Ruth Agnew reviews The Early Early Late Show, presented by the Court Jesters in the Wakefield Family Front Room at the Court Theatre, Tuesday 23 September 2025.
The Early Early Late Show (EELS) is something of a school holiday fixture, with the first version performed in 2007 in the Court Theatre at the Christchurch Arts Centre. My teenage companion wasn’t even born in 2007 but is something of an EELS veteran audience member. The rest of the audience was pretty new to improvised comedy, but whether you’re a first timer or old hand, there’s something for you in EELS.
This is a slick, fast paced show, brilliantly executed by the quick witted cast of Millie Hanford (always delightful), Vito Strati (forgot his own name in the intro, but as a seasoned improviser, recovered with style and grace), Nelly Campbell-Reeves (a newly minted Court Jester, and deservedly so) and Jorja Baylee (my companion’s firm favourite EELS actor), with musical enhancement from Dan Robertson.
The show is made up of a series of short, improvised scenes, each one shaped by a different challenge or condition, integrating audience suggestions. The audience engagement is maintained throughout, no simple task given the wide age range present, from primary school age to grandparents. There are some simple but incredibly effective props and costume items woven into some scenes, such as a double head hole t-shirt, hardback books and nerf guns (more on that later).
We were so lucky with the cast, who, in addition to being members of The Court Jesters, the country’s longest running professional improvisation troupe, happen to also be the best rappers in the world (true fact, because Millie said it, and Millie wouldn’t lie to audience of emerging improvisation enthusiasts). Perhaps it is fortuitous the cast have additional talents, because the young audience volunteers and suggestions were so good, a lesser actor might feel threatened. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the kid who wanted a scene called “The Quest for Pizza” in the 2037 EELS season.
My seatmate and I agreed that the best scene was the quirky pairing of deportment and defence. The actors had to balance a hardcover novel on their head for the duration of the scene, and if anyone’s book fell, the scene had to restart. To add a touch more drama, some particularly feisty audience members were given nerf guns with a ration of nerf pellets to shoot at the stage as the scene progressed. Books on heads, nerf guns in kids’ hands – it was an emotional roller coaster! My loyalty to my fellow seated spectators was challenged when the eminently likeable Millie seemed to be getting an unfair blasting of nerf pellets, but we learned not to celebrate too early early, as the tables turned unexpectedly. All’s fair in love and improvisation, although the audience-actor relationship had a competitive edge from that scene onwards. As Nelly said, “You did really well at shooting us! I’m really scared of you now, but you did great!”
Other highlights were the Audience Sound effects scene, A Quest for Pizza – an epic tale as old as time, relatable and educational, and the big musical closing number, Always Check Your Pizza (For Explosives).
Leaving the theatre, I was very aware that my companion was one of the oldest there (excluding parents, grandparents and chauffeurs), and I felt a sadness that we might be nearing the end of a long-standing school holiday family tradition. I have taken my niblings to school holiday shows since they were old enough to sit unassisted. The thirteen-year-old with me today has seen every Court Theatre kids show for almost a decade, but she is outgrowing the theatrical offerings of this city. There are plenty of shows aimed at young children but not much available for teens.
We have had some amazing shows suited to teenagers in the past from the Court Youth Company (Children of the Night, She Kills Monsters), but EELS is a show that would suit an older audience than it’s currently pitched to. EELS is, as always, a fantastic holiday romp for 8-12 year olds, and the ticket prices remain reasonable. If the Court Jesters wanted to give an Early Late Show a go next holidays, I would love to support it.
The Early Early Late Show runs at the Court Theatre until Saturday 27 September.
Flat City Field Notes 