Full house, wild stories, and non-stop laughs!

The chilly Tauranga evening on Saturday 2nd May 2026 was the perfect setting for a night of spontaneous chaos, quick wit and belly laughs as Honest Liars Improv took to the stage at the 16th Ave Theatre. Beneath clear skies and a massive full moon, players and audience alike arrived ready for a night where absolutely anything could happen — and, as always with improv comedy, it certainly did.

Despite the long ANZAC weekend, the theatre filled quickly, creating a warm and buzzing atmosphere that contrasted beautifully with the crisp autumn night outside. There’s something special about a packed improv crowd. Everyone knows they’re about to witness stories being created out of thin air, and part of the fun is knowing the performers are making it all up on the spot, often with no idea where things are heading themselves.

The evening launched straight into laughter with the game Objections, a fast-paced, interruption-based game where ridiculous reasoning is all part of the fun. It set the tone perfectly for the night ahead, showcasing the players’ ability to think quickly, commit fearlessly and somehow turn complete nonsense into comedy gold.

One of the evening’s crowd favourites was Change Game. The format is deceptively simple — the scene keeps changing direction at the emcee’s command — but the results are gloriously unpredictable. At the beginning, Ryan found himself trapped underneath an ottoman while Kathy, playing his mother, attempted to rescue him in increasingly dramatic fashion. As with the best improv scenes, the players’ commitment made the absurdity even funnier, with the audience roaring at every new twist.

Watch The Change Game:

Then came Pocket Note, a game fuelled entirely by audience suggestions written on scraps of paper. The players must randomly pick up the notes and somehow weave them into a coherent story. “Coherent” may be a generous term, but that’s half the joy.

This particular tale transported the audience to a mountain-top salsa-dancing adventure featuring Kelly and Mark on their honeymoon, with Jon serving as their enthusiastic guide. The couple had met in Mexico, danced all night and apparently built a relationship on romance… until Mark casually revealed, “I’m just here for the money.” Another audience note became an oddly inspiring mantra: “I think we’re along now.” Whether anyone knew what it meant didn’t matter — it became hilariously meaningful by sheer repetition.

As the story unfolded, Jon’s guide character confessed he had also met Mark in Mexico and warned Kelly with heartfelt sincerity that “He’s not worthy of you.” In true improv fashion, the story then swerved entirely off course with an unexpected ending: Mark and Jon running off together instead. The audience loved every ridiculous second of it.

Another standout was the brilliantly chaotic He Said, She Said game, featuring Jon and Kathy racing to the reading of a will while somehow getting caught up in a car chase. The beauty of this game lies in the split-second timing and teamwork required between performers as each directs the other. Every line builds pressure, confusion and hilarity all at once, and this scene had the audience in stitches from start to finish.

The ever-popular Clap Game brought a rapid-fire collection of miniature stories and wildly different characters. Sue and Kathy found themselves running a fish and chip shop while smelling permanently of grease. Shawn and Mark tackled an action-themed scene as butter-covered bank robbers attempting to squeeze through a fence during their getaway. Meanwhile, Jon and Gala created a wonderfully awkward story involving Gala’s dreams of becoming a singer, only for Jon to inform her that, because she sounded nothing like her mother, she would probably need to perform with a bag over her head. Brutal? Absolutely. Hilarious? The audience certainly thought so.

The final game of the evening introduced something entirely new for the audience: Day in the Life. This format takes inspiration from a real audience member’s day and transforms it into an exaggerated, improvised retelling. On this occasion, brave volunteer Paul shared the story of attending a chilli-eating contest — a decision that quickly spiralled into theatrical chaos once the Honest Liars players got hold of it. What began as a simple recount of events became an epic journey of spice-fuelled suffering, dramatic reactions and over-the-top storytelling that closed the night on a high.

What makes Honest Liars so entertaining isn’t just the comedy itself, but the atmosphere they create. Every audience suggestion becomes part of the show, every mistake becomes an opportunity, and every performer commits wholeheartedly to even the most ridiculous scenario. No two shows are ever the same, which is exactly why audiences keep coming back.

By the end of the evening, the 16th Ave Theatre was still echoing with laughter as people spilled out into the cool Tauranga night smiling, quoting favourite moments, and wondering how on earth the performers managed to invent all of that on the spot.

If the Honest Liars proved anything on 2nd May, it’s that improv comedy is alive, thriving and wonderfully unpredictable in Tauranga.

ANZAC Remembrance:
We remember with gratitude and respect the courage, sacrifice and enduring spirit of all those who served for our freedom.

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.