rhys darby stand up tour 2022

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Rhys Darby Announces Stand-Up US Tour Dates

This morning, New Zealand actor and comedian Rhys Darby announced multiple shows in the United States for his upcoming stand-up tour, Rhys Darby: You’ve Seen My Stand Up, Now See It … Again! The first of the shows to be announced will take place in Los Angeles at famed comedy venue Largo at the Coronet.

Tickets are already on sale for the Los Angeles show, which is scheduled to take place on Monday, June 6. Tickets can be purchased at this link .

Hi gang! Remember that announcement? Well it's happening today in two parts. The first is a LIVE show here in LA.. https://t.co/p5R3WI7SP0 — Rhys Darby (@rhysiedarby) May 10, 2022

The first announcement was quickly followed by the addition of multiple East Coast dates for this new comedy tour as well. The current East Coast locations include Red Bank NJ, Newhaven CT, Brooklyn NY, and Providence RI. Dates for these shows can be seen from Darby’s Twitter below, with ticket sales to begin Thursday, May 12.

Here's the second part of the announcement! I'm heading to the East Coast for a bit (dropping my boy off at Birklee) so here's a mini Stand Up tour I've planned: pic.twitter.com/ydl6qkOuWT — Rhys Darby (@rhysiedarby) May 10, 2022

Darby most recently won the hearts of many as Stede Bonnet — aka the Gentleman Pirate — in HBO’s original adventure romcom series Our Flag Means Death alongside frequent collaborator and friend Taika Waititi.

Stay tuned with Nerds & Beyond for updates on any further date announcements for the You’ve Seen My Stand Up, Now See It … Again! tour.

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Rhys Darby: You've seen my Stand Up, now see it…again! – Tickets – College Street Music Hall – New Haven, CT – July 1st, 2022

Steve Wrigley

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Rhys Darby makes a rare return to the East Coast and the stage to perform the best bits from his 5 comedy specials plus one or possibly even two new jokes.

Darby’s fans know him for his odd, obscure view of the world. His physical style, bonkers imagination and sound effects have left audiences worldwide in stitches.

Rhys Darby is an actor, writer, podcaster and stand-up comedian from New Zealand.

Darby is most recognisable as “the gentleman pirate”, Stede Bonnet in the hit HBOMAX show Our Flag Means Death, playing opposite old mate Taika Waititi as Blackbeard.

Darby first captured US audiences as Murray, the loveable, but ultimately inept manager in HBO’s Flight of the Conchords. He has gone on to star in a plethora of TV and film roles, from Yes Man and Pirate Radio to Nigel in the Jumanji reboots. On the small screen he has brought his talents to animations like Voltron Legendary Defender and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and shows like TBS’ Wrecked, The X Files and Lemony Snicket.

Darby also has a habit of popping up in Waititi’s films including Hunt for the Wilderpeople, What we do in the Shadows and the upcoming Next Goal Wins.

Darby is never far from his stand-up roots. His stand-up has been described as a sensational blend of sound effects, characterizations and askew observations. His career has taken him from his homeland of New Zealand, to the U.K. and beyond. He has performed his unique brand of humour in places as far flung as Iceland to the Falkland Islands, and in festivals from sell out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival to Montreal’s Just for Laughs.

Rhys has five stand-up specials’, Imagine That! (2008), It’s Rhys Darby Night! (2011) and This Way to Spaceship, (2012) and I’m a Fighter Jet (2017) and Mystic Time Bird (2021). This Way to Spaceship was based on his debut novel of the same name, “A loosely autobiographical end of world companion” in 2012. It was number 1 in the international charts for 7 weeks.

Darby’s second book, this time for kids, was released in Australia and New Zealand in October 2018. It is called The Top Secret Notes of Buttons McGinty. Darby wrote it for his then 8 year old son, a reluctant reader, and has been thrilled to hear from kids and parents that they love it! He went on to release another two Buttons books, which thrilled his legions of junior fans.

Rhys’ love of the weird is seen in his stand up and writing, and for ten years he has had first a radio show, then a podcast on cryptozoology, The Cryptid Factor. Darby was thrilled when approached by Spotify to do a podcast about aliens, Aliens like Us. A regular attendee of alien conferences and star gazer, it is a dream come true.

A prolific voice over artist, kids all over the world hear him in Voltron: Legendary defender, Spirit, TMNT, Boss Baby, Jake and the Neverland Pirates and many more. He also lends his voice to animated films like Trolls, Teen Titans Go, 100% Wolf and Mosley.

