I had heard mixed opinions about Guy Williams, the Nelson boy who has crawled his way to our screens over the past couple of years. Some say he is brilliant; others disagree, thinking him to be “unimpressive”.  I admit I can see where both of these contrasts spring from, as this short, forty-five minute performance highlights.

The picturesque Hawke Sea Scout Hall, situated right next to the ocean, is not the venue I would have expected such a well-known comedian to use. But despite my initial doubts, it is soon transformed into a warm, cosy, and intimate wee hive.

Before the curtain rises the audience is welcomed into the hall by Guy himself in a very informal manner, and it appears that the comedian is also the technician, front of house manager, stage manger, and later we learn also janitor. His commitment to – and passion for – his art is evident and admirable.

It is rather amusing to watch him running around, setting up lights, organizing things and also attempting to crack a few welcoming jokes to break the ice. It’s almost like a show outside the actual show and Williams pulls a couple of amused chuckles from the gathering audience members.

The start of the performance is marked by Williams leaving the stage (rather awkwardly) followed by a very excessive and exaggerated offstage introduction from Guy. He describes himself as “New Zealand’s Sexiest Man” (I am sure many gorgeous woman would agree) and also “the other Dark Knight of New Zealand Comedy’”. This fits nicely with his theme of “self absorbed”.

As with any live entertainment, you have an extremely small window of time to grab your audience by the ears, and although Guy succeeds, it is only by a mere inch. It is chuckle worthy, but I feel that more energy would be fabulous, more drive behind the banter. You want to start the show off with a bang, and I think it lacks just a little fire here.

The part I find particularly humorous is the announcement of “complimentary apples” for all audience members, and let me tell you, they are dam good apples!

Guy’s younger brother, Paul, takes to the boards for a brief slot, and I am not particularly impressed as his opening attempts to be funny fall somewhat flat. His timing is not great. But despite his poor start, he builds towards some great gags, chucking in everything from steamy James Bond, to brushing teeth. And let’s not forget the super little rant about coke. Paul eventually engages well with the audience, and his easy-going, conversational tone complements his comedy. 

Back to the elder Mr Williams. Guy does have a number of good gags that he shares, picking on the airline Jetstar, bread, and loo rolls. He dives headlong into themes of fame and self-obsession, which is brought up a great deal, with Guy informing us of how he likes to walk around town in the hopes of being recognized, and when he is, it is not as he expected.

He jests about his school days, his father, and the commercials that are played on his Edge afternoon radio show (Calendar Girls, and Personalized Plates). Guy also brings his Nelson roots into the picture frequently, and takes time to poke fun at some of the gigs he has done: Big Boys Toys and Big Money Finance to name a couple.

I find it interesting that “raisins” seemed to be a bit of a motif, with reference made to them four times, throughout the course of the evening, and this is hilarious. 

These are well received but I would still like to see much more life breathed into his delivery, some of the time it is dull and I feel myself losing focus.  His timing, like his brother’s, needs improving. 

He also has two segments, one being ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ and the other ‘Life Hacks’. I found the ‘New Years’ segment to be completely boring and would recommend cutting it altogether. It’s like a schoolboy trying to impress a girl and falling off his bike onto the pavement.

However the ‘Life Hacks’ segment is a vast improvement. Basically a ‘Life Hack’ is a short piece of crazy advice that could potentially improve your life. It is utterly ridiculous and there are some fantastically funny lines here that are meet with many giggles.

The evening closes with three recommendations for us: Game of Thrones, dancing, and Twitter – and we are even treated to some social networking comments (by Mr Williams himself) that make light of Bishop Brian Tamaki.

Why do we go to see comedy? Simple. To laugh. It is said “laughter is the best medicine,” and I agree one hundred percent. The majority of the audience appears to be entertained, and are enjoying themselves. There are some excellent moments, and I do laugh watching this show, however not as much as I hoped to. I am expecting a tidal wave of comedy but instead am met with a few splashes, and an outgoing tide. 

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