Te Whare o Rukutia,
Dunedin Thursday, March 16
REVIEWED BY TIM SCOTT
Guy Williams’ Comedy Plus Time Equals Tragedy is a delightful dive into the twisted mind of the New Zealand Today host.
Cautioning those easily offended, the set promised to tackle bold and controversial topics such as racism, colonisation and misogyny.
His nonchalant, self-deprecating and cynical brand of dark humour complemented this material well.
Williams started off strong by declaring his sincere and utter hatred for Dunedin, which left me excited to see where the set would lead.
Audio was cleverly used to make gags about Katy Perry’s Dark Horse and Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain.
I was disappointed that this set-up device was not used again until the end of the set.
Williams’ dissection of the lyrics to Cat Stevens’ (Remember the Days of the) Old Schoolyard was particularly amusing.
However, a later gag involving Cardi B’s WAP fell flat for most audience members, especially since Williams presumed none of the audience had ever heard of the incredibly popular 2020 song.
While the set circled back to risque topics, Williams delivered a smattering of light-hearted content to boot, such as the problems with comedians, parenthood and his endearingly racist mother.
Williams found a handful of opportunities for improvisation, preying on two innocent students in the front row dressed as road cones and one audience member’s prolonged bathroom break.
Despite the set’s promise of offensive gags, Williams is at his best when his jokes focus on the trials and tribulations of the average New Zealander.
While his jokes on wider issues with the world were certainly funny, they did not land nearly as well as his comparison of David Seymour’s tooth-filled grin to that of the average Mosgiel resident.
Nonetheless, I would recommend Comedy Plus Time Equals Tragedy to anyone keen for a laugh with a taste of some heavier material.
