy”, and the green-eyed monster appeared not as a monster but as a Dr McDreamy. Sue, a surgeon, couldn’t concentrate on the patient on the bed but instead held her gaze to his green eyes; consequently, the patient died. The scene shifted from the operating room to the mortuary to the gift shop—lots of dead bodies and green eyes.

The show wound up, the audience left, and the players headed off to the Strand for a final drink and a goodbye to Kathy, who has now flown back to the USA to visit family.
Don’t worry; she’ll be back for October’s show!

Thanks to players

Kathy
Kelly
Ian
Brett

Sue
Jon
Fee

Thanks to the Crew: Sally & Ant

The next show on the Black Box Stage is on Saturday 2nd Juluy at 7.30 pm

Book your tickets 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.

First Workshop After Covid

By hlimprovers | May 24, 2022

After the dreaded Covid hit our shores and locked us down, we finally had our first workshop. And what a great workshop it was too!

Thankfully, the weather was sunny as the keen students arrived in the Green Room, anticipating a great day. Sadly Covid had crashed one out, but all others on the list were tentatively coming through the door.

The students were wonderfully multi-cultural from Malaysia, South China, South Africa and Scotland, plus the Honest Liars who hail from the USA, the U.K. and N.Z. it certainly made for diversity.

After introductions, the first warmup brought the students out of their shells and set the mood for the rest of the day. ‘The Catwalk’ is exactly as it sounds. In pairs, everyone got to dance down through the line of the others and be as silly as they wished.

‘The World in a Box’ was a bit more of a challenge for some. The students broke into teams of two and began pulling things out of an imaginary box. It helped to get the brain fired up.

Next, it was learning some basics of Improv, so into two lines the students went and taking turns of two they created ‘Three Lines Scene’. Imaginations ran wild as there were strippers, circus visits and the best line, “let’s murder your husband”.

By this time, the students were beginning to loosen up, and laughter was abundant. Onward to ‘Ring the Bell’. This game taught the art of delivery – nice and slow.

The morning session ended with a couple more learning games, and then it was lunchtime and a welcome break. This was an excellent time for the students to get to know each other more personally.

Food and beverages over; it was time for games. First up was the ‘Alphabet Game’ one that looks easy, but looks can be deceiving. There was help from the other students as, in pairs, they took to the stage to have a go in the spotlight for the first time.

Jamie and Neil had a great interaction as Neil wanted Jamie to fix his baldness. Jamie’s solution was to give him a blue pill to help the hair stand up!

Time to learn more skills to add to the tool kit. The ‘Change’ game got the students thinking quickly.

A few more rounds of stage work and then the final game of ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’, solving problems from the audience. “How do I meet a nice lady?” received answers about online dating, looking at the newspaper, finding the latest divorcees, and finally, going onto LinkedIn and stalking the wealthy.

Then with the question “How do I get my husband to help with housework?” the best answer was “Withhold EVERYTHING!”

The workshop drew to a close with everyone saying what they had got out of it. For the Honest Liars, it was terrific to see how each student had stepped out of their comfort zone. Quite a few had arrived very shy, and their confidence had blossomed by the end. The skills learned in the workshop can be taken into personal and work areas enriching lives both for the student and those around them.

There’s more to Improv than meets the eye. Laughter certainly is excellent medicine.

Thanks to the fabulous students it was wonderful to get to know you all

Steve
Summer
Jamie
Maree
Daniel
George

Gail
Sharin
Danie
Neil
Ted

Thanks to the Honest Liars who ran the workshop:

Kathy, Jon, Matt, Kathy, Fee and Sue
Thanks to players

Kathy
Jon
Matt

Sue
Fee

The next show on the Black Box Stage is on Sunday 4th June at 7.30 pm

Book your tickets 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.

A Brand New Game

By hlimprovers | May 3, 2022

It proved to be a very different show, as not only did the Honest Liars present a brand new game, but there was a tinge of sadness.

The last day of daylight saving didn’t faze the exuberance of the Honest Liars players as they arrived at the theatre ready to play to a nearly full audience.

The fact there were so many tickets sold was a surprise considering the nation’s state was still in the Red Light level. It seemed that the virus would not overshadow the fun they came to have.

