Respect. n. Esteem or admiration; consideration.

Rhys: a surname of Welsh origin that has the meanings, enthusiasm, fervour, passion and ultimate zeal.

These are qualities Rhys Mathewson exhibits in his hour-long treat of a show, simply titled RHYSPECT: a clever play on the melding power of words. The principles of Rhyspect they serve his character, and feed an hour of haphazard laughs garnered sporadically from all corners of the room.

The 2010 Billy T Award nominee has an awkward fumbling manner, which could prove hazardous in another’s hands. Thankfully in his, it has an endearingly sweet quality.

His stand up show runs on a medley of tales which feed into his personal goals. The result is a window into the inner workings of his post-adolescent mind. More than once I felt compelled to jot in my notes ‘what a sweetheart!’

Mathewson definitely dances to his own beat; he may deem himself a geek, but he’s a funny one. I find his mumbling musings on the nuances of attracting females ‘so cute’. I can see why Nik Smythe, who reviewed Mathewson’s show The best $18 you’ll ever spend at the 2009 Comedy Festival, fell in love with him (not that Nik would use those words exactly!).

Opening night saw the show sold out, with good reason, if you have a hankering to see a young guy who knows how to make people laugh, just follow the queue leading from the Classic on Queen Street up the stairwell to the Classic Studio. Turn left at the laughs.

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Rhys Mathewson is very young. Nineteen. And for a man so young he’s got a bunch of experience with Class Comedians and the Comedy Festival and going to the Edinburgh Festival and so on. He is, if you Google him, the new generation, the up and coming, the bearer of the comedic flame etc.

Maybe so. If this is the case then I think the new generation look an awful lot like the old one. This show feels imitative. Not that he pinches gags from anywhere bar classic joke books, but I detect distinct shades of Wrigley. I think it’s the manner. Or maybe it’s the way he holds the mic a little bit too close to his mouth?

The show is based on Mathewson’s quest for Rhyspect, illustrated with anecdotes about his body image, his travels and his success with the ladies. For the most part the audience are into it, but on opening night there were a number of key jokes that fizzled out or fell flat and Mathewson plugged on with them regardless.

I don’t want to slam the guy, or slam the show. He has heaps of potential; he has charm, confidence, a good sense of audience and plenty of material to fill his hour, no sweat. He is one to keep your eye on.

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