Simon McKinney: Comedy Festival Review
Simon McKinney: A Bit Of A Yarn
What can you say about Simon McKinney?
From the false start when the lights went down at the Transmission Room and no-one walked on stage, you could be forgiven for not expecting too much.
But you'd be wrong - massively wrong.
McKinney is one of the finest New Zealand comics we have - armed with his array of accents and facial movement, he reduced the crowd to near hysteria at points, rolling around in the aisles of the underground bunker which is the Transmission Room.
His latest show is a collection of comedy moments ranging from the recognition of the New Zealand accent while on OE in the UK to junction stopping etiquette while being a passenger in a moving car.
Throw in some moments involving rocky plane landings into Wellington, speed cameras and farting OAPs and you've pretty much got the mix of the man.
But where McKinney's strength lies is the way he reels in the audience with his comedy of recognition and easy going charm (as well as spot on accents) before delivering the final sucker punch which you're powerless to fight off.
There are points in his latest show which had the two people sat next to me unable to control themselves with laughter - whether it's because they'd spotted themselves in McKinney's musings on the various absurdities of our shared day to day lives or they'd drunk waaay too much- it doesn't really matter.
Because what happens with Simon McKinney is you find yourself on a journey, the like of which you never know exactly where it's going or how it will end - but you are guaranteed it'll be full of mirth.
It's McKinney's accents which really give his stories stand out quality - the local vocal tics complement perfectly the material from the spot on Scottish accents to the inflection of the Kiwi accent in the supermarket.
There's lots to enjoy in McKinney's show - and when he diverts subtly from what he's planned to talk about, it's a rollercoaster ride of unplanned comedy.
Simon McKinney is a New Zealand comedy gem - and as the Comedy Festival nears its end, there is no finer act you could head to see.
Simon McKinney: A Bit Of A Yarn runs until Saturday May 23rd at Auckland's Transmission Room
