Playing up the laughs in A Horse Walks Into A Bar: Humour and Portraiture in Aotearoa, New Zealand Portrait Gallery Te Pūkenga Whakaata will host an (early) night of stand-up comedy, featuring local comics James Nokise, Mike Fowler, and Samantha Hannah.

Friday 20 February

5:30pm-6:30pm

Tickets free, booking essential as places are limited!

James Nokise is a comedian, theatre maker, and writer whose work is often irreverent but never irrelevant. His inventive and quick-witted political satire took out the Billy T Award in 2019 and continues to delight audiences more than twenty years after his first nomination.

Mike Fowler has shared his observational style of comedy, peppered with a healthy dose of cynicism, in the Wellington comedy scene since 2017. He has made memorable appearances in multiple Fringe Festivals around Aotearoa, and the NZ International Comedy Festival, where he was awarded Best Debut for Wellington in 2019, and Best Up & Comer in the Wellington Comedy Awards 2020.

Samantha Hannah has brought houses down in laughter from her native Scotland all the way to here in Pōneke Wellington. Weaving vulnerable storytelling with punchy observations, her charming stand-up was recently nominated for the 2026 Billy T Award.

Images provided by the Humorous Arts Trust

Accessibility Information: The New Zealand Portrait Gallery is an accessible venue, all on one level. There is an accessible wharepaku at the back of the venue. The gallery has automatic sliding doors and glass doors that can be pushed or pulled to enter. We have a wheelchair available for use within the gallery, and there is low stool seating throughout. If you have any questions regarding accessibility or if there is something we could do to make your visit easier, please get in touch.