Comedy Fest Q&A: Ben Hurley

Comedy Fest Q&A: Ben Hurley

BEN HURLEY
THE RECKONING

1)Tell us the name of your show
The Reckoning i.e.here are some things that I reckon

2)Which came first – the show name or the show content?
Great question, the name and show concept came first but then I realised that quite a bit of my material are “things that I reckon” so it all fit together in a beautiful synergetic conglomeration.

3)C’mon, be honest….
The title

4)Any other working titles for the show?
Ben Hurley; Breaking Dawn. Someone took it though

5)How long – honestly- have you been working on this?
3 years, the last 2 Comedy festival shows I’ve done with Steve Wrigley so this has been brewing for a long time.

6)Who’s your biggest comedy rival – and why?
Silence. It hurts me.

7)Who’s your biggest comedy friend – and why?
Clapping. It validates me

8)Which show is your must see? Why?
Jamie Bowen’s show this year will be amazing

9)Give us your definition of a great night out during the festival.
A great show by a local comedian followed by a dinner at Tanuki’s, then a lesser known international, then drinking at The Classic till all hours.

10)What goes through your mind, the minute before curtain goes up?
Is my fly up?

11)What about when you’re on stage?
I should have checked if my fly was up - What’s that breeze? Are they laughing at my jokes or something else? Penis.

12)How easily distracted are you?
Let’s just say, when writing, the internet is not your friend

13)Give us your dream comedy line up.
I’d MC. Louis CK, Mickey Flanagan, Craig Campbell and the Pope

14)Just finally, where will you be in 5 years’ time.
Filling out Darrens’s Q and A question, where did it all go wrong?

BEN HURLEY performs THE RECKONING (AKL 25 & 26, 29 April - 3 May & WLG 12 - 17 May) and hosts the line-up show NEXT BIG THINGS (AKL 28 April & WLG 5 May) all as part of the 2014 NZ International Comedy Festival in cahoots with Old Mout Cider Comedy Gala (24 April – 18 May). For more info visit www.comedyfestival.co.nz