Pōneke performing arts Apr 28-May 4, 2025
Nau mai, haere mai to my weekly round-up of every public performing arts event in Pōneke/Wellington (that I know of). I list the next 4 weeks of shows below, and also keep a chronological spreadsheet for the rest of 2025 and into the future.
This week
Continuing this week is: Give Way - The Musical at Circa.
Also on this week are: Ruach Creations’ The Prayer Room, RNZB’s The Firebird with My Brilliant Career, Austin Harrison’s I'm Proud of You, and KAT Theatre’s Expectations - A short season of short plays.
Plus the NZ Comedy Festival begins with the Wellington Preview Show, Nish Kumar, Ahir Shah, the Best Foods Comedy Gala, and Comedy Fest at Parrotdog.
* = continuation of season
Advisory: Please double check the dates/times/venues of events when you book tickets!
Mon 28 Apr-Sun 4 May
Not NZ Comedy Festival:
*Tue 29 Apr-Sat 24 May, various times - Give Way - The Musical | Jacqueline Coats, dir. @ Circa Theatre
Wed 30 Apr, 6pm - The Prayer Room | Ruach Creations @ Te Whaea, Basement
Wed 30 Apr-Sat 3 May, 7:30pm (& 1:30pm Sat) - The Firebird (return season) with My Brilliant Career | RNZB @ St James Theatre
Fri 2 & Sat 3 May, 7pm - I'm Proud of You (return season) | Austin Harrison @ Circus Bar
Fri 2-Sun 4 May, various times - Expectations - A short season of short plays | KAT Theatre @ Cochran Hall
NZ Comedy Festival:
Wed 30 Apr, 7pm - Wellington Preview Show | NZ Comedy Trust @ Fringe Bar
Thu 1 & Fri 2 May, 7pm & 9pm - Nish Kumar - Nish, Don't Kill My Vibe @ Hannah Playhouse (SOLD OUT)
Fri 2 May, 7:30pm & 9:30pm - Ahir Shah - Ends @ BATS Theatre
Sat 3 May, 7:30pm - Best Foods Comedy Gala @ Opera House
Sun 4 May, 7pm - Comedy Fest at Parrotdog | NZ Comedy Trust @ Parrotdog Bar (SOLD OUT)
Mon 5-Sun 11 May
Not NZ Comedy Festival:
*Tue 6-Sat 24 May, various times - Give Way - The Musical | Jacqueline Coats, dir. @ Circa Theatre
Thu 8, Fri 9, Fri 16, Sat 17 May, 8pm - Sandy Burton - Tubs of Fun! @ Newtown Community Centre
Fri 9-Fri 16 May, 7:30pm (2:30pm Sun) - How Long is a Piece of String? - Choreographic Season 2025 | New Zealand School of Dance @ Te Whaea
Fri 9-Sat 24 May, 7:30pm (4:30pm Sun) - Re-Engineered | Maunga Tay-Tay Productions (Regan Taylor) @ Circa Theatre
Sun 11 May, 7pm - The Royal Family Dance Crew Presents - Honour the Crown @ Opera House
NZ Comedy Festival:
Mon 5, 12, 19 May, 8pm - Raw Meat Monday | Humorous Arts Trust @ Fringe Bar
Tue 6-Sat 10 May, 6:30pm (& 5pm Sat) - Abby Howells - Welcome to My Dream @ BATS Theatre
Tue 6 May, 6:30pm - Joe Daymond's Comedy Mixtape | NZ Comedy Trust @ Te Auaha
Tue 6-Sat 10 May, 7pm - Johanna Cosgrove - Sweetie @ BATS Theatre
Tue 6-Sat 10 May, 7pm - Takashi Wakasugi - Comedy Samurai @ Fringe Bar
Tue 6-Sat 10 May, 7:30pm - Itay Dom - Itay Phone Home @ BATS Theatre
Tue 6-Thu 8 May, 8pm - Emma Holland - Don't Touch My Trinkets @ BATS Theatre
Tue 6-Thu 8 May, 8pm - I Didn't Invite You Here to Lecture Me | Artsense Productions @ Te Auaha
Tue 6-Sat 10 May, 8:30pm - Maria Williams - What Dreams Are Made Of @ BATS Theatre
Tue 6-Fri 9 May, 8:30pm - Dan Boerman - Folds a Fitted Sheet on His Own @ Fringe Bar
Tue 6-Sat 10 May, 9pm - Viki Moananu - Poofta @ BATS Theatre
Wed 7-Sat 10 May, 6:30pm - Hayley Sproull - The Baroness @ Te Auaha
