Comedy Fest Questionnaire: Sam Smith
1) Tell us what your show is called this year? Samantics
2) Why? The show is about antics and my name is Sam.
3) Can you give us a few hints as to what broadly your festival show is about?
I love pranks and games, and this show is a celebration of them through jokes and music.
4) How much time have you spent crafting the show over the past 12 months since the end of the last festival?
I started working on it before the end of the last festival actually. I’m constantly thinking about it. I carry a little notebook around with me that I write ideas in, and then I’ve been road-testing the material since about November last year. During the night I’ll wake up and write things down. Last night I wrote “Alphabet rap”. Don’t know what I was thinking there, but don’t worry – it hasn’t made it into the show.
5) The comedy festival is turning 21 this year – it’s a big age 21 – what are your memories of being 21? Or if you’re not old enough yet, you lucky person, what are your hopes for being 21?
I was at University in Dunedin and on my 21st birthday two of my friends held their joint-21st. So my memory of being 21 was spite.
6) The Comedy festival is one big party and catch up for a month - is there anyone you’re looking forward to seeing over here either socially or on stage?
So many! I’m looking forward to Tom Green, Wayne Brady, Arj Barker and Jarred Christmas coming back to NZ. And I’m trying to get to all the local Wellington comedians’ shows; Brad Zimmerman, James Nokise, Jerome Chandrahasen, Adam Wright & Rick Threlfo, and especially the local line-up shows. Any show with a pun title is right up my passage. I’m especially looking forward to Nick Gibb and TJ McDonald’s show Anglo Sexin’.
7) What’s the comedy scene like at the moment who do you rate and why?
Thanks to shows like 7 Days and Jono and Ben at Ten we’re seeing more comedy on TV and it’s getting audiences out to live shows. I really rate all the Billy T nominees this year. I’m going to all their shows and I can’t wait. Those guys and girl are going to be big names in the near-future – so check ‘em out before you have to pay megabucks to see them.
8) What’s the best piece of audience interaction you’ve had?
Most of them are nice. The worst is the time I asked a kid how old he was and he said 37 and he wasn’t a kid he was a midget. That was awful.
9) What’s the most memorable part of performing for you within the last 12 months?
Unfortunately the most memorable gigs are the bad ones. The free gigs where people don’t care that there’s comedy on and don’t listen and talk and ruin the show for everyone else.
10) When we say New Zealand International Comedy Festival to you, what’s the first thing you think of?
The first time I did it in 2003 as part of Class Comedians. I won the Ultimate Comedian’s Comedian award. I still have the certificate in the draw of my desk.
11) How would you persuade people to come and see your show?
I’m trying to publicize the show through messages in bottles this year. I’ve got them ready; I just need to go down to Oriental Bay on a busy day and throw them in the sea. Will it work? We’ll see.
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