Tom Sainsbury wears many hats - actor, writer, comedian, director, host, influencer - across film, tv, stage, and social media here in New Zealand and on international projects.
Kiwis might know him for his political impersonations or shows like Wellington Paranormal.
Tom is hosting a winter special of New Zealand’s International Comedy Festival, and having just returned from a very glamorous international sojourn, he joined Jack Tame in studio for a chat.
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from news Talks atb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Tom Sainsbury Wear's Many Hats, actor, writer, comedian, director, host, influencer,
Oh you'll hate me saying that. Across film, TV, stage
and social media. You might know him, of course, for
his political impersonations, or for shows like Wellington, paranormal shows
like Educators. And Tom is hosting a winter special of
(00:34):
New Zealand's International Comedy Festival and having just returned from
a very glamorous international Sojean, he's here with us in
Studio Calda. Good morning, Hi. It's so good to see
you always, and you've just returned from Monaco. So ain't
you don't look you don't need to just rub it.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
A show off my gold. No, I couldn't get into
the main casinos.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Just explain to us why you have been in Monaco,
of all places, Because we liked on Saturday mornings. We liked,
you know, in the depths of winter, we life to
think about slightly more exotic warmer climbs.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah, well I was over there. It's all feeling like
I'm flexing, but it's not. We we scraped and saved
and we went over to the can Film Festival to
pitch a new film. Okay, right, right, And while we
were there, it was like there's a few kind of
days floating around, so like three days and we're like
I was there randomly with some other friends that with you,
and we're like, let's go to Monco for the day
because I've been obsessed with I've been obsessed with micro
(01:31):
states from my entire life, like you know, microstates Luxembourg. Okay,
of course, yeah, and I still haven't been. I had
the opportunity to go to San Marino. I love Samarino. Yes,
have you been to San Marina?
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I haven't been to San Marina. I thought I cheered
them more on the Olympics.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
When you are going to San Marino, please reach out
and let me know and if if it can happen,
I'm joining you in San Marino. But anyway, we were
there and we so we spent that kind of a
day there. It's all you really need in Monico. We
were there the day before the Formula one race, so
that all set it up.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So there was lots of kind of asked this is
sounding a bit like a flex You can't know you
had a bit of downtime just before you head it
off to Khan.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And wait until you know that I was invited into
the palace and I'm now friends, but no, I'm not.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Across the Yeah, my gosh. Okay, So what were you
impressions of Monaco? Then? What is it? I because I
think it looks awful from the outside. It looks like
too much money and not enough taste or people who have.
Maybe that's not fair, maybe that's but you know what
I mean, though it does seem a bit it's showy.
It's a showy place.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
It is a showy place, but it's also kind of
like there's an element of it where they don't want
to kind of be ghost so that the really wealthy
people don't kind of show. It's not like Vegas with
everything's kind of fleshy, fleshing lights and stuff like that.
It's almost it's more like implied wealth, right, which you
would relate to I do.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I relate very closely, just like how do you imply wealth?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Uh? Well, you know, well, just the clothing is just pristine,
you know, stem but not showy, like perfectly. It's like Taylor's.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Okay, It's like it's as though you're perfectly tailored and
it's been professionally launded. Is all of your clothing has
been professionally launded. That's a flex.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
That's a flex and it's the you can you can
kind of.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Someone's iron the sleeves as well as the main part
of the shirt you got up. It's fancy and.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
If you were to have any kind of bling, it
would be your cuff links.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
We're not a watch Oh no, yes, the watch tea,
I feel like, yeah, yeah, and they head watching watching
watching watch watch stores and boy with the expensive.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Were they crazy? Yeah? Because you know, is it the
partique Philip. That's the one where they say I only
ever see these ads when I'm like, you know, at
an airport, and that's something that's the post. It's the one. Yeah, yeah,
that's that's how they do it. They have the pose.
