Who Am I? I'm Yvan. A.K.A. Dave, because it's hard to explain quickly to someone on stage how to pronounce my first name. You'll see me around some comedy gigs every few days. I'll be doing giveaways through the Facebook and Twitter pages up to, and during the festival.
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My opinions do not reflect those of the NZ Comedy Trust, nor am I an employee of the trust.
A Few Minutes with @RhysieDarby
I was lucky enough to be able to get a few minutes of the great Rhys Darby’s time for an interview. You can see him back here in May for the tour for his show “This Way To Spaceship”. You can also buy the ajoining book by the same name, released through all good bookstores on April 12.
Y: Rhys Darby, a man of many names, and noises. Murray Hewitt, Brian Nesbit, Norman, Angus, and the guy from the 2 Degrees Commercials. How did your journey from Army Signaller to world renowned comedian and actor take place?
R: Without initially realizing it, I was always destined for something other than ‘army signaler’. Once I made the first step to leave the forces, it just fell into place like a magic jigsaw puzzle. Canterbury university came next and the campus comedy club - a social group for like minded jokesters. We wrote sketches and put on annual shows, but mostly we partied and drank lots of beer. In the meantime I studied to get a degree. A degree in anything… so that I could graduate and make my mother proud. But during this time at university I really found my purpose in life - to make people laugh. I met Grant Lobban in ‘95 and we created our first comedy duo. From that point onwards I never gave up hope of being as big as my heroes like Monty Python and Peter Sellers. I moved to the UK in 2001, was headlining all the major clubs in the UK and other parts of Europe by 2006 before embarking on my big American adventure in 2007. Is luck involved? Sure… but it’s mostly a mixture of talent, confidence and good timing. And I’m always up for a ‘good timing’.
Y: You used to perform a lot with Grant Lobban in the duo Rhysently Granted - is there a chance we’ll see a reunion?
R: We’ve got back together a few times over the years. In 2003 we reformed and did a series of performances at the Sky City casino under the name ‘Readers Wives’. In 2010 we performed our hit song ‘Jandals’ at a late show in the Basement theatre in Auckland. My other buddy ‘Buttons’ joined us on lead guitar and I played the bongos with jandals on my hands. It was one of those festival moments. I think this year we’ll definitely do something similar if there’s time. I only work with a few selected people and Grant will always be one of them. He’s a very funny man.
Y: You’ve performed in a lot of countries around the world, including the UK, USA, and Scotland, how many countries have you performed in, and what’s your favourite venue you’ve performed in?
R: Gee, that’s a tough question. Just wait here while I go and check the map in my ‘operations room’ with all the comic pins in it….
Ahh I’m back, yes it appears I’ve performed in about 20 countries!! My favourite venue? Well it was a career highlight to sell-out the Auckland Civic Theatre, it really is the most beautiful one out of all them. New Zealanders should be proud we have that. But the London Comedy Store is probably the best room to play. It’s set up in such a perfect way for stand-up comedy. I performed in one of its sister clubs in East Berlin and that was also amazing - there was a free alcohol vending machine in the dressing room!
Y: People know you from all different aspects of your career. Your acting and your standup primarily, but also your work on radio. Which would be your favourite method of entertaining people?
R: I love aspects to all three. Live stand-up gives you that instant contact with the ‘energy’ of the people. TV let’s you record golden moments that would otherwise only be seen by a few and radio lets you and your listeners imagination go wild. I actually like the idea of filming a radio show in front of a live audience for TV. That way all three can be achieved. The Goons did that a few times.
Y: Is there anything you would have liked to do more of, before you became a household name?
R: Oddly enough I was about to say travel more. Which is ridiculous because I travel so much now. I have a family now with two little sons and we all travel together. I miss staying in one place a lot. But no matter what position you’re in, you tend to always want what you don’t have… I’m pretty happy with how things have turned out. Did I waste 4 years in the army? No I don’t think so. What we do shapes us. I’m glad I didn’t become famous earlier. I’m a much more grounded person now. My wife keeps me grounded. She’s like the Air Vice Marshall and I’m a naughty pilot who keeps stealing the keys for the spitfire.
Y: And what can people look forward to in your Festival show this year?
R: This is the show to complement my new book ‘This way to Spaceship’. I discover within myself how I managed to get where I am today by first projecting myself forward into space and then looking back at the antics of an ‘ordinary’ earthling. With thoughts about the world ending in 2012 I really wanted to make an effort to dream big and survive this year. It’s a classic Rhys Darby show with lots of physical comedy, acting, dancing and sound effects.
You can see Rhys’s show at the following Venues and dates:
Hawkes Bay Opera House
Tues 1 May at 8pm
Supported by Adam Ethan Crow (SA/UK)
Book online at Ticketek
New Plymouth - TSB Showplace
Wed 2 May at 8pm (Ticketmaster)
Supported by Adam Ethan Crow (SA/UK)
Book online at TicketMaster
Wellington - The Opera House
Thurs 3 - Sat 5 May at 8pm
Supported by Adam Ethan Crow (SA/UK)
Book online at Ticketek
Auckland - SKYCITY Theatre
Tues 8 - Sat 12 May, 8pm
Supported by Steve Hughes (AUS)
Book online at Ticketek
