Tim Batt. Photo: Jinki Cambronero / Supplied
Is climate change funny yet? That's the question posed by award-winning comedian and podcaster Tim Batt, who is mining for lolz in looming disaster.
His show Is Climate Change Funny Yet? is currently in its Wellington season at the International Comedy Festival, after runs in festivals in Melbourne and Sydney and a week in Auckland.
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Speaking to RNZ before the first night of his Wellington stretch, Batt said the constant bad news and scary headlines about climate change can feel overwhelming - but humour could cut through despair.
"It's also incredibly human to keep laughing at the absurdity of the situation," he said.
"And I think it's really empowering and super-important, which is why I want to bring climate change into standup - because I think that the act of laughing is a really empowering thing."
Despite the serious subject matter, threads of optimism are woven through the set. Batt said ultimately he believed the human species would endure.
"Humans have an incredible propensity for staying alive, and innovating. It is going to be incredibly tragic and hard, and there is going to be a lot of suffering, which sucks, and that's what we've all got to fight to minimise as much as possible.
"But there's no doubt in my mind... humans [won't] get taken out by this."
The changing climate now touches so many parts of our lives. And the show is also wide-ranging, discussing drug-taking, having children, buying a house and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Tim Batt. Photo: Jinki Cambronero / Supplied
Outside Fringe Bar after the show, attendees said climate change is not often the topic of comedy, but it is a fertile ground for laughs.
"It's a nice change of pace... to discuss it, make a joke out of it, but not trivialise the actual topic," one person said.
Another said jokes were a good way to make a point about the need for action.
"I think comedy really brings out the ridiculousness of a whole lot of shit, right? You can't really do that through a serious discussion, so comedy is the best [to point out] how outlandish is this whole situation.
"I think ... it is actually a really effective communication tool."
The show at Fringe Bar off Courtenay Place runs until Saturday .