Saleyards stand-up and good yarns

‘Top comedian of the universe’ comes to Feilding.

The largest saleyards in the southern hemisphere are quickly becoming known as a hub for live entertainment.

The Feilding Saleyards’ Cafe, where gumboots are the norm, will host it’s second live event in as many months when a stand-up comedy gig drops in this month.

Earlier this year, the cafe became the stage for Friday’s Flock, a solo play performed by Reihana Haronga. Due to its success, the show returned for an extra week.

But a new cast will enthral the winter masses for a night of live comedy on July 21. Award-winning comedian and host Ben Caldwell will join fellow Manawatu performers Dylan Stewart, Nathan Cross and Dylan Satherley.

Caldwell recently moved to Feilding from Wellington and wanted to get comedy up and running in his new home.

Doing just that, he started Parbaked LOL’S, a show made up of first-time stand-up performers. After a slow start, numbers increased and the line-up for the show had 11 first-time comedians.

Now they’re looking to showcase their comedic talents to the wider Manawatu.

Caldwell said he had gone from a ‘‘university slacker’’ to a married father of four children within the space of three years.

The unique family dynamic had provided him with plenty of entertaining stories and observations other parents would empathise with, he said.

Alongside Caldwell is Stewart, who has been performing in Auckland and Wellington for four years. ‘‘[Stewart] once won ‘top comedian of the universe’ in an award ceremony he made up while stuck in traffic one day,’’ Caldwell said.

‘‘He also won ‘greatest lover of all time’ that night, however, that award was withdrawn when his wife wrote a letter to the judges.’’

Caldwell described Cross as a ‘‘keen observationalist’’ who was able to hold up a mirror to Kiwi society to make crowds laugh at themselves.

‘‘Nathan has plans to make this country better and they revolve around him gaining his residency.’’