SUABC is a brand new and unique radio comedy series conceived and created by Mike Bodnar and captured for radio right here in Wellington!

Four programmes have been recorded for National Radio, and the series is currently playing on Radio New Zealand national, just after the 2pm news on Sundays. Have a listen live or on the radionz.co.nz website. But first, here's the premise:

Each SUABC show is about half an hour long and will be is broadcast over four weeks.

In

each week three different stand-up comedians are taken on one afternoon to an undisclosed “secret” destination for up to two hours where they  “experience the environment”.

They then have approximately three hours in which to write no more than six minutes of absolutely brand new comedy inspired entirely by where they’ve just been, what they saw and what they did there, etc.

Then, that same evening they perform their material in front of a live audience as part of the show, which is recorded. Think pressure-cooker comedy. Think ad-lib with some preparation. The comedians are under pressure to stay focused on topic, demonstrate g

(LEFT) Hilaire Carmody, Jim Stanton and Derek Flores at their 'mystery location' - Wellington Zoo. (Spot the animals...)

enuine comic ability both in material and performance, and while doing all of that, bring the house down!

Each week the audience chooses a winner, and in the final (fourth) show the three previous winners are again be taken to a secret location, to experience it, write new comedy and then perform live and against each other in the ‘grand final’.

The recordings took place at Katipo Cafe, home of the monthly Willis Treat comed.com

edy.

The comedians taking part (biographies below)
October 7: Danni Taylor, Matt Mulholland, Benjamin Crellin (pictured right exercising their comic skills for the first show, at Wellington City Council's "Second Treasures" recycling depot)
October 14: Hilaire Carmody, Jim Stanton, Derek Flores
October 21: Chelsea Hughes, TJ McDonald, Fergus Aitken
Ocotber 28: three of the above!

Stand Up and Be Counted - Who are these jokers?

 In alphabetical order...

Fergus Aitken

Seventh of eight children, Fergus learned to show off from an early age - for attention, food and the occasional pat.

Always the class clown, after leaving school at 18 Fergus met Robert Bennett of Mime International and started touring schools and theatres extensively. After only 18 months, this led to Fergus’s first overseas trip in 1985, performing in Prague, Moscow and Northern Poland before heading to London and becoming a street performer at London’s Covent Garden.

Another trip to London involved training with various reknown teachers and theatre directors, developing street work, playing at events and festivals around the UK, diversifying into character work and immersing himself among top class performance and stand-up comedy.

Resettling in Wellington, Fergus spent the early 1990s developing his ‘Mr Fungus’ character incorporating physical comedy and mime with standup in a variety of shows for all ages.

Since becoming a father, Fergus has stayed NZ-based, developing MC and stand-up comedy work for festivals, corporate events, occasionally touring overseas and regularly working all over Aotearoa.

In 2009 Fergus returned to the NZ International Comedy Festival with a new stand-up show TRUE STORIES - which has serious refocused the stand-up comedy muscle... 

Mike Bodnar (MC for SUABC)

Thanks to a previous existence as a broadcaster, Mike’s ear (along with his other one) is keenly attuned to the way we (ab)use the English language. He also likes to keep an eye (and occasionally two) on life around him.

What he does with these aural and visual observations is to sprinkle them with a dose of laterality and obliqueness, melding them into stand-up comedy routines that are genuinely entertaining and even revelatory. He makes you think.

Ten years ago when Mike did a one-off 10-minute comedy stint, a critic said much of his material was over the heads of the audience. The critic is now part of the foundations on the new McKay’s Crossing flyover. Mike however took the opportunity in 2005 of re-launching himself seriously (can that be done?) into stand-up comedy, being awarded Best Newcomer at Wellington’s Green Room.

Since then he’s performed at regular R30 gigs at Wellington’s Katipo Café, the Buzz Bar in Lower Hutt, Indigo (Runner-up 2006 Rookie Competition), been part of the Wellington Fringe ’06 stand-up show This Time Next Year, and has even done Wanganui, though he prefers not to talk about that. Before it sank off Island Bay he organised a very successful comedy evening on board the frigate HMNZS Wellington. It went down well. So did the frigate. He’s also played the Classic in Auckland, has performed two of his own one-hour shows in NZ fringe festivals, and does a mean Billy Connolly.

Hilaire Carmody

Hilaire is currently a newbie to the Wellington live comedy scene. However she has had a long love affair with the stage, starting off at the age of 5 as the shortest angel in the St Theresa’s Christmas pageant.

In later years been a scriptwriter for both the Canterbury and Otago Universities capping shows, as well as presenter for an old time radio schlock-horror show Madame Pandemonium's Tales for the dark.

During the day she works in arts administration and currently manages ticketing for the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Benjamin Crellin

Benjamin Crellin is something of a legend in kiwi comedic circles.

Fondly referred to as the "dark knight" of the industry this "four time loser" of the billy t award has, over 13 years as a comic, found his own unique voice. The satirical sociopolitical style of his standup has won him critical acclaim on the international club and festival circuits and sees him headline all over the world.

His most recent solo show: Benjamin Crellin:APOCALYPSE SOON! has toured the country in fringe festivals and as part of the international comedy festival. It
also had a three week run in the Melbourne comedy festival and a 40 show run in the Edinburgh fringe festival.

 'clever, funny and thought-provoking'  theatreview.org.nz
'...stand up comedy gold.' Theatreview.org.nz
'A hilarious hour of comedy.' Thegroggysquirrel.com
'Crellin is sure to tickle your social fabric' tvnz.co.nz

Derek Flores

Originally hailing from the home of 'The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth - The Calgary Stampede', Derek Flores has dedicated his 20 year comedy career to creating unrepeatable moments of entertainment.