The chairs were sorted, the signs went out, and the air conditioning was cranked up. Yes, temperatures were climbing not only with the climate but with the fun the players were having during their warm-ups.

At 7 pm, the Honest Liars disappeared into the backroom to make way for the influx of audience members. Finally, all was ready, the music increased, and the lights dimmed as Kathy, the emcee, made her way to the stage.

Warming the crowd up with lessons on how to clap, the players ran out and onto the stage to begin the first game of ‘Questions’, which had them in a barbershop on Uranus.

‘Pocket Note’ saw Kim and Jon working in an S.T.D. Clinic in Huntly when in came Brett with a major problem. What happened next had the crowd erupting into laughter as the pocket note lines were read. After examination, Kim exclaimed, “it’s so fatty”.

Then after Jon asked, “have you ever had genital warts?” the scene collapsed into a riot of improbable antics that have never been seen before in any clinic.

After a short break for patrons to refill their glasses, it was time to introduce the new game.

Drum roll, please!!!

‘The Relay’

Typically the Honest Liars play short-form games similar to ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ but now they were ready to spread their wings and take on long-form. This is one game lasting for the entire second half of the show.

The game, created by the talented Honest Liars player, Jon Boyer, is all based on one word given by the audience. In this case, the word was “Tyrannosaurus”, and so the players began.

Going in turns of two players at a time, the game unfolded, starting with two palaeontologists discovering bones.

As one character left the scene, the next player in line entered, and the story continued. All players then shifted one seat until all players had their turn. Then came the thrilling bit. It was all reversed! The players had to remember who they had been, what had happened, where everyone was, and help progress the story to a final conclusion ending with the original two players.

It went off without a hitch!

The audience was enchanted, and afterwards, glowing comments were given.

“How did you all remember it?”

“Loved the game, so incredibly clever.”

“Laughed till I almost peed my pants.”

Then several signed up for the workshop JOIN HERE on Saturday 21st May, eager to have another fun day out.

With the excellent audience reaction, the Honest Liars decided to keep ‘The Relay’ in the shows. If you want to witness this great game in action, come along to the next show!

It was time to say goodnight to the audience, but there was one last thing to do before the players left the stage.

A beautiful, large bunch of flowers was brought forward and given to the Honest Liars player, Kim. Kim and her family are sadly heading back to their home in the U.S.A. after being in N.Z. for several years. Kim has been a fabulous player with the group since its inception, and she will be sorely missed. Thank you, Kim, for all the wonderful lines, the camaraderie and your dedication to improv.

Then it was time for the lights to go off and the players to head to The Strand for a wind-down drink before heading home with applause still ringing in their heads.

Thanks to players

Kathy
Kelly
Brett
Sally
Mark

Sue
Matt
Jon
Kim

Thanks to the Crew: Fee.

The next show on the Black Box Stage is on Sunday 4th June at 7.30 pm

Book your tickets 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.

The Red Light Scenario

By hlimprovers | March 21, 2022

Even though N.Z. was right in the midst of the red light scenario laid out by the government, neither it nor the rush of omicron proved to be a deterrent.

Six p.m. and the Honest Liars had arrived at the theatre ready to set up and begin warming the grey matter for the evening’s performance.

But wait! The Green Room was sorted. The chairs were all set out, and the room was ready to welcome the audience. The fantastic crew at 16th Ave Theatre went out of their way to make the players feel welcome. So all that was required was to apportion the games to the players, fiddle with the lights, adjust the music and do some warm-up exercises.

An hour later and the audience began arriving. An excellent contingent crowd from the Matamata Dramatic Society who are part of the Improv-Ables tumbled out of their van. They excitedly made their way in, with tickets and vaxx passes in hand, to their seats ready for the show.

Players ran onto the stage full of enthusiasm and loud applause, and it was straight into the first game, ‘Scenes from a Hat’. In one scene, appliances written from the bible quickly fell into porn mode as one player tried to explain the workings of a dildo in biblical terminology. In another scene, it was pointed out that the song ‘Ding Dong the Witch is Dead’ is not the best song to sing at the mother-in-law’s funeral.