But that the tagline. I think it is for the
partic fleet. They say, no one ever owns a partic
for leet. You merely look after it for the next generation.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
You see.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
You just don't get that with your Cassie. Well you
g shocks, Yeah exactly, Okay, that sounds like you would
fit right and you can kind of appreciate that level
of wealth, you mean, like fewer Lamborghinis, Ferraris and stuff
despite the formula one.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah you got it.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
You didn't say around for the formulae I was.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Thinking about I was thinking about going for it, but
the que because I was staying in Nice, which was
a lot cheaper, just down the road. And it's just
down the road. But the next day, like the cues
to get onto the train to go the other side,
I don't have done for this, so I didn't do it.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
That's a flex. That's a flex. There. There's the real flex,
being able to say I'm here, I'm in Monaco at
the Grand Prixs on I'm not going to go yeah. Yeah.
How did the pitching go? Are you allowed to tell us?
Or is it?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
It kind of like these kind of things, it's a beginning.
You kind of meet these people and then you've got
to develop the relationship. And our pitch went quite it
went quite well. But it's all kind of a shifting sands.
No one wants to make the first move. We've got
people that are kind of interested, but no one until
something comes, you know, it all has to lock into place.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
How do you pitch it. How do you pitch a film?
Is it like shark tank?
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Well, our specific thing what like most people don't. But
we were very kindly kind of hosted by the New
Zealand Film Festival. They kind of that's right. They were like,
do you have a genre piece? And so there are
seven random international film festivals around the world and they
all select filmmakers to pitch their next idea. This is
(05:31):
called the Fanta Fantastic seven and you so it's all
from So we were pitching against like an Egyptian film
company at Lithuanians. They were Lithuanians. All the Lithuanians I know,
and they would probably be the eight yep.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
That's more than most people know.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Are wonderfully eccentric. And these filmmakers their film was like
bonkers and they were bonkers and I love and you were.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Like I'll buy this film. Yeah, yeah, okay, And so
you go into this environment and you have to You've
got five minutes, and so you turn into a show
you do okay. And the thing is, I've just been
doing months of comedy festival where you come on you
say joking that laughs. I tried jokes on these.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Probably have people couldn't understand my egsent Someone was falling
asleep in the audience. Other people were kind of chatting,
and like it's that kind of environment.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So basically you go in and they're treating you with
disdain from the word.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Game and a very few laughs that Lithuanians did last,
of course, and also like I didn't. I hadn't really
considered how hot it would be, Like it's the south
of France in the middle of summer. I swear, thankfully
my shirt was kind of light, but there's still you
could still see the sweat. You could see it from
the outside. Yeah, oh that's that's a punisher. AE.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
There's nothing you can do about that either, because it's
the classic. It's like trying to lower your heart rate.
When you become aware of it the moment you're sweating,
you say, I need to stop sweating, and it makes
you sweat more. I used to have that problem sometimes
on television, and I would put paper towels under markets.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I've heard sanitry pets are also very good.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It's not dignified though. You look around Monaco. No one
that doesn't give away.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
The re organized it so that they don't swear. They're
never in a situation where it's too hot and it's
not perfect.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
That's again another like subtle indicator of wealth. Yeah, so
so the Lithuanians are probably talking about you like you're
talking about the Lithuanians saying, Oh they're quirkiest, likely eccentric,
really love their film.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
It's really good.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Cool. Yeah, when do you reckon, you'll find out you
just gotta.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
We've got it. Feels like the Brits are the most
impressed by us, and so it's it's kind of how
do you you're kind of pitching to people who will
kind of represent the film in that country, whatever kind
of country you're you're pitching too. So we have to
kind of we have to get New Zealand on board
(07:45):
now and get all the funding here for them to
trying to jump on board. That's the Bible verb.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Can I don't tell me anything you're not supposed to do.
But there's the film because Luke Trek was kind of
like there were comedic elements, but it wasn't strictly a comedy, right,
so when people said, oh my god, Tom sains with
making this day, but like it wasn't designed to be
a laugh minute or anything. So, so is this film?
What sort of genre would it?
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I would maybe it's similar, Like I think it's really funny.
It's basically the kind of premise of it is like
a foreign exchange student living with it, like a New
Zealand dairy farming family in a micro state in a
micro state exactly. And I just love, like I just
my whole obsession is the New Zealand character and how
(08:28):
New Zealanders behave, Like I've spent years thinking about it.
So it's all my kind of comedy. So we'll see.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
So it's interesting because I'm sure people ask you this
when you're or you think about this when you're touring.
