James Roque Comes to Edinburgh Next Month For Fringe Debut

James Roque, an established star on the New Zealand Comedy Scene, is making his debut appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe this Summer with 'Badong', a show about embracing adulthood and learning to love your inner grown up, as seen through the eyes of a Filipino migrant who grew up in New Zealand. His entire life, James's family have referred to him by his traditional baby nickname - "Badong". Now that Badong has turned thirty, he's asking - is it finally time to retire the name?

Roque was on the judging panel for The Masked Singer NZ, and is a panel show regular on New Zealand Television. Described as the Filipino stepson of New Zealand comedy, he's a contemporary of Rose Matefeo, Alice Snedden, and Eli Matthewson. He is one third of the Fred Award Nominated TV Sketch Trio Frickin Dangerous Bro, and has been performing stand up for a decade. He also runs a podcast, The Elephant in the Bedroom, which is broadcast via RadioNZ.

Alongside performing Badong at the Gilded Balloon's Teviot space, Roque will be in Edinburgh performing with improv show Snort at the Pleasance, alongside fellow Kiwi Eli Matthewson.

His stand up career is going from strength to strength. His show Boy Mestizo played to sold out audiences all over Australia and New Zealand and garnered him a nomination for Best Show in the 2019 New Zealand International Comedy Festival.. The show unpacked what it means to be a Filipino growing up in a foreign land, causing one reviewer to write 'made me sob like a baby'.

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