In between his huge adventures Darby is based in Los Angeles with his family where they like to hike, eat tacos and explore the world.

Links: Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

STEVE WRIGLEY

Steve is well known to New Zealand audiences for his elaborate and exuberant comedy. Having appeared on many TV shows from 7Days to AotearoHA, the Comedy Gala to After Hours and his duo show with Ben Hurley World Famous with Ben & Steve, he’s proven his comedy chops to the whole country.

Incredibly creative, Steve has performed at many festivals both as a stand up, and with shows such as the multi-media interactive Office Boy and the extravaganza that is KEVIN: The Musical.

Winner of the Billy T Award, twice nomineee for The Fred Award, and owner of a house he basically rebuilt in upstate New York, Steve loves the wrestling so make sure you follow him so you can get his comments and insights.

Links: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

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Ticket price: $40 – $45, october 18, 2023 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm.

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About the Artist

2022 marked Rhys Darby’s silver jubilee in standup comedy, so he has been taking a look at all his favorite material for the past quarter century. Rhys will be bringing this retrospective show to the East Coast this autumn for a limited run.

When asked about it, Rhys said, “you’ve seen my standup, now see it again!”

Darby is one of NZ’s most successful comedy exports. Starting in Christchurch in the 90s, he has performed his unique style of storytelling all over the world. Ten years into his career North American discovered him via Flight of the Conchords. He has starred in blockbusters like the Jumanji franchise, indie hits like Hunt for the Wilder People and is currently starring in Our Flag Means Death with longtime collaborator Taika Waititi.

Rhys is never far from his standup roots. He has released five comedy specials and this show will draw from all five of them. In addition to stand-up and acting, he has also written four books, This Way to Spaceship, a loosely autobiographical novel, and three kid’s books about his alter ego Buttons McGinty. He also has a regular podcast, The Cryptid Factor, which is all about cryptozoology, the science of hidden animals.

Due to the show’s content, ages 16+ are recommended.

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Rhys Darby continues to fly his own flag of renewed comedic inspiration

On screen, his vessel may be sailing the seas with a flag that means death, but in terms of Rhys Darby ’s approach to the stand-up spotlight, he’s flying a flag that signifies a renewed sense of comedic purpose.

Closing out a short east coast tour at The Wilbur on Saturday (July 9) , the Our Flag Means Death star is feeling the best he’s felt about his comedy career in awhile, as the new Pirate-based series has not only reignited his own creative spark, but also naturally carried hordes of new fans his way, making way for a whole new level of a phenomenal experience as fans further discover his older stand-up material.

“I guess a lot of the new fans didn’t even know I was a stand-up right off the bat, so I’ve really been enjoying being online and seeing what people are getting excited about, and just the overall community feeling with, and the response to this show and my past work, particularly from the LGBTQ+ community, with such enthusiasm and delight,” Darby tells Vanyaland . “I just want to give more, because they’re really responding, so I figured they should see my stuff live instead of just through old clips online. I also realized that I’ve been doing stand-up for 25 years as of this year, so I thought it would be nice to put on a retrospective show that will show both old and new fans everything that has made me who I am today through stand-up.”

As the tour has tumbled to its final date this weekend, Darby has kept up a pace that balances a little of the rock and roll spirit of leaving everything out on the stage, followed by a streak of shows where he was able to still deliver, but in a way that allowed for a bit of restoration to an emptying tank before bringing it back to full speed in Boston. But even with the easing, Darby still feels comfortable in being able to deliver with an intensity that keeps things interesting for his audience – but that’s proven to be a bit over the top, if his legs have anything to say about it.

“Originally, I wanted to just showcase all the stuff that people have seen before, and perhaps the stuff they hadn’t seen from past hours that didn’t make it on to specials and YouTube clips, but after getting up there, and having so much fun with these very enthusiastic crowds, I ended up creating more new material,” says Darby. “It’s all in the same vein, with it being fun and observational, and predominantly physical, but I’m getting on a bit with wondering if I can still pull this physical material off after all these years. So I wanted to kick myself in that regard with this show, and it was going really well, but I pulled something in my leg the other day, so now I’m writing material that isn’t so leg-stretching in case that pulls up again, but it’s been a real experience, for sure.”

