Best of the Billys: Comedy Festival Review

Best of the Billys: Comedy Festival Review

New Zealand’s comedy scene is thriving and the fact the Billy T Award is handed out annually shows there’s the recognition around to provide a boost to NZ comics.

It began back in 1997 and is still in rude health – this year’s latest crop of nominees are now taking their shows to the streets to try and secure this year’s elusive towel and cash combo.

Also an annual thing is the celebration of the comics who’ve won the award – and this latest crop at SkyCity showed there’s still plenty of life left in them after they win.

Amiably hosted by Paul Ego, whose MCing tended to wander into riffing as he tackled the issues of kids as well as trying to drag some life out of the lacklustre crowd (Seriously – why would you answer the MC’s initial question and not their follow up?)

As Ego said, the best of is a “smorgasbord of acts, with no deadwood” – so it’s curious to note that not everyone was firing 100% with the crowd last night at SkyCity – even with potty mouths and toilet obsessed humour prevalent.

Last year’s winner Guy Williams’ usual dry, low energy laconic style got some unexpected laughs from his attempts at audience interaction and put downs. His usual deadpan one liners and way of looking at life garnered a fair few giggles but not perhaps the broader acclaim he should have received.

Equally Mike Loder’s continuing comedy mission to offend and divide the audience proffered up some of the more edgy moments of the show.  It really demonstrated that despite winning back in 2000, he’s lost none of the acerbic edge which marks him out as dangerous as each sucker punch landed on their unexpected target.

Steve Wrigley’s opening about, erm, his opening at a mate’s house in the loo, proved to be nothing short of puerile and potty obsessed – but to be fair the audience lapped up every second of it so I’m not sure who’s to be blame there. He described his performance as “fun but with a touch of soul destroying” and with a shaky start before finding some comedy nuggets, I’d suggest, politely that he wasn’t far off the mark.

The second half saw the incredibly self-assured and cleverly intelligent Nick Gibb put the audience back on track with some smart and amusing one liners and observations on those shopping at Pak’n’Save and Oscar Pistorius (kudos for the Blade Runner gag too)

Cori Gonzalez Macuer also landed a few unexpected zingers in his downbeat style of delivery too. Despite saying he’d been lying low from comedy, he proved on the mark and divisive with some smart observations about New Plymouth strip clubs and New Zealand’s walk of fame in Wellington. I kind of wanted more from him, which is always a good sign.

But the star of the night was undoubtedly the closing act, Ewen Gilmour who won the award back in 1997. To rapturous applause he hit his comedy straps right away and never, ever let up. With a Billy T-esque laugh here and there, Gilmour certainly proved there’s plenty of life in the Westie yet. Which makes his show Mid Life Circus more of a must see.

In all honesty, the Best of was not quite the full on laugh fest it usually is; it was a little more muted – but it showed NZ comedy is in rude health. But unfortunately with more of the emphasis on the rude side of things than the normal sophistication….