Theatre Royal dream achieved
The Tasman Mako might have blocked him on Twitter, but Guy Williams is sure there are 350 other people in Nelson who like him enough to fill the seats for his homecoming gig next month.
The Billy T Award-winning comedian and TV personality is coming home for the first time in three years, bringing his Some Places Tour to the Theatre Royal on February 14.
While shows in Nelson are nothing new for the St Joseph’s School and Nelson College alumni, Williams is relishing the opportunity to finally perform at the venue graced by his siblings while he was growing up.
‘‘The number of amazing youth theatre shows I’ve been to there – Peter Pan, Robinson Crusoe – I’ve seen all the greats that have stalked the boards, and been to a lot of shonky ballet performances by my little sister.
‘‘It’s the Madison Square Garden of Nelson – it is genuinely a huge feat for me to do 350 seats, and I hope I can live up to the expectations of the 2003 production of Peter Pan.’’
Williams’ live show promises to explore the many comedic opportunities presented by the global political climate. But has being the partner of Green MP Golriz Ghahraman sharpened his political pencil somewhat?
‘‘Previously I’d just mouth off, but unfortunately now, anything I say can be tied back to her, negatively or positively, so I’ve probably calmed down a little because of that.
‘‘There’s that debate around freedom of speech and what you can and can’t say in comedy – this show is going to test those limits a little bit.
‘‘You look at the Trump presidency, Brexit, and the situation in Australia, where they’ve denied global warming and now their country is literally on fire – you can’t avoid it, so that’s kind of what I wanted to touch on.’’
Booking a solitary gig in Nelson would suggest an ulterior motive for visiting his home town – and you’d be right.
‘‘The main reason is I love coming back to Nelson and Ta¯hunanui Beach, catching up with family in Richmond and going out to Kaiteriteri – I haven’t been in years.’’
However, it won’t be all sunshine and stand-up for Williams while he is home. The prolific Twitter user has some personal gripes to sort out.
‘‘I’ve been blocked by the Tasman Mako Twitter account, and I honestly have no idea why, so I’m coming down to take names and do an investigation, because I’m gutted.
‘‘I’m a comedian, and I talk a lot of crap from time to time, so I totally understand that – Sonny Bill Williams blocked me because I trolled him all the time – but I don’t think I’ve ever said one negative thing about my beloved Tasman Mako ever. It’s a bloody scandal.’’
Williams has had a funny few months since his well-received news comedy TV series New Zealand Today was cancelled in August.
‘‘I spent 10 years working in TV thinking it’ll be next year that I surely get fired. And then I finally hit a winner and I’ve got a bit of stability in my life – and I get cancelled. Isn’t that ironic?’’
Should New Zealand Today return to our screens, Williams is open to mining Nelson’s rich vein of interesting characters.
‘‘Off the top of my head, there’s a few Flat Earthers, that person who served a weed cake to a birthday party, and the man who broke into the Freemason temple and stole a human skull. That last man didn’t want to talk, which is kind of obvious.’’
In the meantime, the stand-up bookings are rolling in, including a stint at the Melbourne Comedy Festival in March.
‘‘It really is the pinnacle of Australian comedy, and one of the biggest comedy festivals in the world behind Edinburgh and maybe Montreal.
‘‘I’ve been lucky to have that TV radio and column-writing experience, but stand-up is my true passion, and Melbourne’s a good litmus test as to whether I have what it takes. In Australia, no-one knows who I am, so I really get to find out if my material’s any good or not.’’
‘‘I’ve been blocked by the Tasman Mako Twitter account, and I honestly have no idea why.’’
Guy Williams