‘The Alphabet’ game was played slightly differently as two opposing teams took turns to play out their scene using the letters of the alphabet. The audience then clapped the loudest for the winning team of Sue and Mark, who had tried not to give birth in the car while on their way to, what turned out to be, a teaching hospital.

‘Hollywood Director’ saw robbers Kelly and Matt in a cemetery trying to steal Prince Albert’s spine but thwarted by Jon, the spine cleaner. A simple scene quickly ramped up when the director, Kathy, changed the theme to read like a late-night infomercial. Jon brought out his Glee Spray designed to dissolve any leftover flesh. And, when there was about to be a dual in the Regency version, the director cut it to become like a Western.

Audience participation is something the Honest Liars like, and having fellow improvers in the audience, was a great time to bring a couple of them up to be in the ‘Change’ game.

Fun ensued as the visiting improvers made Kelly and Mark work their magic on the alligator wrestling classes they were trying to set up.

Of course, ‘Pocket Note’ fell into disrepute when Sue, Kelly and Kathy discovered a bidet type contraption that gave more than they bargained for as they tried to find the toilet in the Matamata theatre.

See for yourself.

Another favourite where members from the audience are needed was ‘Puppets’. This time another two from the Improv-Ables jumped at the chance, and Kelly and Matt found themselves in quite the tangle. The antics of the puppeteering overrode the story as so much laughter ensued.

The Honest Liars couldn’t let the opportunity go by and invited members of the Improv-Ables to play a game. They were caught on the spot but rose to the occasion as they played a fun rendition of the ‘Gibberish’ game.

The last game of the evening was ‘Themed Restaurant’, and the diners, Kim and Berno, came up from the audience to celebrate their divorce in the Dentist themed restaurant. Minty water was served as bibs and glasses were put on before the main meal was followed by tooth extractions.

To round off the evening, The Honest Liars acknowledge two faithful fans who have been to every show, Colleen and John, with a group photo.

Winding down afterwards with the group from Matamata finished the night off well with still enough time to head off to the local pub for a quiet drink and debrief.

Thanks to players

Kathy
Kelly
Sue

Mark
Matt
Jon

Thanks to the Crew: Fee and Sally

The next show on the Black Box Stage is on Saturday April 2nd 7.30 pm

Book your tickets 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.

New Stage, New Home.

By hlimprovers | February 23, 2022

The players were excited about performing on a new stage in their new home at 16th Ave Theatre.

The threat of rain was gone as the Honest Liars arrived at the theatre and began inspecting their new home.

Finding an actual ‘Actors’ Room’ with couches and tables delighted the players as it provided the much-needed space for bags and food. Let’s face it one can’t improv on an empty stomach!

Then it was out into the Green Room, onto the Black Box Stage, and the warmups began.

Being in the Red Light level did mean social distancing had to be enforced. Chairs were put out, and as the audience arrived, they were advised to make sure there was a chair between the groups.

Everyone understood and were happy to oblige, including with mask-wearing unless drinking. It appeared the bar made a good trade! All patrons were excited to be going out to a live show, as were the players loving a live audience.

The music was turned up in the last couple of minutes before the show started, and a general hush came over the audience. Anticipation was high from both players and the assembled comedy devotees.

Onto the stage, the Honest Liars ran and there they stayed for the entire performance with individual players playing set games. The first, which included all players, was Questions. The setting was a First Date in a Cemetary. Needless to say, the very first question was a proposal, and the questions tumbled on from there.

Always a crowd favourite, Pocket Note was in a police station. Kim and Brett were the worst criminals, and Sue took on the role of a social working police officer. Notes such as “I’m pregnant” and “Not tonight, I’ve got another appointment” pulled the game from one hilarious direction to another.

Plunging right into the next game, Kathy sent the single lady played by Kelly out into the wilderness so she couldn’t hear what quirks and oddness her three suitors were to have. And when she came back in, The Dating Game commenced.

Mark played an excellent Margaret Thatcher hell-bent on shutting down the miners. Jon, a firefighter, was also obsessed with bunions, and Matt’s hobby was collecting naked Barbie dolls and burning parts of them.

As Miss Kelly started round two of her questions, much to the audience’s delight, a discussion began between Jon and Matt over the fires the Barbie arsonist was creating. It was a hot topic.