And I wondered, how your because so much of your
comedy relates to the New Zealand psyche and New Zealand
personalities and stuff, do you ever stress about how well
that translates to other countries and cultures?
Speaker 1 (08:54):
One hundred percent? In fact, it was only it was
only this year twenty twenty fours for some have performed
in Australia, going how am I going to be taken
in Australia.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
So the problem with Australia is that there are so
many kiwis as well, that's not the problem, but.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
You know, yeah, yeah, but I would do a shout out.
I'm like, who here's New Zealand. Who's in heavy gig
around that? And it was always about a quarter would
be Kiwis and the rest would be Australians. And I
think I just think Britain, Australia and New Zealand are
so culturally similar, just product difference, but how we kind
of you know, and I'm speaking of the kind of
(09:28):
the white western kind of vibes. I think that that translates.
It's interesting. I did a video of the best video
I've ever done. It's got two and a half million views,
and it's just just a stupid one of someone eating
chips but making like a real kind of performance on
the life's just like brushing their fingers and brushing their
mouth and getting rid of the crumbs and just doing
it like that and then repeating and repeating and just
(09:49):
like just pull yourself together, these people. But it's done
so hugely in America for some reason, and specifically with
like African American culture, and so it's like I've got
all these kind of African Americans kind of following me,
and then they kind of get the keys they know.
And then back in the day, I did this gag
about a woman like cutting you here in her south
(10:09):
and she couldn't quite get the level throat so just
be sure, And that got millions of views in South Africa.
I don't know what, like who knows that there must
be here comedy in South Africa? So I don't know,
it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, I must have been was likely concerned when you
said you were talking about white Western vibes going in
this interview. Yes, so if the Brits are may be
interested when you're pitching you can kind of they can
kind of appreciate that, yes, more than more than some
other cultures or would necessarily pick up on that human.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
One hundred percent. Yeah, and probably Brits more than Australians
that we've kind of pitched the study because it's all
about comedy of manners and like passive aggression and not
being able to really communicate your feelings as y Zeeland
dos a want to do and so, and like the
Australians haven't really vibed with that. They don't really understand.
They're like, why are they baving like this? You don't
get it? But the Brits do.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Can you distill? You pick up those quirks in our
national character? But do you just add a movie night
and someone has a funny thing with chips and you
pick up on it, like are you is it a
conscious thing or does it just they are?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
It's all a variety. I think the chips thing is observation. Yeah,
that's an observation.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
It's an observation, right.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
But so at some point you've I've seen someone going
going to town eating chips, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
And you've thought I can I can do that and
that's funny or.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
I'm more like mild irritation. That's sort of like that. Yeah,
and it's so stupid, Like who am I to judge?
Speaker 2 (11:40):
But you must there must be a kind of like
is there are you you know? Are you conscious? Do
you go about the world thinking like with your eyes
wide open looking at everyone going, oh my gosh, look
how they're reacting? Or is it? Does it just kind
of happen by osmosis.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Osmosis a lot, But when you're kind of in the
zone of making regular or daily videos, you're kind of
attuned to it. So when something does come into your consciousness,
like you put it away into the diary.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
It strikes me that you are just doing so much stuff,
or at the very least you have been evolved with
so much stuff over the last couple of years. And
I mean, no one thinks anyone gets into comedy to
make gazillions of dollars. But do you Are you in
a position where you're saying no to stuff? Do you
feel like you can say no to stuff?
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Emotionally? I don't think I can. I'm compliance and psychologically
it is really important to me co'pplying to people. I'm
being compliant, but I can. It would be a lot
of people if I did say no to things just
for scheduling and stuff, and I can. Financially I could. Yeah,
so financially I'm fine.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
And but I mean even creatively, like, do you do
you feel like you can say?