A change in direction may shake things up a bit for Darby in terms of his latest stage show, but by no means is he a stranger to the experience. In fact, before the pandemic started, Darby was seriously reconsidering his career in comedy, and specifically whether he was still relevant or not. He felt that maybe his contribution to comedy wasn’t so unique or popular anymore as a white middle-aged man with whacky, physical material about finding himself in awkward situations. 

Such was the vibe of his latest stand-up special, Mystic Time Bird — a slate of material in which he processed his mother’s passing, as well as the prospect of stepping away from the stage. The way he crafted it, Darby wanted the special to be his last so he could focus more intensely on acting roles, and luckily, the right ship set sail for Darby and blossomed into everything he’d ever wanted in an acting gig.

“In the past, I had always been number four or five on the call sheet and the person who slips in a few funny lines then disappears, and people remember my characters, but the responsibility of being the lead means that this things really kind of sinks or swims with me at the helm, and that’s just what I needed,’ says Darby. “Because of the representation on the show, the subject matter, the bizarre story, and seeing just how great this thing turned out to be, I’m just jumping with joy. The only fandom I’ve had close to this would be during the Voltron: Legendary Defender phase a few years back, so you really just don’t ever know what’s around the corner.”

While he’s battled through the stormy seas of uncertainty about his own career as a stand-up comedian, Darby has come to fully realize over time just what makes what he once thought was “unpopular” so attractive. Throughout his quarter of a century on the grind, his material has remained non-offensive and friendly, and he’s determined to keep it that way as people just need something silly to laugh at for silly’s sake. Nothing controversial, or crude, or off-brand. Just an antidote of not causing division with his words as he maintains a steady course to providing laughs and a top-notch performance night after night for his still-growing fanbase.

But as he gets to Boston this weekend, the comedy show is just a part of the experience for the New Zealsnd native, as Darby is looking forward to not only taking in the city’s hunger for comedy, but also being able to share a different kind of experience with his son while he’s here.

“I’m really looking forward to getting to the city, not just for the show, but also to show my son around the city, as he’s readying to go to Berklee School of Music for a five-week course,” says Darby. “So I’m just looking forward to having a look around the city with him, and really getting in a good amount of father and son time.”

RHYS DARBY :: Saturday, July 9 at The Wilbur, 279 Tremont St. in Boston, MA :: 6 p.m., $35 to $45 :: Wilbur event page :: Advance tickets

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Rhys Darby: Back on the road to mark 25 years!

2022 marks  Rhys Darby ’s silver jubilee in standup comedy, so he has been taking a look at all his favourite material from the past quarter century. Rhys will be bringing this retrospective show to Aotearoa NZ this winter for three shows only in Christchurch, Auckland and Wellington.

When asked about it Rhys said, “ you’ve seen my standup, now see it again! ”

Darby is one of NZ’s most successful comedy exports. Starting in Christchurch in the 90’s, he has performed his unique style of storytelling all over the world. Ten years into his career, North America discovered him via  Flight of the Conchords . He has starred in blockbusters like the  Jumanji  franchise, indie hits like  Hunt for the Wilderpeople and is currently starring in  Our Flag Means Death  with long-time collaborator  Taika Waititi .

Rhys is never far from his standup roots. He has released five comedy specials, and this show will draw from all of them. In addition to stand-up and acting, he has also written four books:  This Way to Spaceship , a loosely autobiographical novel, and three kids books about his alter ego  Buttons McGinty . He also has a regular podcast,  The Cryptid Factor  which is all about cryptozoology, the science of hidden animals.

Darby has not toured Aotearoa NZ the past five years so he is extra excited to tread the boards again.

Christchurch  – Isaac Theatre Royal – Saturday July 30

Auckland   – Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre – Friday August 5

Wellington  – Wellington Opera House – Friday August 19 Tickets on sale  Monday July 4 at 10AM .

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Rhys Darby On The Magic Of Ed And Stede On ‘Our Flag Means Death’ And Getting Back To Stand-Up

• Post author By GoneTrending
• Post date June 3, 2022

You’ve been aware of and delighted by Rhys Darby and his comedy stylings for awhile. You’re cool, I can tell. But there are some people who are just now discovering him thanks to his work on the always hilarious and sometimes tender HBO Max pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death (which just got it’s second season renewal). To them, Darby represents another perfect Hollywood story of overnight success, but he’s been steadily working for twenty years, popping up in numerous projects , and establishing himself as an international stand-up comedy wildman with a handful of specials to his name.

