In October, nine death-defying Wellington stand-up comedians will face the comedy challenge of their lives when they prepare to “Stand-Up and be Counted”.

The nine, ranging from professionals and semi-professionals to recent rookies, auditioned successfully for a new radio comedy series called Stand-Up and Be Counted, to be broadcast on Radio New Zealand, National Radio.

The participants’ challenge will be to research, write, develop, rehearse and then perform a brand new comedy routine. All live and all in the space of half a day! However, the subject for their new material will be, well, imposed on them by the show’s creator and producer Mike Bodnar.

“Each week I’ll take three different comedians to a ‘secret’ destination somewhere in Wellington, where they’ll be immersed in that particular environment for around two hours,” explained Mike.

“They’ll then have up to three hours to develop brand new comedy material based solely on where they’ve just been, what they saw and what they did there. And then – here’s the big challenge – they have to perform their new material that very same evening before a live audience, and for broadcast on radio. High stakes!”

Each week the live audience will choose a “winner”, based on who most closely sticks to topic, delivers high quality material and gives the best performance. “The winners from the first three weeks will then compete against each other in the final week armed with a new topic and new material from yet another secret location,” says Mike.

Those taking part are veteran comedians Fergus Aitken, Derek Flores and Benjamin Crellin, with relative newcomers Matt Mulholland, Jim Stanton and TJ McDonald and recent rookies Danni Taylor, Hilaire Carmody and Chelsea Hughes. Mike Bodnar, a part-time funny man himself, will host the show.

“The comedians have no idea where they’ll be going,” says Mike. “All they’ve been told is that the destinations will be local, and mostly typical, everyday places. Or not. Naturally I can’t give away any more than that!”

Stand Up and Be Counted will be recorded each Wednesday evening in October at Katipo Cafe, 76 Willis Street, Wellington, home of the regular monthly “Willis Treat” comedy collective. You can hear the results, beginning with heat one on 18^th October, in The Laugh Track, just after the 2pm news in The Arts on Sunday with Lynn Freeman on Radio New Zealand National.

And what does the ultimate winner get?

“Glory!” says Mike. “And I’m sure they’ll all benefit professionally from the challenge. In the end I think everyone will get a laugh out of it.”