However, I never expected a national comedian would turn my own words against me.
Let me explain.
It was the middle of March, the Dunedin’s Fringe Festival was in full flight and theatre-goers had lined Princes St scouring for some chutzpah to get themselves a-chortling.
As a starry-eyed and opinionated young buck, eager to pave my way into the world of reviewing, being invited to review Guy Williams: Comedy Plus Time Equals Tragedy was an opportunity I jumped at.
I met up with a mate and we strapped in for what had been pitched as a no-holds-barred Williams, let off the leash at last.
During the show, Williams declared something along the lines of, "I hope there’s no reviewers in the audience tonight."
I would soon discover comedy plus time does indeed equal a tragedy.
A few days after publication, my flatmate broke the news to me.
He had worked as a sound technician for the festival and said Williams had pilfered my review, referencing it in his last show.
What, I hear you ask, had attracted the attention of a seasoned veteran of the country’s comedy sphere?
It was the headline: "Comedian riffs on issues, hates Dunedin."
My review was a classic compliment sandwich, wrapped around one meaty slice of blunt criticism, but I was perplexed as to what all the fuss was about.
While I never pinpointed Williams’ precise beef with my review, he later reposted it on social media with a caption that made his feelings abundantly clear.
"Best review of my life."
In the post, he assured New Zealand he did not really hate Dunedin and it was just a joke, which given it was in fact a "comedy" show, you would hope had been clear.
Whether or not this was all a part of the gag — Williams later admitting his first show "was a bit av my bad that was my fault" — the incident soon became just another story in my catalogue.
But as far as praise goes, I don’t think I could wish for anything better.
