Review: A Double Up with Vaka and Fa’avesi

On a Friday night, two Islander comedians take over Q Theatre’s Cellar, packing the intimate underground venue with a sold-out crowd.

Double Up showcased the dynamic duo of Opeti Vaka and Richie Fa’avesi, offering an hour filled with roasting, belly laughs, and unfiltered Pacific humour where no topic was off-limits.

Having glimpsed Vaka at Joe Daymond’s Comedy Mixtape, I came in excited, knowing he’d stand out. Fa’avesi was new to me, a complete wild-card treat.

Vaka kicked off the show with confident charisma, opening with: “It starts with a V, not an F, you ****.” Instantly, the tone was set. His delivery was cool and deliberate, landing punchlines with a straight face that made them hit even harder.

His comedy is as brainy as cheeky, featuring clever jabs about race and politics alongside laugh-out-loud stories from his childhood. I was captivated by every word he shared, from playing with fire as a kid with his brother to the responsibilities of fatherhood.

He even got an easy laugh from me about the state of the treaty, claiming his birth certificate was in better condition. Whatever topic he delved into, he kept the audience on their toes, ready for the twist at the end of each joke.

Vaka easily pushed boundaries and made you think with his sharp wit. You laughed through the guilt even when the joke got close to the edge.

One standout moment involved a blend of gang culture and Catholicism, weaving in Black Power, the Mongrel Mob, and his punchline, “Man Up and Hail Marys”. As a Catholic, I didn’t know whether to laugh or pray, but either way, I couldn’t deny how funny he was, trying to hold in laughter but failing miserably.

Vaka’s banter was light and subtle yet hit hard every time as he covered topics like Treaty relations, his lived experience as a father, and his cultural identity - “too Tongan for my Māori side, too Māori for my Tongan side, and I don’t look Irish.”

I’m trying not to give too much away because it’s no fun when the cat's out of the bag, but Vaka throws out plenty of punches, landing them every time. His dry but deadpan humour was instantaneously hilarious, and I’d say, just watch Vaka live on stage - I couldn’t recommend it more.

In contrast to Vaka’s smooth, dry humour, Fa’avesi brought loud, no-filter, filthy humour and a charismatic storytelling style that stormed the stage with big energy and laughs to match. This was my first time seeing Fa’avesi, and I wasn’t prepared for just how raunchy and funny he’d be.

He opened with a dirty joke and had to win back the crowd effortlessly after making an assumption about a certain guy's ethnicity and how that correlated with the size of their ‘packages’. It was hard not to notice that his tattoos matched his “what the eff are you looking at” attitude. His delivery was effortless and had me laughing so hard my abs hurt, the abs I had forgotten I even had.

Double the talent, double the trouble - Richie Fa’avesi and Opeti Vaka bring the heat to Q Theatre. Photo/PMN News Mary Afemata

It was easy to get lost in his personal stories. Whatever he was discussing, he was animated and engaging, which added to his bravado and delivery. His storytelling painted vivid pictures, whether he was recounting experiences from outside a courthouse or sharing tales from a town I’d never heard of (shout out to Marton - “a little shitty town between Whanganui and Palmy”). He made the absurdity of his stories laugh-out-loud funny.

From bedroom antics to loud karanga impressions, Fa’avesi owned the stage with a big, bold presence. His Cook Islands and Sāmoan heritage shone through in his stories, especially when he riffed on Sāmoan stereotypes and domestic violence. As a Sāmoan, I disagreed with some of his jokes but still laughed because they were genuinely funny. Just because I found it humorous doesn’t mean I condone the behaviours he joked about. It was the comedy festival on a Friday night, so it was easy to loosen up in the crowd and get lost in the banter.

The magic of Double Up lies in the fact that while they are both hilarious individuals, together they create a dynamic duo that delivers an unforgettable night of laughter. To be honest, I could listen to these guys talk shit about anything and they’d make it funny in their unique styles.

Richie Fa'avesi and Opeti Vaka thank their sponsors after delivering an hour of laughs and good banter. Photo/PMN News Mary Afemata

My favourites were Vaka’s Israel Folau joke and Fakavesi’s story about looking for someone named 'Fat Dog'. They were random but still hilarious because of their sheer randomness. Vaka’s sly, clever social commentary pairs perfectly with Fa’avesi’s loud, unapologetic storytelling. Both share moments of cultural reflection as two Pacific Islander comedians, mixing political jabs, rude jokes, and good old Kiwi humour. I appreciate Fa’avesi’s ability to check in with the crowd to see if the vibes were still on.

These two Pacific comedy heavyweights absolutely delivered, holding the stage for a full hour and leaving the crowd in stitches. The verdict? An unforgettable night of laughter.