NZ’s funny girl returns for ‘round two’
Last time she was in Taranaki, comedian Melanie Bracewell had just as much fun as her audience.
A couple of months ago the 22-year-old performed in New Plymouth and following the show she met up with some locals and made a night of it.
‘‘Myself and a few of the other acts, we sat in a bar and some friendly people came over and we just spent the whole night with them,’’ she said. ‘‘It was quite fun.’’
She had since heard from one of them who suggested a ‘‘round two’’ could be in order when she returns to the region this weekend to perform as part of the Best Comedy Show on Earth gig.
The show is halfway through a 13-stop nationwide tour which kicked off last month.
The lower North Island lineup includes Bracewell, Brendhan Lovegrove, Justine Smith, James Nokise, Nick Rado and Fan Brigade. The Auckland-based entertainer said the tour was going well and the comedians had been performing before some ‘‘pretty big crowds.’’
‘‘It surprised me. I’ve never really been on a tour before but it’s been really awesome.’’
The comedy world is still fairly new for Bracewell who is relatively fresh to the scene.
As seen on 7 Days and heard on Radio Hauraki, the graduate of a Bachelor of Communication performed her first ever solo show at the NZ International Comedy Festival this year and won Best Newcomer 2017.
In her short time as a comedian she’s quickly become regarded as one of the funniest women on stage.
‘‘It’s been pretty awesome,’’ she said.
‘‘I’m really lucky in that regard that I discovered this sort of stuff while I was still at uni so I didn’t have that ‘oh no what am I going to do’ thought.’’
Fairly comfortable with being under the spotlight, Bracewell said being on stage was ’’fun and rewarding’’.
Once she gets that first laugh any pre-existing nerves disappeared and she ‘‘relaxes into it,’’ she said.
Her material is usually based on her own life experiences and other random observations.
‘‘I kind of just take the piss out of myself a lot while on stage, ‘cos might as well.’’
Bracewell never aspired to become a comedian but rather was coaxed into entering the 7 Days Comedy Apprentice competition by a few friends about three years ago.
She gave it a go and made it through to the finals.
While she admits it was terrifying Bracewell caught the comedy bug and decided she may as well pursue it professionally. ‘‘It’s all paid off and no regrets.’’ Looking forward, she has not set herself any goals to tick off within the industry and is simply riding the funny wave.
‘‘I think with comedy you just have to make your goal stupidly ridiculous and anything you get on the way is just a step towards that.’’
For now she’s pretty content sharing stages with the likes of funny guy Ben Hurley, and other New Zealand classics such as Justine Smith.
‘‘It’s really cool to have been really inspired by these sorts of people and then be working alongside them and stuff.’’
The Best Comedy Show on Earth is at the TSB Showplace on Saturday. Tickets are available at Ticketek. - Tara Shaskey