Speaker 1 (12:51):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That's actually not right for me right now. I really
want to focus my attentions. Here are you doing. You're
making films, You're doing your comedy stuff, like you're doing
stand up, you do stuff on social media, plus you're
writing plays. You're like you're doing everything.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Yeah, yeah, yes, it's complicated that I should be a
lot more kind of savy about that, and I should
restrict myself.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
But not necessarily.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
I do like most of the ideas. I'm like, I'm
really buzzing with and then I get to say I'm like, oh,
I'm swamped and I have to say no to the
next project. And then someone pitches something to me. I'm like,
that is good.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, we're speaking. Even though we've had the comedy Festival
this year. I love this idea. Three nights right, Basically,
we're having a midwinter celebration. Yes, you've been roped in,
just give us the details. What's the plan?
Speaker 1 (13:40):
So I'm hosting an I'm hosting an evening on the
twenty second of August down at the waterfront are the
ASP look, I should know these details, but I fancy
theaters and other flegs. I'm hosting the comedy Garlaite, so
there's a power. I think there's about ten comedians coming
in and I'm kind of hosting it and running it
(14:01):
in some great comedity like David Koreos if you haven't
seen him or know about him. Real Yeah, bonker, I
think I can safely say bonkers.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Yeah, can take it is a good thing.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, And then Courtney Dawson is also great, like she
just so confident. But there's a whole lot that Wilson Dixon,
Jack can said and things. And I'm going to be
hosting it, so I'm back and forth on the stage.
But the amazing thing about a lineup is all these
amazing comedians and doing like five or six minutes each
and it's the best.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Of Oh that's great. Yeah, So it's like, yeah, yeah,
it's kind of snackaball, yeah, but very funny, snackable.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Very funny and also like you're onto the next thing
before you even.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Realize that, yeah, drag fantastic, also excited, and I just
think it's a great idea to have it in the
middle of winter. Is like a little beacon of light,
metal of the darkness. We're glad that we've stolen you
back from Monaco for the time being, although I'm sure
you fit in much better over there. Thank you so
much for your time, Thank you for hearing me. That
is Tom Satinsbury. All the details for that midwinter New
(15:01):
Zealand Comedy Festival one off are going to be on
the news talks.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
He'd the website for more from Saturday Morning with Jack
Tame listen live to News Talks at B from nine
am Saturday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Team podcast
from news Talks atb.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Tom Sainsbury Wear's Many Hats, actor, writer, comedian, director, host, influencer,
Oh you'll hate me saying that. Across film, TV, stage
and social media. You might know him, of course, for
his political impersonations, or for shows like Wellington, paranormal shows
like Educators. And Tom is hosting a winter special of
(00:34):
New Zealand's International Comedy Festival and having just returned from
a very glamorous international Sojean, he's here with us in
Studio Calda. Good morning, Hi. It's so good to see
you always, and you've just returned from Monaco. So ain't
you don't look you don't need to just rub it.
Speaker 1 (00:53):
A show off my gold. No, I couldn't get into
the main casinos.
Speaker 2 (00:59):
Just explain to us why you have been in Monaco,
of all places, Because we liked on Saturday mornings. We liked,
you know, in the depths of winter, we life to
think about slightly more exotic warmer climbs.
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah, well I was over there. It's all feeling like
I'm flexing, but it's not. We we scraped and saved
and we went over to the can Film Festival to
pitch a new film. Okay, right, right, And while we
were there, it was like there's a few kind of
days floating around, so like three days and we're like
I was there randomly with some other friends that with you,
and we're like, let's go to Monco for the day
because I've been obsessed with I've been obsessed with micro
(01:31):
states from my entire life, like you know, microstates Luxembourg. Okay,
of course, yeah, and I still haven't been. I had
the opportunity to go to San Marino. I love Samarino. Yes,
have you been to San Marina?
Speaker 2 (01:43):
I haven't been to San Marina. I thought I cheered
them more on the Olympics.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
When you are going to San Marino, please reach out
and let me know and if if it can happen,
I'm joining you in San Marino. But anyway, we were
there and we so we spent that kind of a
day there. It's all you really need in Monico. We
were there the day before the Formula one race, so
that all set it up.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
So there was lots of kind of asked this is
sounding a bit like a flex You can't know you
had a bit of downtime just before you head it
off to Khan.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And wait until you know that I was invited into
the palace and I'm now friends, but no, I'm not.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Across the Yeah, my gosh. Okay, So what were you
impressions of Monaco? Then? What is it? I because I
think it looks awful from the outside. It looks like
too much money and not enough taste or people who have.