When Kelly asked “what would we do if we went out?” Jon quickly answered that he could teach her ladder-climbing to hose direction skills and added that she should wear tight stilettos. Matt simply asked for a lighter, and Mark suggested she come to No.10 as little sleep was had.

It made riveting comedy for the audience and perhaps helped Kelly to finally guess what each suitor’s quirk was (although she did need help with the bunions!).

In the end, Miss Kelly chose Jon for the hose work he obviously was good at.

At the Press Conference, Jon and Brett were confronted about why, being Destiny Church leaders, they would make Prince Andrew their number two. And the Themed Restaurant game was held in a Harry Potter café where owls and wizards flew about, and the menu was definitely out of this world.

Another audience favourite, “Sign Language Expert”, found Kevin interviewing Dr Smiley Jump about his famous marble playing gorillas. See for yourself with this snippet how the players tackled this fascinating subject.

The Honest Liars and audience alike love the new home at the 16th Avenue Theatre. Come and join us at the next show.

Thanks to players

Kathy
Kelly
Kim
Brett
Mark

Sue
Matt
Jon
Kevin
Sally

Thanks to the Crew: Fee

The next show on the Black Box Stage is on Sunday 5th March at 7.30 pm

Book your tickets 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.

The Honest Liars Return To The Stage!

By hlimprovers | January 18, 2022

FINALLY!

After 6 months the Honest Liars got back on stage at the Fringe Festival.

As the sun beamed down on a glorious Tauranga day, the players arrived at the Historic Village at the appointed time. The festival was in full swing and the colourful costumes were parading the streets where the music got the people in the mood for fun.

Two shows were scheduled at the Village Church which, thankfully, was tucked in amongst the trees providing leafy shade from the heat of the day.

Keen audience members started arriving while the players were still in warm up mode, but they were kept at bay at church door until it was time to come in.

Kathy revved up the crowd with a clapping sequence, and finally, the players ran through the church and up onto the stage to thunderous applause.

Finally, after six long months, the Honest Liars could perform in front of a live audience.

A butcher going on a date with a vegan provided the first game of ‘Questions’ a great topic to open the show. Needless to say, the vegan player was on the butcher team!

Fee and Kevin planned an overseas holiday during their game of ‘Alphabet’. Kevin wasn’t so thrilled that his mother-in-law had to come with them, and Fee wasn’t impressed with the small amount in the budget

Finally, they threw a dart into the world map and off they went to plan the trip to Zimbabwe.

The topic suggested by the enthusiastic audience for ‘Pocket Note’, was about Prince Andrew. Jon and Brett had come from the Palace to see if Andrew (played by Mark) was packed and ready to go.

The audience suggested notes met with great laughter as each player said the written line and wove it into the story. When Andrew declared that Fergie “she hums good” but he likes his women younger, there was an audible “oooo” from the audience followed by peals of laughter.

The ‘Clap Game’ was followed by ‘Press Conference’ where Jon and Brett had been caught filling the Tesla car airbags with slime and were facing the press.

One press member from the AA told them that their ratings had dropped considerably from being the most advanced car. And when Mr. S Lime said “I have a question I musk ask you”, the players soon figured out what the scandal was.

A well-earned break saw the players replenishing their water bottles and finding food to sustain them for the second show.

Although later in the day and near the end of the festival, there was still a good crowd arriving at the church ready to be entertained.

And the Honest Liars didn’t fail.

The show opened with all the players onstage for the game ‘Objections’, followed by a crowd favourite of ‘Sign Language Expert’.

Kevin interviewed Matt, otherwise known as Dr Jump, as an expert in training foxes the science of archaeology. Kelly provided the sign language as is usually seen on T.V. Although this type of signing is extremely different.

Kelly was forced to mime the conversation as it unfolded making great viewing especially when Dr Jump declared that the foxes created one incident at a tomb when they unravelled a mummy and proceeded to eat the bones resulting in him being banned from Egypt.

‘The Cube’ delighted the audience and a series of four situations were played out. From watermelons to a body and onto a musical which saw Mark and Jon actually coming up with songs (if you could call them that). But it was Jon and Kathy’ s Tarantula topic that saw a lot of fun with the cute little outfits Kathy made for the spiders.