Wed 7-Sat 10 May, 6:45pm - Kipling DC - Big Dog @ Te Auaha
Wed 7-Sat 10 May, 7pm - Keegan Thomas - Boy Band Brain @ Te Auaha
Wed 7-Sat 10 May, 8:15pm - Rhys Mathewson - Time Trial @ Te Auaha
Wed 7-Sat 10 May, 8:30pm - Mo Munn - Is It Off? @ Te Auaha
Wed 7-Sat 10 May, 9:45pm - Jim Fishwick and Guests - Grifted & Talented @ Te Auaha
Fri 9 & Sat 10 May, 8pm - Raul Kohli - A British Hindu's Guide to the Universe @ BATS Theatre
Fri 9 & Sat 10 May, 8pm - James Mustapic - All Good If Not @ Te Auaha
Fri & Sat 9/10, 16/17, 23/24 May, 10pm - Late Laughs | NZ Comedy Trust @ Fringe Bar
Sat 10 May, 5pm - Dr Jo Prendergast - Cancer and Cartwheels @ Te Auaha
Sat 10 May, 7pm - The Tape Face Show @ Opera House
Sat 10 May, 7pm - Comedy Fest at Kāpiti | NZ Comedy Trust @ Te Raukura ki Kāpiti, Paraparaumu
Sat 10 May, 8:30pm - Olga Koch - Comes From Money @ Fringe Bar
Sat 10 May, 9:30pm - The Pun Battle Championships | Hugo Grrrl @ Te Auaha
Sun 11 May, 6:30pm - All Killa No Filla Live! @ Te Auaha
Mon 12-Sun 18 May
Not NZ Comedy Festival:
*Tue 13-Sat 24 May, various times - Give Way - The Musical | Jacqueline Coats, dir. @ Circa Theatre
*Tue 13-Sat 24 May, 7:30pm (4:30pm Sun) - Re-Engineered | Maunga Tay-Tay Productions (Regan Taylor) @ Circa Theatre
*Tue 13-Fri 16 May, 7:30pm (2:30pm Sun) - How Long is a Piece of String? - Choreographic Season 2025 | New Zealand School of Dance @ Te Whaea
Thu 15, 7:30pm, Fri 16 & Sat 17 May, 7pm - REVEL | Inverted Citizens @ Hannah Playhouse
*Fri 16, Sat 17 May, 8pm - Sandy Burton - Tubs of Fun! @ Newtown Community Centre
NZ Comedy Festival:
*Mon 12, 19 May, 8pm - Raw Meat Monday | Humorous Arts Trust @ Fringe Bar
Tue 13-Sat 17 May, 6:30pm - Sera Devcich - Exposé @ BATS Theatre
Tue 13 May, 6:30pm - Haiming Jiang - Hilarious Comedy Hypnosis Show @ Te Auaha
Tue 13-Sat 17 May, 7pm - Lesa MacLeod-Whiting - Rebellina @ BATS Theatre
Tue 13-Sat 17 May, 7pm - Booth the Clown & Jak Darling - Delightfool @ Fringe Bar
Tue 13-Sat 17 May, 7:30pm - TimProvise - The Kapahaka Drop Out @ BATS Theatre
Tue 13 & Wed 14 May, 8pm - He Huang - White Man's Burden @ BATS Theatre
Tue 13-Sat 17 May, 8:30pm - Hoani Hotene - It's Getting Hot-ene, So Tell Me All Your Jokes @ BATS Theatre
Tue 13-Sat 17 May, 8:30pm - Tom Cashman - 2 Truths, 1 Lie & 17 Slight Exaggerations @ Fringe Bar
Tue 13-Sat 17 May, 9pm - Lily Catastrophe - Bottom Surgery @ BATS Theatre
Wed 14-Sat 17 May, 6:45pm - Barnie Duncan - Oooky Pooky @ Te Auaha
Wed 14 May, 7pm - Adam Kay - This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor @ Opera House
Wed 14 May, 7pm - James Nokise - One Night Rant @ Te Auaha (SOLD OUT)
Wed 14 May, 8pm - Wellington Comedy Club Rainbow Showcase | Humorous Arts Trust @ Te Auaha
Wed 14-Sat 17 May, 8:15pm - David Stuart - The Immortal Legacy of Me @ Te Auaha
Wed 14-Sat 17 May, 8:30pm - Sean Collier - Write Off @ Te Auaha
Wed 14-Sat 17 May, 9:45pm - Ginge & Minge - House of Ick @ Te Auaha
Thu 15, 6:30pm & 9:30pm, Fri 16 May, 9:30pm - Josh Thomson - Old Mate @ Te Auaha
Thu 15-Sat 17 May, 7pm - Henry Yan - Dancing is Just Physical Talking, So Let's Make a Podcast @ Te Auaha
Thu 15-Sat 17 May, 8pm - Kirsty Webeck - Everything I Need to Say About Sea Creatures @ BATS Theatre