Maybe that's not fair, maybe that's but you know what
I mean, though it does seem a bit it's showy.
It's a showy place.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
It is a showy place, but it's also kind of
like there's an element of it where they don't want
to kind of be ghost so that the really wealthy
people don't kind of show. It's not like Vegas with
everything's kind of fleshy, fleshing lights and stuff like that.
It's almost it's more like implied wealth, right, which you
would relate to I do.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
I relate very closely, just like how do you imply wealth?
Speaker 1 (03:01):
Uh? Well, you know, well, just the clothing is just pristine,
you know, stem but not showy, like perfectly. It's like Taylor's.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Okay, It's like it's as though you're perfectly tailored and
it's been professionally launded. Is all of your clothing has
been professionally launded. That's a flex.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
That's a flex and it's the you can you can
kind of.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Someone's iron the sleeves as well as the main part
of the shirt you got up. It's fancy and.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
If you were to have any kind of bling, it
would be your cuff links.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
And that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
We're not a watch Oh no, yes, the watch tea,
I feel like, yeah, yeah, and they head watching watching
watching watch watch stores and boy with the expensive.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Were they crazy? Yeah? Because you know, is it the
partique Philip. That's the one where they say I only
ever see these ads when I'm like, you know, at
an airport, and that's something that's the post. It's the one. Yeah, yeah,
that's that's how they do it. They have the pose.
But that the tagline. I think it is for the
partic fleet. They say, no one ever owns a partic
for leet. You merely look after it for the next generation.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
You see.
Speaker 2 (04:04):
You just don't get that with your Cassie. Well you
g shocks, Yeah exactly, Okay, that sounds like you would
fit right and you can kind of appreciate that level
of wealth, you mean, like fewer Lamborghinis, Ferraris and stuff
despite the formula one.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah you got it.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
You didn't say around for the formulae I was.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Thinking about I was thinking about going for it, but
the que because I was staying in Nice, which was
a lot cheaper, just down the road. And it's just
down the road. But the next day, like the cues
to get onto the train to go the other side,
I don't have done for this, so I didn't do it.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
That's a flex. That's a flex. There. There's the real flex,
being able to say I'm here, I'm in Monaco at
the Grand Prixs on I'm not going to go yeah. Yeah.
How did the pitching go? Are you allowed to tell us?
Or is it?
Speaker 1 (04:47):
It kind of like these kind of things, it's a beginning.
You kind of meet these people and then you've got
to develop the relationship. And our pitch went quite it
went quite well. But it's all kind of a shifting sands.
No one wants to make the first move. We've got
people that are kind of interested, but no one until
something comes, you know, it all has to lock into place.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
How do you pitch it. How do you pitch a film?
Is it like shark tank?
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Well, our specific thing what like most people don't. But
we were very kindly kind of hosted by the New
Zealand Film Festival. They kind of that's right. They were like,
do you have a genre piece? And so there are
seven random international film festivals around the world and they
all select filmmakers to pitch their next idea. This is
(05:31):
called the Fanta Fantastic seven and you so it's all
from So we were pitching against like an Egyptian film
company at Lithuanians. They were Lithuanians. All the Lithuanians I know,
and they would probably be the eight yep.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
That's more than most people know.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Are wonderfully eccentric. And these filmmakers their film was like
bonkers and they were bonkers and I love and you were.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Like I'll buy this film. Yeah, yeah, okay, And so
you go into this environment and you have to You've
got five minutes, and so you turn into a show
you do okay. And the thing is, I've just been
doing months of comedy festival where you come on you
say joking that laughs. I tried jokes on these.
Speaker 1 (06:10):
Probably have people couldn't understand my egsent Someone was falling
asleep in the audience. Other people were kind of chatting,
and like it's that kind of environment.
Speaker 2 (06:18):
So basically you go in and they're treating you with
disdain from the word.
Speaker 1 (06:22):
Game and a very few laughs that Lithuanians did last,
of course, and also like I didn't. I hadn't really
considered how hot it would be, Like it's the south
of France in the middle of summer. I swear, thankfully
my shirt was kind of light, but there's still you
could still see the sweat. You could see it from
the outside. Yeah, oh that's that's a punisher. AE.