It did end in disaster though as there were too many complaints that the little shoes didn’t stick to the ceiling and tarantulas were falling onto the heads of the customers.

The show ended with a medieval Themed Restaurant. A giant sword removed from the table, knights and dragons and a chef with leprosy.

Sir Lancelot waited table, the tax collectors came with the bill and finally the executioner arrived with his axe to lop off the diners’ heads.

With a total of 116 people over the two audiences, the players all agreed that the Fringe Festival shows were the perfect step back into live performances before their first gig in their new home.

See them on the Black Box Stage at the 16^th Ave Theatre. Regular shows are on the first Saturday of every month starting at 7.30 pm. The theatre’s bar is also available. Book Now:

Thanks to players

Kathy
Kelly
Ian
Brett
Sally

Fee
Matt
Jon
Kevin

The next show on the Black Box Stage is on Saturday 5th February 7.30 pm

Book your tickets 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.

The Energy was HIGH!

By hlimprovers | August 24, 2021

The day of the August show arrived with sunshine and warmth. The Honest Liars headed to the Jam Factory with great expectations and high energy of the afternoon and evening ahead.

3 pm, and teacher, Jim Fishwick was ready to begin a compact, fast-moving master workshop. He introduced the players to alternative ways to known games and new ones as the two hours sped by. All agreed they could have stayed for hours drinking in the depth of knowledge 15 years has given Jim.

But it was show night, and so the group went off in search of food before setting up the chairs, lights and music to set the mood for the incoming audience.

The games began with all players on stage for the ‘Objection, Objection’ game. The players put many arguments forward over the controversy of getting the Covid vaccine or not, reaching no solution.

Jim was officially introduced to the audience in the hilarious and well-loved game of ‘Pocket Note’. The scene took place in a funeral parlour, and some of the notes fitted in so well.

But see for yourself:

‘Film Noir’ was set at the Covid vaccination centre. As it was a quiet afternoon, Jon took the opportunity to practice with the needles using the bit of heroin he had on hand. In walked Kim, the femme fatale hell-bent on getting as many drugs as she could to “get rid of the exes”. She finally lured Jon into her dastardly web, and her plan was executed.

When the scandal erupted around the hoarding of toilet paper by the Salvation Army, it was time for a ‘Press Conference’. Questions were thrown to Brett and Jon, such as “How do you intend to get a roll-out of this?”, “Does this have anything to do with cleaning the brass instruments?” and “Where’s the loose end – on the outside or on the inside?”. Very subtle clues, but the two senior Sallies finally arrived at who they were and what they had done.

‘The Cube’ once again showed Jim’s remarkable skill as the four players brought stories to life around the given words of ‘Gun’, ‘Mermaid/Fireman’, ‘Glass of Water’ and ‘Unicycle’.

This is not one to miss, so luckily it was filmed.

The ‘Day in the Life’ had audience members, Ben and Cherisse’s day acted out in front of them as the two of them had gone on an impromptu walk in the bush coming home to smashed avocado, the best thing when you’re hungry.

Finally, the show came to an end, and the audience filed out with beaming smiles after so much laughter. The chairs were put away, the music turned off, and the drinks came out as the players wound down after a high-energy show.

A huge thank you to Jim Fishwick. Having him on stage was a fantastic experience for both the players and audience.

Thanks to players

Jim
Kathy
Kelly
Brett

Kim
Matt
Jon

Thanks to the Crew:

Fee and Sally on sound.

The next show at the Jam Factory is on Sunday 3rd October 7 pm

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

1^st Sunday of every Month
Jam Factory, Historic Village
Show Starts: 7 p.m.

Something Different!

By hlimprovers | July 21, 2021

There was excitement in the air as the players arrived at the Jam Factory. Something different was happening, and everyone knew it was going to be a diverse sort of show.

Live music would be the opening act, and the improv band, Stone Immortal, was already set up and doing sound checks when the players gathered.

With the Jam Factory in use, the warm-up was held in the Incubator, certainly enough space for the group to get their brains firing.

A few run-throughs of the games for the newer players, then it was off back to the Jam Factory to listen to the music as it came to the end of its set.

But the band wasn’t the only thing that was different on that cold winter’s night. The Good Food truck had trundled over the hill from Matamata and parked at the steps. It didn’t take long for the patrons and the players to line up for the hot soups and coffees, and other delectables on offer.