Darby doesn’t mind the disconnect, by the way. He’s happy to earn a paycheck, put his kids through school, and keep getting laughs wherever and however he can without straying from who he is. “I’ve always been very confident that I’m a geek, a loser, and I’m just sort of doubling down on it,” he told us when we spoke ahead of a micro stand-up tour that begins June 30 in Red Bank, NJ.

We spoke with Darby about getting back on stage, leaving the world of the underground, the power of his beautiful friendship with longtime collaborator and Our Flag Means Death co-star Taika Waititi , and what he wants to see from their on-screen romance in season two of the show.

So much of your stage style involves a lot of physical comedy. It’s not a very reserved stand at a mic stand kind of thing. How does one get to the point of feeling free to put themselves out there like that and to not be worried about vanity or looking silly? Not that you look silly, but I’m curious about the evolution of that.

Well, I was always like that really. So I have no inhibitions once I’m on stage. I’m quite happy to be as goofy as possible. And the way I perform is definitely physical, but I also play characters and I like so many different facets of comedy. Anything that can make people laugh, whether it be through movement or sound effects. The root of it all is playing as a kid on my own with my toys and doing all the voices, doing all the sound effects of the spaceships and the guns and things like that. And then kind of just doing it as a teenager on the back lawn for my mom (as a teenager) and she wasn’t really interested. And then it just kind of went from there. The comedy that I create really is quite alternative and it’s surreal in its nature just because that’s my sense of humor. I like being really silly.

And so I think so right off the bat, I was going to be a little out there on stage. And it doesn’t worry me. I think that’s how I express comedy. And over time, if anything, I’ve scaled it back in and I’ve controlled it. So when I first started doing it, it was actually pretty crazy. It was like, I don’t know, like a young Jim Carrey style, but I would play different characters and I’d move between them and do these big, outrageous voices. And I’d try and do a lot in one. I had this thing when I was very young. I felt like the people needed to laugh constantly. And so if they weren’t laughing and there was a gap in laughter, I’d be like, “Oh my God, shit. Do something else. Pull another face.” So I was really, really immature at that point. And then over time, you get confidence with the fact that “No, it’s okay. They can just laugh at the bits that you want them to laugh at. Just perform well.” And so you learn to control it. I love the idea of being able to pause and make people think, and then take my time between things.

Is part of this also the challenge of reinvention and changing?

I think it’s important to have your set pieces that you know are going to get guaranteed laughs. But on the night, you can go anywhere. And I’m very happy to use the audience, use the vibe of the night, what’s going down, and create on the spot. Because as an improviser, I think that’s in my wheelhouse. And so there’s nothing more exciting for me as a performer that’s been doing it for so long, than coming up with something on the night that I’m happy with. And I’m like, “Oh my God, I still got it. This is funny. Hey, write this down.” Rather than just doing the same old stuff.

So that’s definitely a key to longevity because you can get real tired of your old stuff. It’s like music. It’s got to be the same as the old stuff so the fans know it, like it, but it’s got to be different. I mean, how many sketches can I do that involve a robot? Or a thing like that. At the same time people go, “Do the robot!” So you’ve got to.

You’ve been a presence for a while with Flight of the Concords and everything. I don’t need to read your resume to you, I’m sure you know. But what has it been like to experience the overnight success that took 10 or 12 years to get here with Our Flag Means Death ?

It’s been good. It’s just been happy for me as a family man, just to be working for a start. And especially in this day and age, where a couple of years ago I thought, “Oh man, I’m no longer relevant. I’m just a heterosexual white guy. My only cool thing is that I’ve got an accent.” And then next thing you know, Our Flag Means Death comes in and all of a sudden I’m a lead actor in a really popular series, that is popular for all the obvious reasons that the show is brilliant and representation and things like that. You can’t write that that’s going to happen. That just fell on me. And if that hadn’t happened, I would just be continuing on doing my character roles, getting what I can and creating probably my own stuff.

I’ve always remained slightly in the underground. I used to call myself “King of the Underground” because I was very good in certain circles. If you knew who I was, or you knew the alternative comedy scene that I was in, you’d know me. And I’d pop up with little guest parts in movies and things like that. They’re always good, but now I feel like it’s boiling over and I’m being pushed out of the underground to head up to the surface. And so I’m new to a lot of people. I’ve been like, “Hey, I’ve been around for years. Go back and check out what I’ve been doing.” And people have been. And that’s been really cool.

