2024-2025 Annual Report
I compiled this report for a recent grant application, and I’m so damn proud of my people that I figured I should post it on the website, too!
Executive Summary
The NZ Comedy School has experienced transformational growth over the past year, expanding our teaching capacity with three newly trained instructors and achieving unprecedented recognition for our graduates across national comedy competitions and festivals. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion continues to drive meaningful change in New Zealand's comedy landscape.
Most significantly, we've successfully implemented our expansion strategy by training instructors Donna Brookbanks, Justine Smith, and Brendon Green, enabling us to deliver classes simultaneously across Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington. This marks a pivotal moment in our mission to make quality comedy education accessible nationwide.
Neil Thornton was honored with Best Industry Helper for the fourth time at the 2024 Wellington Comedy Awards, recognizing seven years of dedicated service to the comedy community.
Student Demographics and Growth
Total Students Trained (2017-2025): 512
Female: 265 (51.8%)
Trans/Non-Binary: 26 (5.1%)
Combined Female/Non-Binary: 56.8%
BiPOC/Racial Minority: 115 (22.4%)
LGBTQAI+: 86 (16.8%)
This represents an increase from 420+ students in our previous reporting period, demonstrating sustained demand for inclusive comedy education across New Zealand.
Major Achievements 2024-2025
Awards and Recognition
2024 NZ Comedy Guild Awards: 10 nominees from our alumni community, with standout recognition across multiple categories including Matt Coombe, Chen Wang, Liv Ward, Mo Munn, and Charlotte Hansen.
2024 Wellington Comedy Awards: Our graduates dominated with 16 nominees, including ALL 5 nominees for Best Newcomer:
Winners:
Best Show: Booth the Clown & Jak Darling ("Delightfool!")
Green Roomer: Lily Catastrophe
Best New Comedian: Lily Catastrophe
Best Industry Helper: Neil Thornton (NZ Comedy School)
Raw Comedy Success
Dozens of finalists and semi-finalists in Wellington, Auckland, and Christchurch, plus:
Liv Ward: 2024 Wellington Raw Comedy Quest Winner
Chen Wang: 2024 Wellington Raw Comedy Quest Winner, National Runner-up
Festival Participation
2025 NZ Fringe Festival: Unprecedented alumni participation with 12+ graduates producing their own shows, including Richard Dowling, Jak Darling, Elliot Lam, Jules Daniel, Liv Ward (Dunedin Fringe Tour Ready Award Winner), Ginge and Minge, Sampath Varma, Mamaeroa (Mo) Munn, Emma Ranson, Brenda Hamblyn, and more than 30 others performing in lineups and showcases.
2025 NZ International Comedy Festival: 17+ alumni featured as performers, including Bridie Thomson, Rebecca Mary Gwendolon, Sophie Stone, Jac Darling, Booth the Clown, Mo Munn, Quentin Potts, Liv Ward, Meaghan Fisher, Lily Catastrophe, Ginge and Minge, Geoff Rissole, Charlotte Hansen, Dec McHale, Anand Patel, and Laura Maddon.
Industry Leadership
Current/Past NZ Comedy Guild Board Members: 10+ alumni including AJ Barber, Darran Lees, Bridie Thomson, Ryan McGhee, Brandon Wyatt, Salome Bhanu, Todd Hopkins, and Mike Fowler.
NZ Comedy School graduates are not just performing individually, but creating innovative platforms that celebrate diversity and provide opportunities for underrepresented voices in New Zealand comedy.
Alumni Emma Ranson and Jenice Goveas established "Sidesplitters," a brand-new comedy open mic night hosted at Whisky & Wood, providing emerging performers and seasoned comedians with regular stage time and continuing the School's mission of supporting diverse voices.
Chris Tombleson (performing as "Bob") runs Cartel Comedy, to provide a platform for local comedians of all experience levels in the Greater Wellington region, allowing audiences to see different comedic voices at play while giving comedians from all backgrounds valuable stage time.
Bridie Thomson and Rebecca Mary Gwendolon co-host "Femmes and Thems Comedy" This showcase features diverse performers across both Auckland and Wellington.
Dec McHale co-founded ImmHaHaGrants, a groundbreaking comedy showcase featuring international comics. The show won "Best Live Show" at the 2024 NZ Comedy Guild Awards, while Dec McHale individually won "Best Newcomer" at the same awards.
Educational Expansion
New Instructor Program
Successfully trained three professional instructors:
Donna Brookbanks: Accomplished comedian and Billy T Award nominee
Justine Smith: Beloved comedian and TV presenter
Brendon Green: Comedian, writer, and NZ Comedy Guild member
Class Delivery
Wellington: Ongoing regular Complete Courses and workshops
Auckland: Quarterly courses with Brendon, Donna, and Justine
Christchurch: Intensive format courses
Community Engagement and Shows
Regular Programming
Monthly "Campground": LGBTQAI+ comedy open mic showcases featuring 10-12 performers in a dedicated queer space.
Monthly "Best in Class": Alumni showcases providing professional development opportunities and professional-quality videos of their sets.
"Silver Tongues" 2025: Five-night Fringe Festival celebration of comedians over 50, featuring more than 30 performers.
Other shows: “So There I Was…” storytelling showcase. “Only the New Stuff” new material show, Holiday Gala cabaret, and more…
Through our monthly showcases and alumni events, we sold over 1200 tickets in 2024-2025 (not counting alumni-produced festival shows and open mics) exposing audiences across New Zealand to diverse comedic voices and ensuring more people see themselves authentically represented on stage.
Community Partnerships
Continued collaboration with the Classic Comedy Club, Good Times Comedy Club, Humorous Arts Trust and the NZ Comedy Trust, with graduates regularly featured in professional showcases including Mamaeroa Munn (2025 Matariki showcase) and multiple Wellington Comedy Club Rainbow showcases (Meagan Fisher).
Financial Sustainability
Diversified Funding Success
Wellington City Council: $6,652 (Best in Class support)
CNZ Development Fund: $7,458 (Funding HQ capacity building)
Community Fundraising: $2,740 (equipment replacement via GiveaLittle)
Looking Forward
With our expanded instructor network and proven track record, we're positioned to:
Extend reach to under-served regions including South Island communities, both in-person and online
Develop specialized programs for emerging needs
Create a comprehensive set of online classes and resources
Strengthen our role as the primary pipeline for diverse comedy talent in New Zealand
Continue our mission of making comedy education accessible to all New Zealanders
Our graduates continue to reshape New Zealand comedy, creating more inclusive, professional, and ethically-grounded performance spaces. The investment in our expansion has already yielded remarkable returns in both artistic excellence and community impact. More funding will enable us to hire dedicated administrative support, creating sustainable organizational capacity and freeing our experienced educator to focus on what he does best: teaching comedy and training new instructors.