Politicians, Policies, and everyone in between; James Nokise’s here to skewer them all.
There are three things you can count on this election year: ministerial soundbites that age like milk, policy walk-backs hours after the announcement, and James Nokise having hot comedic takes on the chaotic campaigns around the country.
One Night Rant returns in 2026 with a new hour of frenetic, furious, funny stand-up aimed at politicians across the spectrum — no party or policy is safe. This is the one show where the news cycle does half the research, for a night of comedy, catharsis, and fist-shaking, boot-stomping fun.
James Nokise is a Samoan–Welsh comedian, writer, columnist and broadcaster with two decades turning politics and headlines into an hour of stand-up. Twice Billy T-nominated, he has won the Fred Award for Best NZ Show (God Damn Fancy Man, 2019), Best Male Comedian at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards, and the Topp Prize (2024) — a $15,000 grant the Topp Twins award personally. As a broadcaster he has created and hosted three RNZ podcast series, including The Last Voyage of the Rainbow Warrior — Best Documentary at the 2025 NZ Radio Awards and Best International Podcast at the Asia Podcast Awards, judged against entries from more than forty countries.
The hour travels. Conferences, end-of-year functions, membership dinners and industry events can book One Night Rant as a self-contained set, or a version pitched to the room and the week it lands in. James works to a brief and to a clock, the material is written for a general adult audience rather than a partisan one, and no party or policy gets an easier ride than any other — which is what makes it safe to put in front of a mixed room. Dates outside the public tour are available either side of the election. Enquiries to the producer below.
The tour runs in three streams: One Night Rant, the solo touring hour, city by city; the Election Special, the filmed and livestreamed election-eve capstone in Wellington; and Now Hear This, a political-comedy line-up night hosted by James Nokise and Sameena Zehra.
| Date | City | Venue | Stream | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed 30 Sep | Whangārei | ONEONESIX | ONR | |
| Thu 1 Oct | Dargaville | Lighthouse Function Centre, Dargaville Museum | ONR | |
| Fri 2 Oct | Kerikeri | The Turner Centre | ONR | |
| Sat 3 Oct | Pakuranga | Te Tuhi | ONR | |
| Sun 4 Oct | Hobsonville Point | Sunderland Lounge | ONR | |
| Tue 6 Oct | Devonport | Victoria Theatre | NHT | Now Hear This — hosted by James Nokise |
| Wed 7 Oct | Waiheke Island | Artworks Theatre | ONR | |
| Thu 8 Oct | Hamilton | Zeal | ONR | |
| Fri 9 Oct | Orewa | Centrestage Theatre | ONR | |
| Sat 10 Oct | Thames | Thames War Memorial Civic Centre | ONR | |
| Sun 11 Oct | Manurewa | Poppy's Comedy | ONR | 2 shows |
| Wed 14 Oct | Rotorua | Shambles Theatre | ONR | |
| Thu 15 Oct | Whakatāne | Stage Door Studios | ONR | |
| Fri 16 Oct | Tauranga | 16th Avenue Theatre | ONR | |
| Sat 17 Oct | Gisborne | Evolution Theatre | ONR | |
| Sun 18 Oct | Napier | The Cabana | ONR | |
| Wed 21 Oct | Wellington | Hannah Playhouse | NHT | Now Hear This — hosted by Sameena Zehra |
| Fri 23 Oct | Invercargill | Invercargill Repertory Theatre | ONR | |
| Sat 24 Oct | Dunedin | New Athenaeum Theatre | ONR | |
| Sun 25 Oct | Oamaru | Inkbox, Oamaru Opera House | ONR | |
| Tue 27 Oct | Ashburton | Ashburton Event Centre | ONR | |
| Wed 28 Oct | Christchurch | Little Andromeda | ONR | |
| Thu 29 Oct | Greymouth | Regent Theatre | ONR | |
| Fri 30 Oct | Nelson | The Boathouse | ONR | |
| Tue 3 Nov | New Plymouth | 4th Wall Theatre | ONR | |
| Wed 4 Nov | Whanganui | Whanganui Repertory Theatre | ONR | |
| Thu 5 Nov | Palmerston North | Globe Theatre | ONR | |
| Fri 6 Nov | Wellington | The Fringe Bar | ELECTION SPECIAL | Filmed & livestreamed, election eve |