Brad Zimmerman is 24-years-old, has a massive mortgage, and is engaged to be married. But is he Grown Up? Naaah. This talented comedian had the audience at Club Ivy aching with laughter with his anecdotal, self-deprecating humour. He explored ideas of adulthood and responsibility, and managed to squeeze in gags about racism, domestic violence, ‘child enthusiasts’, sex, love, physical attraction, Porirua, and parents, which had me laughing uncontrollably. Needless to say, he was by no means afraid to be obscene.
He ingeniously whittled down most of New Zealand’s drinking problems to bourbon aka domestic violence in a bottle. With effortless ease, he segued from domestic violence to semen, and back again, without his audience losing track.
He has a real gift for rapid changes in tone and pace, going from hilarious to dead serious in the same sentence. The stunted nature of his quick switches into the serious made it somewhat difficult to keep on track and stop the giggling. This is not a dig at his style or taste, but rather, it proves his comic abilities.
Brad Zimmerman, with his wit and shining charisma, is a comedian not to be missed in the 2011 New Zealand International Comedy Festival.
Grown Up
By Brad Zimmerman
3-7 May at Club Ivy