Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Post Post
After completing my fourth New Zealand comedy festival show, I realise how much more work I have to do to become the world's best comedian (goal setting has never been my strength, so I figure if I just aim for the absolute furthest away stars then I might just hit the top of the tree, or however the cliche goes). The New Zealand comedy festival is easy - you only have to do five nights each in Auckland and Wellington. At a "real" comedy festival you can do 28 nights on the trot if you like. Next year I'd like to do another New Zealand comedy festival, but this time preview my show in the Melbourne comedy festival before. I'm currently having two weeks post festival to chill out and reflect before I start writing a new show for next year. I'm finally learning to think in terms of writing a new show each year instead of just randomly updating my 20 minute pub set with new jokes. It's taken me a long time to start thinking like a professional. In the past I have just been toying with comedy, just because - among other reasons - I thought I was going to live forever. Now I am starting to recognise my limitations and finiteness.
Friday, March 23, 2012
It seems like only a year ago that it was only one month til comedy festival... oh wait, it was only one year ago. I'm not used to doing shows in back to back comedy festivals, so you could say that this year I've had to write a new show twice as fast! Which has been aided by the momentum I'm carrying from last year's show. I really think I'm going to have a lot of fun with my show this year and I'm already having a lot of fun writing and testing it. This year I will perform a Wellington season of my show, something I haven't done since festival 2009 - so, for me, two shows ago. But unlike 2009 I will do my Wellington season after my Auckland season, so I will go into my Auckland season cold, but not as cold as I went into my show last year because that was my first show in two years!!
My new show is called GSOH in which I explore what a good sense of humor is by looking at how my own sense of humor works, and how I write my material. A popular question I get asked is, how do I think of my material? Trying to answer this has made me look at where my inspiration comes from and how I nut out material after it has struck.
GSOH opens in Auckland on Tuesday 8th May, 7.15pm, and runs for five nights at Q Theatre.
In Wellington Wednesday 16th - Saturday 19th May, 10pm @ Cavern Club.
My new show is called GSOH in which I explore what a good sense of humor is by looking at how my own sense of humor works, and how I write my material. A popular question I get asked is, how do I think of my material? Trying to answer this has made me look at where my inspiration comes from and how I nut out material after it has struck.
GSOH opens in Auckland on Tuesday 8th May, 7.15pm, and runs for five nights at Q Theatre.
In Wellington Wednesday 16th - Saturday 19th May, 10pm @ Cavern Club.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
What is 2012
Did my final gig of the year last friday - Titters Comedy Club - then the following morning proceeded to twist my ankle quite badly while out for a jog, thus ensuring I well and truly put my feet up for a few days. In all it's been a good year of comedy, 64 gigs (two down on last year), a lot of new material written, and a good springboard for the 2012 comedy year, which I believe will be a cracker. For my fourth comedy festival show I have both an Auckland season (2nd week) and a Wellington season (3rd week). Also, in the first week of the festival I have two appearances in an unusual late night line up show in which comedians will perform other comedians' material. Should be an interesting challenge, on top of trying to write a brand new solo show in a year.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Have been accepted for a show in next year's comedy festival in Auckland and Wellington. My fourth comedy festival show, but the first time I've done shows in consecutive years. Should be an interesting challenge - am looking forward to it. Have got my theme all figured out, now I just have to write as much new comedy around that theme as possible in the next five months. Am only booked for one more gig this year, at the Classic on Wednesday night. Looking forward to summer holidays before getting married in Feb.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Well since my last post I have only got engaged to the fabulous Jessie Bloore, my girlfriend of 15 months! So, all of a sudden I have a wedding to think about and plan - I've always wondered what that would feel like, and so far so good.
We are having heaps of fun with it because, on a whim, Jess entered us into a Win a Wedding in Rarotonga competition on radio station LifeFM, and we are one of the five finalists, currently undergoing daily challenges to knock out the other four couples. We are now in the top three.
