If you’re looking to venture beyond the regular stand up routines and experience some alternative comedy at this year’s festival, I have three words for you: Idiots of Ants. Their show is a riotous and action-packed hour of fast-paced sketch comedy and the best part is we get to be a part of the fun too!
Model Citizens is a mad barrage of hilarious short stories presented by Andrew Spiers, Elliott Tiney, Benjamin Wilson and James Wrighton, who are the talented foursome that make up Idiots of Ants. As soon as the show kicks off the Fourth Wall is torn down with the first short story – a prospective flatmate who loves the place except for the fact that the flat comes with an audience.
The rest of the show carries on in this comedic vein. Each skit is excellently written, masterfully crafted and superbly performed. There are musical magazines, conversations at gunpoint and a casual game of toss-the-baby – and of course an expected encore of the comical “hens night gone wrong” skit which they performed at the Comedy Gala. The boys are skilled performers and have great command of the stage, transitioning between each skit quickly and seamlessly.
There is no one stand-out sketch as they are all brilliant in their own right but a fully grown man dressed as a baby and swearing like a sailor truly is quite a sight to behold! The very funny “the man who took the audience to dinner” pseudo-love song was another favorite of mine. Yes, they can sing too!
It’s no surprise these boys won the NZICF Best International Show Award last year as they are, put simply, a class act. Model Citizens is a definite must see – it’s extremely clever, wildly entertaining and just so much fun! An outstanding hour of improv that is best experienced live.
The Whimsical Banana rates Model Citizens: 5/5 bananas!
Just 3 chances left to catch this fantastic sketch group in action at the fabulous Rangatira at Q so don’t miss out – get in quick! Click here for tickets.