What do you think it is specifically about the Stede and Ed relationship that just resonates so much with so many different people?

You’ve got two guys who don’t really know who they are in terms of who they should love and what love is to them. And a guy who takes a ridiculous risk, leaves his wife and kids to go and become a pirate, but is still very, very fancy and is from a background that is hard to get out of. So he can’t really change, but he needs someone who is basically the opposite to be able to change him. And that person, which if you look at Blackbeard, he’s got a very deep and dark background as well, and he’s looking for the opposite to change himself and they meet in the middle. And I think that’s why it’s so special.

And I think there’s some really resonating aspects to it with people who don’t have confidence or aren’t in the right group, don’t fit in, things like that. Everything that resonates for the LGBTQ community. And I think, on top of that, you’ve just got this beautifully made show and there’s no queerbaiting. We go all the way. This turns into a romance between two men and I think it just ticks the boxes for everybody. And the fandom online proves that this is what people want. And it feels good to be delivering that. When we were making it, of course, I didn’t know. I knew what we were doing and I wanted to do my best job at doing it. But I had no idea how much love was going to be given. So yeah, I feel really, really proud.

Obviously, the writing is there and the characters are there, but how much credit for the chemistry between Ed and Stede goes to you and Taika having known each other for so long, and the kind of intimacy of friendship and knowing someone?

Oh, it’s a huge factor. I mean, if either of us were actors that were just cast that didn’t know each other, I don’t think the chemistry would be there. Because we are playing people that are falling in love. And we know what that would be like with each other because we do love each other as friends. We’ve had each other’s back for a long time and we’ve been on this journey coming from New Zealand and trying to make it in Hollywood and make it in America, conquer the world, sort of together. He’s had my back and I’ve always been there for him whenever he needs me. And so it just felt like a natural thing.

On top of that, we are both perfectionists. We’re very similar in a lot of ways with how we create our art and how many takes we want to do. But also, at the same time, we want to make it up as we go along because we like the instant magic you get from improv and things like that. So we did these scenes together, and especially with the dramatic ones, we are challenging ourselves to make it feel as real as possible. And it’s easy for me to get upset or for him to get upset when we see each other upset because we know each other. And so yeah, it digs deeper and I think that’s why it’s come out so well.

This is so fresh and so great, but also there are will they/won’t they tropes and the Moonlighting curse [the idea that a show ends when sexual tension is resolved], and we saw so much resolution in season one. Are you happiest when Ed and Stede are together or are you happiest when there’s the chase aspect of it?

I think the fans are going to want to see it all again. Because the best parts are friendship brewing then when they’re together, but not together, they’re very, very close friends and you see, that’s probably the really, really fun stuff, because they’re just a great duo. And then they get together and they fall in love and then it could become quite soppy and a bit boring there, because love, when you’re in love…

You never see those moments where it’s just people just loving each other, hanging out, having fun. But you guys are fun. I’m good with either.

Yeah, no, I agree. And Taika likes that as well. We like the mundane, just hanging out and having conversations and going back and forth and having less action. I think that will definitely happen. But I think there’ll also be the idea of trying to find that buddyship again. I have no idea what’s going to happen. That’s right down to the writers. All I know is that when we’re together on the same side, rooting for each other to get through some crazy thing, that’s when it’s really, really fun to watch.

Season 1 of ‘Our Flag Means Death’ is on HBO Max. For more on Darby’s stand-up tour, go here.

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Rhys Darby On His Out Of This World Stand-Up Tour, 'Mystic Time Bird'

"I want to be the first comedian in space."

"I want to be the first comedian in space," Rhys Darby declares as we discuss his bucket list career goals. "I think getting beyond this world and actually working in space would be a dream come true. If there's a spaceship heading to Mars in my lifetime, with a crew of fascinating people that are going to create to the next human civilisation, then maybe I'd want to be on that ship, even if I'm in my sixties. But as an entertainer. People are still going to need entertainment in space, right?"

It's a bold ambition, but the New Zealand-born comedy star already has plenty of experience braving strange new worlds. Since 2014, Darby has been based in the heart of America's notoriously ruthless showbiz epicentre, Los Angeles. There, the standard issue dog-eat-dog mentality - the default setting for many of the Hollywood elite Darby now calls neighbour - is lightyears away from the affable New Zealand spirit of this much-loved funnyman.