Having begun his training at The Loose Moose Theatre under the creator of TheatreSports and author of Impro, Keith Johnstone, Derek took these teachings and applied them to street performing spending almost a decade honing his improvisational skills accross Canada, Europe, NZ, Australia, and The US; his mother thinking he was out at a sleep-over.  From there it was an obvious leap into cabaret and theatre where as a member of The 3 Canadians, Derek delighted literally dozens of people.

Waking up in Toronto Ontario in mid-2001 the desire to travel was soon replaced by a fear of leaving home and thus Derek's career with the renowned Second City - birth place to such Canadian lumanaries as Eugene Levy, Martin Short, John Candy, Mike Myers, and Ryan Styles to name a few - took hold.  Rising to the mainstage in just over a year, kudos came fast and quick, but something was missing.  Returning to NZ in 2006 Derek has entrenched himself within the kiwi comedy scene by establishing a regular home for stand up as well as starting the NZ Improv Festival.

All these accomplishments pale in comparison to the birth of his son, Eli Jack, to whom all of his comedy is now dedicated.

Chelsea Hughes

Chelsea Hughes was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. 

She spent most of her youth playing clarinet and watching television.  She eventually went on to major in music performance at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, where her desire to make her friends laugh trumped her desire to be a serious musician. 

After graduating from university, Chelsea travelled to a far off land to explore herself and undergo a quarter-life crisis.  This far off land turned out to be Chicago, Illinois (Americans don't believe in OEs).  The year of soul-searching led her to the decision to marry her loves of music, cardigans and snobbery, and she became a music librarian. 

Chelsea immigrated to New Zealand in October 2006, and once she put down some roots, she began to dip her funny toes into comedy. She's an improviser with the Wellington Improv Troupe (WIT) and has performed in WIT productions of Micetro, Gorilla, and WellingSIN City, the latter of which was performed as part of the 2008 NZ International Comedy Festival.  She is a newcomer to stand-up, with 10 performances under her belt and is looking forward to becoming New Zealand's first ever Librari-iedienne.

TJ McDonald

TJ McDonald is a regular performer and MC at the Wellington Comedy Club and at The Classic in Auckland.

He has performed in every New Zealand International Comedy Festival since 2005. During the 2009 Comedy Festival, TJ performed in two shows: “The Comedy Cure presents Word on the Street”; and “Monkey Vs. Robot” with Jarrod Baker. TJ also performed in the 2009 New Zealand Fringe Festival show “Hot Drinks and Spoken Words” as part of The Lemon Barley Trio – a comedy beat poetry duo. He is also a performer in WIT - the Wellington Improvisation Troupe.

TJ began his standup career in Wellington in 2004. He was a RAW Comedy Quest national finalist in 2004 and 2005. His comedic style has been described as jolly (read: ‘tubby’) and fiercely intellectual.

“TJ strikes favour and easy laughs with all those around him” – Venus Stephens THEATREVIEW

“TJ McDonald also merits a longer stint with his laconic observations GIGS VIDEO

“ – Kate Blackhurst LUMIÈRE

“TJ McDonald enjoys an ease and command with the microphone and audience” - Thomas LaHood THEATREVIEW

Matt Mulholland

Matt Mulholland came out of the womb at the ripe age of four. Already being a musical genius, he decided to take on the world with his extreme wit and penis jokes. 21 years later, the quest continues.

Over the years, Matt Mulholland has made many appearances in local stand up nights, competitions, and variety shows. He frequently performs in Wellington
clubs and bars with his band Matt Mulholland & The Tail Whips. In 2008, he released his debut album "Toilet Secrets" which includes the family favorites: Leper Leprechaun, and No Matter Where You Are (you'll always be
there).

Matt Mulholland accepts no responsibility for any unexplained pregnancies caused during and/or after this show...

Gabriel Page

Gabe is our warm-up act for the SUABC show. An international performing singer/songwriter comedian, Gabe's disturbed a wide ranging audience with his love songs. He’s made it to the stage in  Hong Kong, and Auckland, and performs regularly in Wellington.

 He was part of the successful 2009 Comedy Festival Show “Miscellaneous Etc.” and was a Wellington Finalist in the 2009 Raw Comedy Competition. Keep an eye out for his upcoming show, “L is for Love, Love is for Losers”.

Jim Stanton

Starting comedy simply because there was a lady shortage and she liked to represent, Jim Stanton began her venture into comedy in 2002, fresh to Wellington and looking for something new.

Never one to shy away from the stage, she has since formed The Comedy Cure, launched several successful comedy festival shows, attempted drama on the stage and teamed up to place 2nd in the Two Day Play competition run during the Fringe 09.

She now currently performs as one half of The Comediettes along with the lovely Sarah Harpur and plans to amuse crowds with one part happy whimsy to two parts cutting sarcasm, for a long time to come.

Danni Taylor

Danni is a 'student' at victoria university. She is studying for a BA, however shortly after beginning her degree, she relised that a BA is the educational equivalent claiming you are a musician just because you own a guitar. 

She discovered a love for performing standup comedy in 2008, her 'big break' came in the form of various rookie nights around wellington, as well as entertaining her flatmates and friends with her potential "Jokes". 

She is still studying (Psychology to be precise, and yes, she can tell you what you are thinking) but sees it as more of a 'backup' since she is lacking in marketable skills. she does, incidently, own a guitar."

Danni has been performing in Wellington at San Fran, Fringe bar, Willis Treat (Katipo Cafe) and Happy (with the show 'miscellanious etc.' in the 2009 comedy festival), and was a Wellington finalist in 2009 Raw contest. Danni's also a member of WIT (improv), and admits to an unhealthy addiction to peanut butter.