On the evening of Easter Saturday 2026, the Honest Liars troupe arrived at the 16th Ave Theatre in Tauranga

They were facing what could politely be described as “stiff competition.” Across the city, the Jazz Festival was in full swing, BayPark was buzzing with basketball energy, and somewhere engines were roaring at the Speedway Demo Der-Bay. It was a night packed with noise, rhythm, and adrenaline.

And Honest Liars? They had eight tickets sold.

Eight.

To their credit, there was no dramatic sighing, no theatrical despair (well… perhaps just a touch). Instead, the players did what improvisers do best: they showed up, warmed up, and committed fully. Because whether it’s eight people or eighty, the show goes on—and ideally, it goes on with flair.

Then something rather delightful happened.

People started arriving.

Not with tickets neatly in hand, but with that slightly mischievous energy of people who’ve made a last-minute decision: “Actually, let’s do something fun.” One by one, then in clusters, they trickled in until the theatre filled with chatter, anticipation, and that unmistakable hum of a crowd ready to laugh.

Apparently, trumpets, tyres, and nets had met their match.

The show kicked off with Objections, where something as innocent as sunscreen became the subject of spirited (and increasingly absurd) debate. It’s always impressive how quickly a sensible topic can spiral into something delightfully ridiculous in the hands of skilled improvisers, ending in a chaotic verbal shouting match.

Next came Alphabet, a game that demands quick thinking and even quicker wit. Gala and Ryan took the audience on a journey that began with plans to land on the moon and somehow detoured into the idea of a Gisborne bach with seven children, only to quickly change to a bach on the moon. Logical? Not remotely. Entertaining? Absolutely.

And really—who wouldn’t consider a bach on the moon? Prime real estate, minimal neighbours.

Pocket Note brought a traffic stop with a twist. Jon and Sue found themselves pulled over for speeding, only for Kelly’s officer to suggest a rather unconventional resolution involving a trip to the station… and let’s just say the power dynamic took an unexpected turn. Improv has a knack for flipping the script in the most unexpected ways, and this was no exception.

Then came The Dating Game, which is less about romance and more about glorious chaos. Rather than attempt to explain the characters (a near-impossible task), it’s best experienced visually—each reveal stranger and funnier than the last.

A crowd favourite, Sign Language Interpreter, had Kelly contorting herself into increasingly improbable positions while translating an “expert” discussing the fine art of training beavers to play polo. Yes, you read that correctly. And yes, it was every bit as ridiculous—and hilarious—as it sounds. The audience laughter came easily and often.

The night wrapped up with the classic Puppets. Two brave audience members took to the stage to “control” Brett and Kelly, turning them into human marionettes in a story centred around a cage fight between Darth Vader and The Rock. The result was a chaotic, side-splitting narrative that only improv could deliver—equal parts absurd and oddly compelling.

What began as a potentially quiet evening turned into something far more special. There’s a certain magic in a show that nearly wasn’t—where expectation sits low, only to be gleefully overturned.

For the players, it was a reminder that commitment matters more than numbers. For the audience, it was proof that sometimes the best nights are the ones you didn’t plan in advance.

And for Tauranga, it was one more evening where laughter won out over everything else.

Not bad for a show that started with eight tickets.

Thanks to:

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.