During his rise to international fame, the comedy actor has maintained an unbreakable connection to his native Kiwi culture, reflected in the endearingly awkward, bumbling charm that has been an ever-present fulcrum for his various characters. Whereas other antipodean imports to the American TV and film industry have had almost all trace of their country of origin wiped away - the likes of Russell Crowe, Karl Urban and Sam Neill amongst the most high-profile examples - Darby has not only retained his NZ identity, he's made it his trademark.

"I want to be the first comedian in space"

This is in no small part thanks to the way his side-splitting talents were first introduced to the world. As Murray Hewitt, the adorably byzantine band manager and NZ-US cultural attache, with hair like a lego-man and "ginger balls" to match, he became a beloved cult figure on hit HBO comedy series, Flight Of The Conchords. It's been ten years since Darby, alongside Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, first charmed the States with his Kiwi quirks, and since then, he's built up an impressive number of other screen credits. Landing his first major movie role in 2008, starring opposite Jim Carrey in Yes Man, Darby   followed this with appearances in a string of film and TV hits including  The Boat That Rocked (2009) and   NZ-made indie triumph  Hunt For The Wilderpeople (2016) . Later this year, he'll be making his summer blockbuster debut in in the hotly anticipated reboot of Jumanji. But predating this world-reaching screen success, Darby was putting in the hard yards refining his craft on the live comedy circuit, first in his native New Zealand and then, following the success of his first solo show at the 2002 Edinburgh Festival, in the UK.

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His innate Kiwi-ness may now be the quality turning the heads of American casting agents, but it was during his time in Britain that Darby first realised what an asset his national heritage was. "I'd always been obsessed with the great British comedy actors — Monty Python was absolutely everything to me — so I wanted to get over to the UK and be part of that. But when I finally arrived there, I found that having a unique New Zealand angle became an advantage. I was one of the few acts that had this accent and this style of performance. It's funny thinking about it, because I wanted to get there and be part of something, but being outside of that was the thing that opened doors for me," he explains. "So I used that to my advantage, and in America, the biggest land of all, they really took to it. So yeah, it's become something to be proud of, the way I speak and think, because it's got that different level to it - it's different to the stock standard stuff people and can see and hear almost anywhere."

There is, however, one New Zealandism Darby is keen to shed. "I think sometimes New Zealand gets stuck in this idea of itself as this tiny rural country, a remote island at the bottom of the world. But that, 'We don't really matter, let's just get our head down and stick to farming' attitude didn't really click for me. I always felt from the beginning that I would try and seek the big time. I believed I could make it, that I was just as good as the big British stars I really admired."

It's not only his determination and globetrotting that have helped Darby forge such an accomplished career. As a performer, he boasts an extraordinary level of versatility, showing fine form at stand-up, improvisation (as showcased in the recent Australian incarnation of  Whose Line Is It Anyway? ), acting, singing, writing and even political activism. "It's something that's just emerged over time," Darby insists. "The only idea I had at the beginning was that I wanted to be involved in live comedy and I wanted to eventually end up acting. I'm happiest when I'm performing, and I've never said 'No' to anything. I'm a big yes man. Actually, being in the film Yes Man was a real watershed moment for me. I think that experience showed me where my career might be headed. Some stand-ups might only write one kind of joke or perform in a certain way. For me, comedy felt like a much bigger universe."

"I really started to think about who I was and whether I wanted to continue in comedy"

Another aspect of Darby's personality has proven just as magnetic as his quintessential New Zealandness: he's a proud nerd. "I've always been obsessed with paranormal stuff and robots and things like that. I've always done goofy sound effects and mimicked ray guns and what have you on stage" he smiles. "I don't know if you believe in things like this, but I think if you put yourself out there, if you show that you're really into these kinds of things, then one thing leads to another and you end up being part of them." Revealing his inner-geek has led the comedian to some surprising opportunities, including a guest appearance on The X-Files and a recurring role voicing Coran on the Netflix remake of anime saga Voltron.

He's also wearing his paranormal-loving heart on his sleeve in his latest stand-up show, Mystic Time Bird.  Drawing inspiration from a deeply personal event, it features a mercurial mix of emotional candour and batshit kookiness. "My mother passed away last year, and I was stuck in Hawaii working, with a lot of time to myself, and I really started to think about who I was and whether I wanted to continue in comedy. I felt like a lot of me was doing it for mum, and I wasn't sure how much I was really getting out of it personally," he shares. "So, I went to get some advice, and I found this mystical man - a kind of shaman if you will. And he believed that I was a bird in a previous existence. So yeah... it's possibly the weirdest show I've ever put out there."

