Grape laughs with toga comedy

Barnie Duncan can tie a toga and catch grapes in his mouth - but not both at the same time - as he prepares to perform his hit show, Constantinople, at Auckland's 2012 International Comedy Festival.

Born in Manawatu, Barnie has lived in Auckland since he was 11 and appears in film, television and theatre.

He created Constantinople in just four days for last year's Auckland Fringe Festival. Intended as a solo show, it ended up featuring a second actor.

"It was an experiment about some theories I had developed about what you can and can't do in theatre. I wondered who wrote these rules and thought surely there were more ways to make people laugh," he says.

For nine years, Barnie and fellow Aucklander Trygve Wakenshaw have run a theatre company, Theatre Beating, and have been touring Constantinople as a two-man show for nine months - last month at Adelaide's Fringe Festival and at Melbourne's Comedy Festival. Barnie says he struggles to fully explain the piece to people; it has to be seen and experienced.

He wiggles his moustache and does his best.

"It's a semi-historical, inaccurate look at the founding of the great city of Constantinople. It's joyfully absurd physical comedy, quite Pythonesque.

"The piece loosely follows the Emperor Constantine, from the moment he finds the city to an assassination involving fruit.

"The important thing is it's very funny.

"Oh," he adds, as though it's a natural theme, "early 90s' house music features heavily."

At last year's Auckland Fringe Festival, the piece was selected for The Edge theatre's STAMP programme.

That meant it was guaranteed a venue and production help for this year's Comedy Festival.

Barnie says a couple of special elements mark what will likely be Constantinople's last two performances in its hometown.

"There will be a big chorus of toga-clad people at some stages. And I can happily announce that with regards to the early 90s' house music element of the show, Bevan Keys will be featuring - in a toga. Think Bacchanalian house party.

"The idea is that once the show ends, the revelry keeps going and it's a big party.

"I'll deejay, Bevan will deejay, there'll be Roman spelt bread on the tables and lots of grapes."

Later this year Bevan and Trygve will return to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where they performed Constantinople to rave reviews last year.

The pair's next project is to rework their children's show, The Magic Chicken, for a North Island tour in July which will be attended by Australian producers.

"The show is our best product and our chance to get into the International Arts Festival Circuit, which would sort us out financially."

2012 International Comedy Festival, April 27-May 20

Constantinople , Winter Garden, Civic Theatre, May 7-8, 10.30pm

Tickets, festival details: comedyfestival.co.nz, or phone 0800 289 842