The show opened with Kathy leading the ‘Categories’ game, seeing the team trying to call out different types of fish, cocktails, and Italian foods. To make it even more intriguing, the foods had to be spoken in Italian. That was a challenge, but even pineapple pizza is hilarious if spoken with an accent.

‘Alphabet’ saw Fee and Kev on a first date and drinking heavily. They didn’t quite get drunk enough to end up “under the table”, but they skipped the meal and zipped off straight to the room which had been booked “just in case”.

Another excellent rendition of ‘Sign Language Interpreter’ from Kelly as Kev interviewed Brett on his expertise in teaching giraffes to play ping pong. Kev seemed to be more interested in the mating habits of the giraffes than in the fact that Brett wanted to get them to the Olympics.

A new game was introduced to the show’s lineup. ‘Complaints Department’ which had Sue, Mark and Ian returning items. Of course, the players didn’t know what the article was and had to guess through Kathy’s subtle clues. See for yourself in the snippet below.

The ‘Dating Game’ had Kev morphing into a racehorse, Sue with a stutter and Ian with an Elvis obsession. All three were relatively easy to guess by Billy-Jean, a deep, deep Southern Girl tired of dating her cousins, played by Kathy. It was pretty obvious she would pick the Elvis fan to go “in the ghetto” with.

Through other games, including ‘Space Jump’ and ‘Director’s Cut’, the Honest Liars pulled out all the stops and entertained the receptive audience.

‘Themed Restaurant’ wound up the fun-filled evening as Fee and Kev sat at a table with Vegas-themed dining as the rest of the players waited on them.

The crowd meandered out with many compliments, smiles and still chuckling, then the players put away the chairs and sat down together to celebrate the night and Kathy’s birthday.

BUT WAIT!!!!

The Honest Liars certainly hope that you’re going to be at the next show!!!

That’s right. August 1st will be a grand show, so bring your laughing gear, grab your tickets today and join us.

Thanks to the players

Kathy
Kelly
Ian
Brett

Sue
Fee
Mark
Kevin

Thanks to the Crew:
Fee & Sally
Caleb & Raven on Sound

Thanks to Stone Immortal for the music and Ken for the Good Food (it certainly was!).

The next show at the Jam Factory is on Sunday 1st August 7 pm

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

1^st Sunday of every Month
Jam Factory, Historic Village
Show Starts: 7 p.m.

One Rainy Night At The Jam Factory

By hlimprovers | June 18, 2021

Slow early ticket sales followed by a late rush of fun-seekers escaping the terrible weather resulted in a nearly full house.

It was terrific to welcome Neil, the troupe’s founder, into the audience to see the show before he makes the shift to Auckland. The Honest Liars will all miss him and thank him for all his work setting up and developing the team.

And another sad farewell was said to a wonderful player, Melissa, who is moving to South Island. Melissa’s passion for Improv shone through with her behind the scenes work along with stellar performances over the years. Take care, Melissa and thank you for all your work and encouragement. Your passion for Improv is contagious.

The players were warmed up and ready, and so on this special night, above the sound of the hammering rain, Jon the emcee introduced the cast, and it was on with the fun!

Starting with “Laugh Elimination”, the group got the crowd warmed up for the rest of the evening.

The next game, “Pocket Note,” featured Matt, Sally and Kim. It involved planning a wedding that turned into a complicated ménage à trois. Applying audience suggestions like “hit me baby one more time” and “why are you naked?” quite a story developed.

Straight into “My Movie”, where audience suggestions of letters resulted in great movie titles like Zebra Algorithms and Zamboni Accident- yes, that’s right- the slowest disaster movie ever made.

Kim was late for work with Brett, Sally and Matt miming audience suggestions for why she was late. Her dog being too cuddly resulted in Sally on all fours giving a great impression of a cute doggy while Matt had the difficult task of miming the word diesel.

“The Cube” was played by Brett, Sally, Kelly and Melissa. It involved Kelly as the slowest tradie ever, taking two years to dig out a swimming pool with her special spade and Melissa and Sally as seniors growing weed in Tauranga to help with arthritis pain in the form of ‘special baking’ that was ever so popular.

