Jeremy Elwood

Stand up comedian / Musician / Actor / Director

Jeremy Elwood was born in Canada, raised in the UK and has been resident in New Zealand for over ten years. In that time he has firmly established himself as one of the rising stars of the New Zealand Stand up comedy circuit. Combining biting social commentary with music, song and devastating delivery, Jeremy’s unique blend of audience rapport and rock and roll showmanship has earned him praise around New Zealand and the world.

Internationally, Jeremy has headlined comedy clubs around the world, including Canada, Australia, Singapore and the UK. In 2000 he toured East Timor, performing for United Nations peacekeepers stationed in the region. Within New Zealand he has appeared on three televised series of Pulp Comedy, and acted as musical director and songwriter for “At Least Ya Havin’ A Go” a sketch comedy pilot for TVNZ. He has toured with John Rowles (yes, that John Rowles) and in October 2003 was an international guest acts at the Palandri Comedy Festival, Western Australia.

Jeremy was a nominee for the 2001 Billy T Comedy Award, for his first solo show, “ Live From The Shadows”. He then toured the country as a member of the 4-man comedy show, “ The Brat Pack”, which in 2001 presented the most successful season of any New Zealand stand up act at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, at that time.

In 2002, he toured "If You Want Me, I'll be in The Bar" , written and performed with Michele A'Court to the Wellington Fringe, Auckland LAUGH! Festival and a season at Dunedin's Fortune Theatre. This show was acclaimed as "The Best Show in NZ's LAUGH! Festival" by BBC Radio in the U.K., and won "Best Festival Show" at the 2002 NZ Comedy Guild Awards. The follow up show “The Horror...The Horror.” again received critical and commercial success in 2003, and in 2004, “If You Want Me, I’ll Be In The Bar” played to sold out crowds at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

Jeremy spent the winter of 2004 appearing in several Sydney comedy clubs, performing a solo one hour show at the 1NightStand Comedy Club in Singapore, gigging at Headliners Comedy Club and Jongleurs in London, and returning to the Edinburgh Fringe with a NZ Comedy Showcase.

2005 saw a return to theatre in the lead role of Auntie and Me at the Fortune in Dunedin, where Jeremy was named “Best Male Actor” in The Listener’s round up of Dunedin Theatre. He toured New Zealand in The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), and performed further sell out stand up shows in Singapore. He also won the inaugural Hawkes Bay Professional Comedy competition (named So U Think UR Funny, although bearing no relation to the amateur UK comp of the same name), the prize for which will see him flying to the UK and performances at Jongleurs in 2006.

2006 will also see the debut of Jeremy’s new solo show, Rock Plus Roll, at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, before seasons in Melbourne, Auckland and Wellington during the Melbourne and New Zealand International Comedy Festivals.

Outside of Jeremy’s comedy career, he has hosted “The Bits In Between with Jeremy Elwood”, an eight part series for TV3, and his first play “Remorse” received a public reading under the direction of David Geary.

Whether performing for pub crowds, comedy club audiences, corporate clients or packed theatres, Jeremy’s stage presence cannot be ignored. He also works extensively as a musician, actor and director, building up an astonishing C.V. boasting theatrical work (Hamlet, Waiting for Godot, Much Ado About Nothing, Arcadia) , Television credits (La Femme Nikita, Shortland Street, Traders, PSI Factor) and film work (Detroit Rock City, Road to Jerusalem).

CRITICAL RESPONSE

“Irreverent Genius” - Critic Magazine, NZ

“ ...rocked the room...inspired stuff. “ - nzoom.com, NZ

“ Has a fine voice and plays a mean guitar” - Edinburgh Evening News, Scotland

“ Slick as hell, a true professional” - Comedyworks, Montreal, Canada.

“ ...excellent, mixing original and genuinely funny comedy with music. His popular music routine was a scream. “ - Palmerston North Times, NZ

“ ...indefinable comedic magic...” - nzoom.com, NZ

“ Jeremy Elwood stole the show...had us in stitches from the word go” NZDF Bugle, East Timor

" The humour of If You Want Me I'll be in the bar is modern, urbane, intelligent, inventive and irreverent – reminiscent of the best television humour in the days before satire was turned into homogenised, disarmed filling for the gaps between commercials." – Otago Daily Times

" Dynamic and damn funny " – Otago Daily Times

“ Rambunctious...no topic is taboo” - Dominion Post, Wellington NZ.

AWARDS