The Best Comedy Show on Earth

The Best Comedy Show on Earth opened in Wellington last night. Photo / Supplied

If you're a comedy fan with commitment issues, The Best Comedy Show On Earth might be for you.

The 2017 NZ International Comedy Festival is well under way in Auckland, and this week several shows are opening in Wellington.

The Best Comedy Show on Earth is a bit like a pick 'n' mix offering. It promises to be a taster of the festival's brightest stars, presumably hoping to tempt you into going to more shows.

Going by the opening last night, there are plenty of shows I'd be keen to see.

Myself and a buddy chose a seat at the back of The Rowing Club, a strategic move for a pair of introverts.

It turned out to be a wise move, as expert MC Dusty Rich was fond of audience participation.

I was happy to avoid being included, but he got some of the biggest laughs of the night by riffing off audience members. When he managed to convince one victim to impersonate a velociraptor, the resulting impressive screech drew spontaneous applause.

The lineup for this show is changed often, but for Wellington's first week it includes Savanna Calton, Guy Montgomery, Lucy Roche, Tony Woods, Sera Devcich, and Ray Badran.

Badran didn't make an appearance last night, replaced by James Nokise.

If you're counting, that's an impressive amount of local talent. Five of the seven are from New Zealand, and three of those are from the Wellington area.

So if you're feeling overwhelmed with choices for the Comedy Festival, check out the Best Comedy Show on Earth.

You'll definitely get some laughs, and probably discover a new favourite comedian.