Speaker 2 (06:41):
There's nothing you can do about that either, because it's
the classic. It's like trying to lower your heart rate.
When you become aware of it the moment you're sweating,
you say, I need to stop sweating, and it makes
you sweat more. I used to have that problem sometimes
on television, and I would put paper towels under markets.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
I've heard sanitry pets are also very good.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
It's not dignified though. You look around Monaco. No one
that doesn't give away.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
The re organized it so that they don't swear. They're
never in a situation where it's too hot and it's
not perfect.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
That's again another like subtle indicator of wealth. Yeah, so
so the Lithuanians are probably talking about you like you're
talking about the Lithuanians saying, Oh they're quirkiest, likely eccentric,
really love their film.
Speaker 1 (07:20):
It's really good.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Cool. Yeah, when do you reckon, you'll find out you
just gotta.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
We've got it. Feels like the Brits are the most
impressed by us, and so it's it's kind of how
do you you're kind of pitching to people who will
kind of represent the film in that country, whatever kind
of country you're you're pitching too. So we have to
kind of we have to get New Zealand on board
(07:45):
now and get all the funding here for them to
trying to jump on board. That's the Bible verb.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
Can I don't tell me anything you're not supposed to do.
But there's the film because Luke Trek was kind of
like there were comedic elements, but it wasn't strictly a comedy, right,
so when people said, oh my god, Tom sains with
making this day, but like it wasn't designed to be
a laugh minute or anything. So, so is this film?
What sort of genre would it?
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I would maybe it's similar, Like I think it's really funny.
It's basically the kind of premise of it is like
a foreign exchange student living with it, like a New
Zealand dairy farming family in a micro state in a
micro state exactly. And I just love, like I just
my whole obsession is the New Zealand character and how
(08:28):
New Zealanders behave, Like I've spent years thinking about it.
So it's all my kind of comedy. So we'll see.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
So it's interesting because I'm sure people ask you this
when you're or you think about this when you're touring.
And I wondered, how your because so much of your
comedy relates to the New Zealand psyche and New Zealand
personalities and stuff, do you ever stress about how well
that translates to other countries and cultures?
Speaker 1 (08:54):
One hundred percent? In fact, it was only it was
only this year twenty twenty fours for some have performed
in Australia, going how am I going to be taken
in Australia.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
So the problem with Australia is that there are so
many kiwis as well, that's not the problem, but.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
You know, yeah, yeah, but I would do a shout out.
I'm like, who here's New Zealand. Who's in heavy gig
around that? And it was always about a quarter would
be Kiwis and the rest would be Australians. And I
think I just think Britain, Australia and New Zealand are
so culturally similar, just product difference, but how we kind
of you know, and I'm speaking of the kind of
(09:28):
the white western kind of vibes. I think that that translates.
It's interesting. I did a video of the best video
I've ever done. It's got two and a half million views,
and it's just just a stupid one of someone eating
chips but making like a real kind of performance on
the life's just like brushing their fingers and brushing their
mouth and getting rid of the crumbs and just doing
it like that and then repeating and repeating and just
(09:49):
like just pull yourself together, these people. But it's done
so hugely in America for some reason, and specifically with
like African American culture, and so it's like I've got
all these kind of African Americans kind of following me,
and then they kind of get the keys they know.
And then back in the day, I did this gag
about a woman like cutting you here in her south
(10:09):
and she couldn't quite get the level throat so just
be sure, And that got millions of views in South Africa.
I don't know what, like who knows that there must
be here comedy in South Africa? So I don't know,
it's interesting.
Speaker 2 (10:21):
Yeah, I must have been was likely concerned when you
said you were talking about white Western vibes going in
this interview. Yes, so if the Brits are may be
interested when you're pitching you can kind of they can
kind of appreciate that, yes, more than more than some
other cultures or would necessarily pick up on that human.
Speaker 1 (10:39):
One hundred percent. Yeah, and probably Brits more than Australians
that we've kind of pitched the study because it's all
about comedy of manners and like passive aggression and not
being able to really communicate your feelings as y Zeeland
dos a want to do and so, and like the
Australians haven't really vibed with that. They don't really understand.