Work continues to have a mind all of its own, with me occasionally getting gigs, and TV show 7 Days returning to air this week after a 7 week break. Some interesting things in the pipeline before year's end though.
We are having heaps of fun with it because, on a whim, Jess entered us into a Win a Wedding in Rarotonga competition on radio station LifeFM, and we are one of the five finalists, currently undergoing daily challenges to knock out the other four couples. We are now in the top three.
Work continues to have a mind all of its own, with me occasionally getting gigs, and TV show 7 Days returning to air this week after a 7 week break. Some interesting things in the pipeline before year's end though.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Rugby vs Laughter
Despite its immense popularity, 7 Days – the tv comedy show that pokes fun at the week’s news – is on a seven week break for the rugby world cup. We New Zealanders take our rugby very seriously, so for seven weeks in New Zealand not only will there be no use for laughter, but also there will be no reported news about anything other than rugby, which is scientifically proven to be impossible to poke fun at.
In its defense, the network shows incredible vision by returning 7 Days to air in time for quarter and semi-final matches time, which, given the All Blacks’ recent world cup form, is probably when New Zealanders will most need a laugh. Also, there will be a little bit of comedic value on offer from the All Blacks’ opening three matches against Guatemala, Angola and Cuba.
In its defense, the network shows incredible vision by returning 7 Days to air in time for quarter and semi-final matches time, which, given the All Blacks’ recent world cup form, is probably when New Zealanders will most need a laugh. Also, there will be a little bit of comedic value on offer from the All Blacks’ opening three matches against Guatemala, Angola and Cuba.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Doing lines
The blank page, or in this case the blank white box into which I type lines of 'courier' typeface letters.
At school I used to have to write a lot of lines. I made my lines an assembly line; first I turned out 500 x "I" down the page, then 500 x "must", or even just "m", depending on scales of production. Sometimes I'd only get half of the lines finished, or else 500 x "I must never..." Ah, the inanity of school and teachers with their careers to think about.
I did however have some very good teachers. My new theory is that I can only remember the names of teachers that were any good - even if I remember them for all the wrong reasons. I must have had countless teachers who didn't impress me at all. My oldest memory of a teacher is of Mrs Bean, who I remember as being an old woman. Then again, I was only five years old. You can imagine how I later wondered how much fun her husband would be were he a teacher. The second (and last) teacher I remember from that school was Mr Denny. He was a tall man who wore short sleeve shirts which revealed his bony elbows and arms, which seemed to fascinate me. His pride and joy was an old lead-type printing press - which probably wasn't all that far behind the technology of the time - which he kept down the back of his classroom. It was on this extremely manual typewriter that I published my rather embellished story about how one night, to fool my parents, I put a doll in my bed while I hid under the bed. The punchline was, "It worked, they kissed the doll!"
At school I used to have to write a lot of lines. I made my lines an assembly line; first I turned out 500 x "I" down the page, then 500 x "must", or even just "m", depending on scales of production. Sometimes I'd only get half of the lines finished, or else 500 x "I must never..." Ah, the inanity of school and teachers with their careers to think about.
I did however have some very good teachers. My new theory is that I can only remember the names of teachers that were any good - even if I remember them for all the wrong reasons. I must have had countless teachers who didn't impress me at all. My oldest memory of a teacher is of Mrs Bean, who I remember as being an old woman. Then again, I was only five years old. You can imagine how I later wondered how much fun her husband would be were he a teacher. The second (and last) teacher I remember from that school was Mr Denny. He was a tall man who wore short sleeve shirts which revealed his bony elbows and arms, which seemed to fascinate me. His pride and joy was an old lead-type printing press - which probably wasn't all that far behind the technology of the time - which he kept down the back of his classroom. It was on this extremely manual typewriter that I published my rather embellished story about how one night, to fool my parents, I put a doll in my bed while I hid under the bed. The punchline was, "It worked, they kissed the doll!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)