An Almighty Yes

Emma Lange returns to the stage in the NZ Fringe season of AN ALMIGHTY YES, her bittersweet new solo comedy about a brain tumour.

When doctors diagnosed pioneering comedian Emma Lange with a malignant, incurable brain tumour, her humour saved her from dark days and tough times. From the depths of that experience comes AN ALMIGHTY YES, a solo show combining absurdist comedy with honest testimony from a performer returning to the bright lights for the first time in years.

AN ALMIGHTY YES is a cancer journey like no other and demonstrates the power of the mind to maintain optimism and positivity in the face of the worst kind of news. Along with music, audience participation and deeply personal storytelling, the one-hour show features Emma performing a range of outrageous characters including the Deaconess Fanny Bribery, who casts out Beelzebub while wearing comfy brogues, a dancing sausage and hot Donny, Emma’s inflatable boyfriend.
The joyful result is a cloudburst of fresh air and enlightenment – a theatrical uplift for anyone dealing with big life challenges.

“Illness is everywhere, affecting nearly every household, yet is so often treated like something that should be handled in private. This is bonkers,” says Emma. “My brain tumour has led me to have utterly remarkable experiences. AN ALMIGHTY YES is inclusive and joyous, whilst not shying away from the realities of life and death. It’s a real opportunity to connect around the struggles that life contains, whether it be disease, middle age, separation, grief or Covid.”

Emma Lange is a comedian’s comedian. Her absurdist stand-up routines were an unmissable fixture of the 1990s “Classic” comedy scene amid a talented crop of contemporaries like Rhys Darby, Michèle A’Court and Justine Smith, who says of Emma: “We are all just choo-choo trains on the track she laid down”. She’s written for numerous TV comedies, hosted shows on More FM and Radio Live, and has long been a Topp Twins collaborator. The call of the southern wilderness has often taken her far from urban stages, which makes an hour-long solo Emma Lange show a rare and exciting prospect indeed.

“No one else is like Emma Lange. She is so original. You’ll never have seen anything like you see when Emma Lange comes out.” — Dame Jools Topp

“Emma Lange is, without exception, the funniest person I have met. She breathes funny. She’s funny just in the way she blinks. We have all been waiting for this show for a long time - just for the sheer joy of spending an hour watching her breathe and blink.” — Michèle A’Court

“It was the best show I’ve seen all year. I can’t recommend it enough. I was feeling like shit when I went in and now I just feel so much better!” — Jodie Rimmer

“Audacious, knowing, and beautifully timed. Emma dodged cancer so she could make top jokes about it. This was a very good deal for all of us.” — David Slack

“I’ve just seen Emma Lange and it was hilarious. I laughed. I felt emotions...I would see it again.” — Donna Brookbanks

Don’t miss the NZ Fringe Festival season of AN ALMIGHTY YES, comedy with pathos about living with cancer schmancer.