Kura Forrester is fast becoming one of the standouts of New Zealand comedy.
This year she was the first Māori to win the prestigious Billy T James Award since 2004.
Now her one woman stand-up show Kura Shoulda Woulda is back for one night only this month.
Kura Forrester grew up in Wellington, and it's with her whānau she took her first tentative steps onto the stage. Her sister Brooke Forrester says it took a while for Kura to find her confidence in front of people.
"Any time she was in public she went into her shell."
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As the youngest of three, Kura's relationship with her siblings is a big part of her act.
"There is a lot of comedy to be mined I reckon out of families, and the more specific I am about our family, I feel like the audience sort of go, 'Oh my gosh, yes, we're like that too!'"
At 17, Kura left home to study drama in Auckland - working hard both on and off the stage.
"It feels pretty nice to be working full-time in what I enjoy doing - so that's cool."
Forrester's hard work paid off, as she won this year's Billy T James Award for Kura Shoulda Woulda. No one is more chuffed than her older sister Bubbles.
"She's worked so hard and people are recognising how good she is."
This month Kura will be back on stage for a special one-off performance at the Q Theatre in Auckland. Her next goal is to take the show overseas.
"I'd like to be really solidified in the comedy game, so I really need to keep doing that and keep gigging and doing stand-up, and just be like mega-rich and mega-famous."
The Hui