They're like, why are they baving like this? You don't
get it? But the Brits do.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Can you distill? You pick up those quirks in our
national character? But do you just add a movie night
and someone has a funny thing with chips and you
pick up on it, like are you is it a
conscious thing or does it just they are?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
It's all a variety. I think the chips thing is observation. Yeah,
that's an observation.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
It's an observation, right.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
But so at some point you've I've seen someone going
going to town eating chips, yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:29):
And you've thought I can I can do that and
that's funny or.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
I'm more like mild irritation. That's sort of like that. Yeah,
and it's so stupid, Like who am I to judge?
Speaker 2 (11:40):
But you must there must be a kind of like
is there are you you know? Are you conscious? Do
you go about the world thinking like with your eyes
wide open looking at everyone going, oh my gosh, look
how they're reacting? Or is it? Does it just kind
of happen by osmosis.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Osmosis a lot, But when you're kind of in the
zone of making regular or daily videos, you're kind of
attuned to it. So when something does come into your consciousness,
like you put it away into the diary.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
It strikes me that you are just doing so much stuff,
or at the very least you have been evolved with
so much stuff over the last couple of years. And
I mean, no one thinks anyone gets into comedy to
make gazillions of dollars. But do you Are you in
a position where you're saying no to stuff? Do you
feel like you can say no to stuff?
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Emotionally? I don't think I can. I'm compliance and psychologically
it is really important to me co'pplying to people. I'm
being compliant, but I can. It would be a lot
of people if I did say no to things just
for scheduling and stuff, and I can. Financially I could. Yeah,
so financially I'm fine.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
And but I mean even creatively, like, do you do
you feel like you can say?
Speaker 1 (12:51):
You know what?
Speaker 2 (12:52):
That's actually not right for me right now. I really
want to focus my attentions. Here are you doing. You're
making films, You're doing your comedy stuff, like you're doing
stand up, you do stuff on social media, plus you're
writing plays. You're like you're doing everything.
Speaker 1 (13:05):
Yeah, yeah, yes, it's complicated that I should be a
lot more kind of savy about that, and I should
restrict myself.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
But not necessarily.
Speaker 1 (13:14):
I do like most of the ideas. I'm like, I'm
really buzzing with and then I get to say I'm like, oh,
I'm swamped and I have to say no to the
next project. And then someone pitches something to me. I'm like,
that is good.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
Yeah, we're speaking. Even though we've had the comedy Festival
this year. I love this idea. Three nights right, Basically,
we're having a midwinter celebration. Yes, you've been roped in,
just give us the details. What's the plan?
Speaker 1 (13:40):
So I'm hosting an I'm hosting an evening on the
twenty second of August down at the waterfront are the
ASP look, I should know these details, but I fancy
theaters and other flegs. I'm hosting the comedy Garlaite, so
there's a power. I think there's about ten comedians coming
in and I'm kind of hosting it and running it
(14:01):
in some great comedity like David Koreos if you haven't
seen him or know about him. Real Yeah, bonker, I
think I can safely say bonkers.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Yeah, can take it is a good thing.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, And then Courtney Dawson is also great, like she
just so confident. But there's a whole lot that Wilson Dixon,
Jack can said and things. And I'm going to be
hosting it, so I'm back and forth on the stage.
But the amazing thing about a lineup is all these
amazing comedians and doing like five or six minutes each
and it's the best.
Speaker 2 (14:30):
Of Oh that's great. Yeah, So it's like, yeah, yeah,
it's kind of snackaball, yeah, but very funny, snackable.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Very funny and also like you're onto the next thing
before you even.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Realize that, yeah, drag fantastic, also excited, and I just
think it's a great idea to have it in the
middle of winter. Is like a little beacon of light,
metal of the darkness. We're glad that we've stolen you
back from Monaco for the time being, although I'm sure
you fit in much better over there. Thank you so
much for your time, Thank you for hearing me. That
is Tom Satinsbury. All the details for that midwinter New
(15:01):
Zealand Comedy Festival one off are going to be on
the news talks.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
He'd the website for more from Saturday Morning with Jack
Tame listen live to News Talks at B from nine
am Saturday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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