Originally trained as a journalist in 1979 and with a degree from Victoria University in English Literature & Drama, Michèle has been part of New Zealand’s entertainment industry since she first appeared on television in 1987 as a children’s TV presenter.

In the years since she has worked in radio, theatre and television, and was an original member of the team of comedians who brought the hit TV show, “7 Days” to our screens. She performs live in pubs and clubs everywhere from the Laugh Factory in Las Vegas to the Mangawhai Tavern in Northland. 

Michèle co-hosted the legendary feminist podcast and webseries ‘On The Rag’ for several years with Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden. The trio were nominated for ‘Best Presenter Entertainment’ at the NZ TV Awards in 2020.

Michèle has written two bestselling books: “Stuff I Forgot To Tell My Daughter” (2015) and “How We Met” (2018), both published by Harper Collins. She has been writing a weekly column on social issues since 2008, most recently in the NZ Woman’s Weekly. As a freelance writer, her work has appeared on the Spinoff and RNZ, in Metro, Next, the Listener, Your Weekend, the Sunday Star Times, In-Business, Good, Bride & Groom and Pet Magazine.

As an after-dinner speaker, event host and conference MC, Michèle’s hundreds of corporate clients over the past 25 years include nurses, social workers, financial advisors, classical musicians, IT specialists, plumbers, insurance specialists, bankers, builders, lawyers, electrical workers, travel industry professionals and scientists.

Michèle  first came to NZ’s attention as the award-winning host of What Now, the children’s TV show which aired live for two hours each week, and The Video Dispatch, a current affairs programme aimed at youth but, according to legend, was the “must-see TV show” for NZ’s politicians who were looking for a weekly, easy-to-understand explanation of the big news stories.

Michele has a raft of awards from various comedy festivals. She is a member of Actors’ Equity and a Life Member of the NZ Comedy Guild.

Michèle is the Patron of the Moving & Handling Association of NZ (MHANZ) which cares for carers in the health sector, and an Ambassador for Breast Cancer Cure.

Having won the Billy T Award, the NZ Comedy Guild Best Female Comedian (three times) and the NZCG Best MC (also three times), Justine has established herself as one of the key players in New Zealand Comedy. With a flick of the eye and “To be honest…” she will have the audience in stiches. 

Justine does not suffer fools. No she doesn’t. Those who know Justine will readily testify to the fact the she is one of the most honest comics you’re likely to meet. This combined with her razor sharp wit and biting commentary also make Justine one of the funniest people you’re likely to meet. 

Justine has appeared in numerous TV shows, 7Days, The Project, Have You Been Paying Attention, the Comedy Gala, AotearoHA, A Night At The Classic, After Hours, hosted TV3’s Divas and has been a writer for both The Jono Project and Rhys Darby’s TV vehicle Short Poppies. 

Known for her previous NZ International Comedy Festival solo shows, The Justine Smith Hour, Return of the Jussi and Jussi Town, Justine has also collaborated with Ben Hurley with their split bill show A Cheeky Half Each. 

2021 sees Justine as the host of the NZ International Comedy Festival televised Comedy Gala. 

If you were to try and define Justine as a lover or a fighter, you’d have to say a healthy mix of both. She is capable of tearing strips off people on stage, and then having a drink with them after the show. A leading light of New Zealand Comedy, Justine is just as comfortable in a theatre or a local bar in the country. Simply put, one of our best.

Abby Howells is an award winning comedian and writer. Her solo shot ‘HarleQueen’ premiered at the NZ Fringe Festival and has had subsequent seasons in the Dunedin Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, Little Andromeda, The NZ Comedy Festival and most recently the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show has won a number of awards including the weekly ‘Best Comedy’ award and the ‘Emerging Artist’ award at the Adelaide Fringe, ‘Best Comedy’ at the Dunedin Fringe and the ‘Festival Director’s Choice’ at the 2021 NZ Comedy Festival. She has been featured on television shows such as 7 Days, Comedians Giving Lectures and Shortland Street. She is the 2023 winner of the Billy T James Award and you can see her latest show ‘La Soupco’ at the 2023 NZ International Comedy Festival.

Kura Turuwhenua is a young crack up with a passion for dark and silly humour. In just a short while on the NZ stand up comedy scene, she’s won the NZ Raw Comedy Quest 2022, has won awards from the New Zealand Comedy Guild and Auckland Fringe Festival, and has made her first television appearance as part of the Comedy Mixtape. Additionally, she’s worked as a writer for the hit show 7 Days, her self-made comedy short film was selected for the Māoriland Film Festival 2023 and she’s gone viral multiple times on TikTok and Instagram.  She also has her first ever solo comedy hour Hōhā Guy in the NZ Comedy Festival this year! In fact, Kura has just won the 2023 NZ International Comedy Festival’s Last Laughs Best Newcomer Award for Hōhā Guy!

Lana Walters is a comedian and writer as seen on; 7 Days, The Project, Best Foods Comedy Gala and The Great Comedy Debate. Lana was a 2021 Billy T Award nominee and her show in this year’s comedy festival ‘Big Mum Energy’ is all about the highs and lows from the first year of parenthood.

Audrey Porne (as seen on TV3’s ‘Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee’) is an award-winning comedian living in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Her comedy has been described as absurdist, quick, dark and witty. Audrey’s tweets have been featured on BuzzFeed, FunnyOrDie, M2Woman, Huffington Post and various Invercargill toilet stalls.

James Hilary Penwarden (they/them) is a queer, non-binary writer and comedian, originally from rural Taranaki. They are a graduate of the Victoria University of Wellington Theatre programme and Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre. James’ theatre resume includes directing and acting in productions of classical, devised and contemporary plays. They wrote and performed their first solo show in 2018 for the New Zealand Fringe Festival called The Loneliest Whale in the World, exploring gender and sexuality through comedy and music. In 2021 they won the NZ Fringe Festival’s Tour Ready Adelaide Award for their debut stand-up special THEM FATALE which will be performed at Basement Theatre in this year’s NZ Comedy Festival. James is a passionate advocate for uplifting the voices of oppressed peoples, and has a background in youth work in the LGBTQ+ community in Aotearoa.