Hamilton fifth star of All Stars show
If some jokes are dubbed ‘‘comedy gold’’, the International Comedy All Stars must have been a gold mine.
It was close to a full house on a Sunday night at Clarence Street Theatre, something host Jimmy McGhie acknowledged during his set.
We couldn’t miss out on the one event happening on a Sunday evening in Hamilton, he said. I’m sure glad I didn’t. The Brit was one of three English comedians to fill the room with hilarious anecdotes and witty chatter. There was also a comic from Finland.
And our Hamilton audience proved to be just as diverse, with people from Turkey, Denmark and Ireland in the crowd.
The comics had differing experiences of New Zealand but all agreed that we’re ‘‘nice’’ (no, they weren’t being patronising).
They discovered that Hamilton was no longer the chlamydia capital of the country and that we are cooler than Auckland.
Jimmy McGhie and Chris Martin were on in the first half and had to test the water.
But we were in good spirits, and their jokes brought out bellylaughs and relatable I’ve-been-there reactions.
Sharply attired Chris Martin made it clear he was not Chris Martin from Coldplay but was a fan of scaring his wife.
I was trying to hold back tears of laughter during the sketch.
Ismo Leikola from Finland was voted ‘‘the funniest stand-up comedian in the world’’ in 2014 and had me laughingin literal stitches.
Then, Live at The Apollo old hand Hal Cruttenden closed the show and by the end of it, my side was truly aching.
We were in the presence of four international comedians who brought the best to our town, but I think a fifth should be acknowledged.
The interaction between the comics and the audience was accidentally the fifth star of the night.
Hilarious answers were either shouted out in confident conviction or whispered with worried hindsight.
I’m sure the performers appreciate an outgoing crew and it proved that Hamiltonians are a funny bunch.