Stand Up For Charlie

Stand Up For Charlie is a dark comedy centred on the people who make us laugh for a living. It's an examination on what it means to get a laugh out of an audience -- and just how far we'll go to do it.

When the comedians are offered by a seedy entertainment manager to take part in a 'Post Roast' - a comedy roast dedicated to the already dead Charlie, questions, emotions and the dead are all raised, as the nature of comedy and the power of words are put on display. Just what does it take to roast a dead man?

The play promises to be an interesting character study on the pressure it takes to make other people laugh, and how instilling happiness in other people doesn't necessarily guarantee happiness in you. The shallow portrayal of the entertainment industry and the nature of celebrity are elements also explored in the play.

It's edgy -- the show's subject matter, along with the stand up routines that accompany it and the no holds barred, ugly truth the characters present to the audience allow a controversial look at comedy and what it means to entertain.

The first play by recent MA graduate Will Agnew from the International Institute of Modern Letters, and directed by frequent Long Cloud Theatre collaborator and current Victoria University directing student Chris Swney, Stand Up For Charlie promises to be a fresh, unique and energetic show that pushes the boundaries of comedy and gives the audience something to think about.

Overall, Stand Up For Charlie promises to be an entertaining, controversial and thought provoking romp. It's 7 Days by way of Chuck Palahniuk.