After an interval so brief it didn’t happen – On with the rest of the show!!

“Film Director”, played by Melissa Kelly and Kim with director Jon, saw the acting out of a horror movie in a rest home located in Briscoes. Plenty of bargains were to be had alongside some great spooky side effects.

The resident sign language expert Kelly was on hand to interpret an interview held by Matt and Brett on the subject of teaching Llamas to Yodel. Unfortunately, the expert “Dr Lie-down” meant that Kelly had a real workout while interpreting the interview. Full marks for Kelly’s stamina; surely she will need some power aid for the next one!

“The Dating Game” saw Matt as the lucky Batchelor selecting from a delicious cannibal played by Kim, Kelly, was a conspiracy theorist who believed in aliens and Sally a Teletubby. Kudos to Matt for correctly guessing the bachelorettes’ real identities

In her last ever performance with Honest Liars, Melissa vamped it up with the ultimate femme fatale in “Film noir” with Jon as her co-star.

As usual in the “Film Noir” segment, you could cut the sexual tension with… well, a sledgehammer. Too hot for the frier, Melissa as the Maven in Maccas could not temp the guy in the fries section.

And one last special game. It was beautiful to invite Neil on stage to join the cast in the hilarious “Themed Restaurant”. A delightful menu of dumpster diving specialities was presented to Jon and Neil by the entire cast.

And so ended the evening. Emotions ran high at the farewell to dear friends Neil and Melissa, who helped set up and develop Honest Liars into a group that can stand proud in the improv comedy world.

Thank you, Neil and Melissa, for all your work and all the laughter.

Thanks to players

Melissa
Matt
Kim

Sally
Kelly
Brett

Thanks to the Crew:

Sue and Fee and Caleb on sound.

NEXT SHOW – NEW ATTRACTION!!!!

We welcome musical guests, improvised jam band, Stone Immortal.

They will kick the night off at 6PM with live music. Bring the gang for a night a live music and huge laughs. Tickets only $15

The next show at the Jam Factory is on Sunday 11th July 7 pm

Book your tickets and join the players for loads of laughs. NOTE: We are BYO!

1^st Sunday of every Month
Jam Factory, Historic Village
Show Starts: 7 p.m.

NEXT WORKSHOP: SUNDAY 30th MARCH

NEXT SHOW: SATURDAY 1st MARCH

ENGAGE US TO ENTERTAIN YOU

Author: hlimprovers

Competing with the All Blacks

By hlimprovers | July 23, 2022

Numbers were down at the show simply because the show was competing with the All Blacks and the dreaded lurgies attacking those hearty followers.

A Packed Night

By hlimprovers | June 19, 2022

Not only were the audience numbers up from the previous show, but the games flowed thick and fast, making it one very packed night of fun and laughter.

First Workshop After Covid

By hlimprovers | May 24, 2022

After the dreaded Covid hit our shores and locked us down, we finally had our first workshop. And what a great workshop it was too!

A Brand New Game

By hlimprovers | May 3, 2022

It proved to be a very different show, as not only did the Honest Liars present a brand new game, but there was a tinge of sadness.

The Red Light Scenario

By hlimprovers | March 21, 2022

Even though N.Z. was right in the midst of the red light scenario laid out by the government, neither it nor the rush of omicron proved to be a deterrent.

New Stage, New Home.

By hlimprovers | February 23, 2022

The players were excited about performing on a new stage in their new home at 16th Ave Theatre.

The Honest Liars Return To The Stage!

By hlimprovers | January 18, 2022

FINALLY!

After 6 months the Honest Liars got back on stage at the Fringe Festival.

The Energy was HIGH!

By hlimprovers | August 24, 2021

The day of the August show arrived with sunshine and warmth. The Honest Liars headed to the Jam Factory with great expectations and high energy of the afternoon and evening ahead.

Something Different!

By hlimprovers | July 21, 2021

There was excitement in the air as the players arrived at the Jam Factory. Something different was happening, and everyone knew it was going to be a diverse sort of show.

One Rainy Night At The Jam Factory

By hlimprovers | June 18, 2021

Slow early ticket sales followed by a late rush of fun-seekers escaping the terrible weather resulted in a nearly full house.