Thu 15 & Fri 16 May, 8pm - Schalk Bezuidenhout - Crowd Pleaser @ Te Auaha
Fri 16 & Sat 17 May, 6:30pm - Eli Matthewson - Heaven's Devil @ Te Auaha
Fri 16 May, 7pm - Heath Franklin's Chopper - The Last Hard Bastard on Earth @ Opera House
*Fri & Sat 16/17, 23/24 May, 10pm - Late Laughs | NZ Comedy Trust @ Fringe Bar
Sat 17 May, 5pm - Mr Snotbottom's Stinky Silly Show @ Te Auaha
Sat 17 May, 8pm - Brynley Stent - Bonetown @ Te Auaha
Sun 18 May, 2pm & 6pm - Merrick Watts - An Idiot's Guide to Wine @ Naumi Hotel
Mon 19-Sun 25 May
Not NZ Comedy Festival:
*Tue 13-Sat 24 May, various times - Give Way - The Musical | Jacqueline Coats, dir. @ Circa Theatre
*Tue 13-Sat 24 May, 7:30pm (4:30pm Sun) - Re-Engineered | Maunga Tay-Tay Productions (Regan Taylor) @ Circa Theatre
Wed 21-Sat 31 May, various times - Dial M for Murder | Wellington Repertory Theatre @ Gryphon Theatre
Sun 25 May, 7pm - PopRox Improv @ Circa Theatre
NZ Comedy Festival:
*Mon 19 May, 8pm - Raw Meat Monday | Humorous Arts Trust @ Fringe Bar
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 6:30pm - Alayne Dick & Viki Moananu - We Need to Talk @ BATS Theatre
Tue 20 & Wed 21 May, 6:30pm - Jen Brister - Reactive @ Te Auaha (SOLD OUT)
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 6:45pm - Mark Simmons - Jest to Impress @ Te Auaha
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 7pm - Shoshana McCallum - Merely Beloved @ BATS Theatre
Tue 20-Fri 23 May, 7pm - Jenny Tian - Jenny's Travels @ Fringe Bar
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 7:30pm - Kajun Brooking - Kajun Brooking Escapes the Hood @ BATS Theatre
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 8pm - Laura Lexx - Slinky @ BATS Theatre
Tue 20-Fri 23 May, 8pm - Nazeem Hussain - You Paid for This @ Te Auaha
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 8:15pm - Kōrero Paki | Mamaeroa Munn, Quentin Potts, Lachlan Bowker, Viki Moananu, Kipling DC @ Te Auaha
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 8:30pm - Florence Hartigan - Me, My Mother and Suzy Cato @ BATS Theatre
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 8:30pm - David Correos - Noise Zealand @ Fringe Bar
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 9pm - Liv Ward - EPIC WAY! I'm Gay? Oui oui faguette™ I LOVE KIM HILL (1999 version) @ BATS Theatre
Tue 20-Sat 24 May, 9:30pm - Guy Williams - If You Mildly Criticise Me I'll Say It's Cancel Culture and Turn to the Alt Right. @ Te Auaha
Wed 21-Sat 24 May, 7pm - Sameena Zehra - Homicidal Pacifist - Dust Off Your Guillotines @ Te Auaha
Wed 21-Sat 24 May, 8:30pm - Ocean Denham - A Hot Girl and Her Suzuki Swift @ Te Auaha
Wed 21-Sat 24 May, 9:45pm - Joana Joy - Miss Tui Whanganui 2009 @ Te Auaha
Thu 22-Sat 24 May, 6:30pm - Ray O'Leary - Laughter? I Hardly Know Her! @ Te Auaha
Fri 23 May, 7:30pm - Guy Montgomery - I've Noticed So Many Things, It'd Be Unfair To Keep Them To Myself @ Opera House
*Fri 23 & Sat 24 May, 10pm - Late Laughs | NZ Comedy Trust @ Fringe Bar
Sat 24 May, 7pm - Femmes and Thems Comedy | Comedy Culture NZ @ Fringe Bar
Sat 24 May, 7:30pm - Melanie Bracewell - A Little Treat @ Opera Hosue
Sat 24 May, 8pm - Tom Houghton & Rosco McClelland - U.K. Double Header @ Te Auaha
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