Sameena Zehra: Homicidal Pacifist - Dust Off Your Guillotines
Part of TAHI Festival 2025 - Encore Series
Three haunted sock puppets leading government. S***-for-brains liberals peddling ‘both sides’ f***nuggetry as the people march for peace and their governments pour gasoline on fire. And WT actual F is a ‘lesser’ evil?
Sameena Zehra is back to explore whether it's time to dust off your guillotines (even for a pacifist, it’s definitely time) with dark comedy and delicious storytelling that will make you gasp and guffaw as you channel your inner homicidal pacifist to pen a culling list of your own.
Following a sold out season at NZ International Comedy Festival earlier this year, Sameena is bringing this show back for one night only during TAHI festival as part of TAHI Encores season.
Content Notes:
This show is accessible to Blind or Low Vision folks without audio description.
The venue is fully accessible.
No loud noises or flashing lights. Sameena will occasionally raise her voice, but will avoid shouting.
Adult, political, and other confrontational content (see title).
Also... coarse language, because... lalochezia (look it up).
Some direct chat with the audience- however, if you avert your eyes or shake your head, Sameena will not speak directly to you.
Queer friendly.
Sameena Zehra is an award-winning comedian, storyteller, actor, writer, director and blues singer/songwriter. She is a political satirist, an intersectional feminist, and a humanist. Her humour is dark and her mind is absurd, equally at home exploring the individual experiences of daily life and the larger issues of the world we live in, creating work that is rooted in the human condition, in holding power to account, and in bringing people together in spaces that are tender and robust.
She has performed her solo shows all over the world, including Edinburgh Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Brighton Fringe, Adelaide Fringe, The Nordic Fringes, and New Zealand Fringe, where she was nominated for 'Best In Fringe' 2016, and won 'Outstanding Performer' in 2017. Before moving to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2019, Sameena lived and worked in the UK where she has performed at the National Theatre and has toured internationally with the Royal Shakespeare Company. She performed the critically acclaimed season of her show Tea with Terrorists at Circa Theatre in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, (which was nominated in the ‘Outstanding Performer’ and ‘Best Director’ categories at the Wellington Theatre Awards) before touring festivals around Aotearoa.
Here's things people have said about shows Sameena has made...don't take them too seriously, it's just individuals, with individual opinions. You might have different ones (but you'll have to come to the show to find out):
“Astonishing, and frequently violent...” - The Independent, UK (that's a particularly good one)
“Outstanding...a master storyteller” - Rip It Up, Adelaide
“Funny, fiery, brave and true.” - Herald, Scotland
“Humour in every strand… Left wanting the next chapter” - The Latest, Brighton
‘...an intimate atmosphere with all the warmth, energy and enthusiasm of a full house at the Apollo. Fluency, intensity and vivacity...” - The Age, Melbourne
“Combines warmth with political passion.” - Scotsgay
“Smart and sharp... a breath of fresh air...” - Nicholas Holm, The Post
‘ ...the wittiest and sassiest lady I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching. Move over Kitty Flanagan.” - Buzzcut, Perth
(Honestly, this one's a bit over the top- Kitty Flanagan is amazing and absolutely not moving over for anyone)
6:30pm Saturday 13 September
See Ticketing T&Cs.