Darby hopes by embracing his more eccentric qualities he'll set an example for other kindred misfits. "There's a lot of people who probably grow up thinking, 'I'm a geek. I don't fit in here. I'll just hide away in my bedroom and play computer games.' It feels like it's so easy for people to feel insecure about not fitting in at the moment. But if you can be proud of the fact you're different and put yourself out there as a bit of a weirdo, then all the other weirdos will come out of the woodwork to work with you. I think that's why I've managed to fit in in LA. Hollywood is home to a whole bunch of weirdos."

But for all its delicious Darby-brand dorkiness, there's a serious side to this latest live outing that is perhaps more prominent than any of his previous shows. Using comedy as a springboard for appealing to an audience's social conscience has become an increasingly familiar presence on the Australian stand-up circuit, most notably in Hannah Gadsby's Barry Award-winning show Nannette —  a furious, excoriating performance railing against the influences of misogyny and homophobia still very much present in our modern society. Darby believes this trend reflects the way comedians naturally respond to the world around them.

"It feels like the world has become a lot more delicate. One of the things I talk about in the show is the fact we should give more of a shit about the planet. It's about us as humans pulling our heads in a bit and realising we're not the only species on this rock. I think, as someone with a platform, I should raise awareness," he reveals. "Last year was a shit year. We lost Prince. We lost Bowie. We ended up with a whole messy political situation internationally. I think we all went into ourselves a little and thought, 'What is life all about? What is it about humans that makes us fear each other?' I think that kind of emotional state, mixed with the weirdness that our whole lives as comedians is about showing off in front of hundreds of people, has made many comics question whether or not they should use their performances to say something important. And I think the answer to that is yes. Yes we should."

Rhys Derby's  Mystic Time Bird  headlines  Just For Laughs, 18 Aug at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney, before touring nationally. 

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This Way To Spaceship Book

If the world really does end when the Mayan calendar runs out on 21 / 12 / 12, Rhys Darby has a plan. He is fairly sure that the superpowers will have spaceships to evacuate VIPs from earth. The question is, has he done enough to get on board?

A cool book. You should buy it. Now available on Amazon.com.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW ON AMAZON.

It’s RHYS DARBY Night Movie

The second comedy special from standup Rhys Darby filmed at the Mighty Civic in Auckland, NZ after touring LA, UK, Australia and NZ. This is cool. You should buy it.

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW ON MIGHTYAPE.CO.NZ

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW ON iTUNES (NZ)

This Way To Spaceship Movie

Rhys Darby returns with his third comedy special, This Way to Spaceship, a loosely autobiographical science fiction standup comedy show based on the bestselling book of the same name. From meek-geek to king of cool, this is the story of the nice guy finishing first.

It’s cool. Get it now on iTunes .

CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW ON iTUNES (US)

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Rhys Darby has a stand-up special: “Imagine That”

If you missed Comedy Central's network television debut of Rhys Darby 's stand-up special, "Imagine That," well, then, you missed it. Or did you, really? Comedy Central broadcast the special at midnight Friday, with no plans for future broadcasts on the schedule, at least for the time being (with Comedy Central, specials can reappear at any time, and sometimes at the oddest times). Anyhow. You want to know how "Murray" from HBO's Flight of the Conchords  is as a stand-up?

Turns out he's an odd mix of his self-deprecating character from the HBO show, lightweight stories about his childhood and history in the New Zealand (or is it Kiwi?) army, with a heaping portion of sound-effects as if he were New Zealand's answer to Michael Winslow. Which he may very well be. No, seriously. That's what you get. I was as surprised myself when I first saw him make helicopter and robot noises during a live spot in one of Ellen Degeneres' variety shows at the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. So you are forewarned, or at least sitting down now? Good. Here is a clip of Rhys Darby doing his robot:

And now, here is he showing us how when he played war as a kid, he really got into it. Cue the guns:

Imagine That was filmed in 2008 at the El Rey in Los Angeles, and came out on DVD late last year. But despite airing on Comedy Central, it's not available for North Americans to buy on DVD (import only!). So you'll just have to be content with getting your Rhys Darby fix via Internet videos and Flight of the Conchords . Which may just as well be for the best. Imagine that.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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