Avoiding getting pigeonholed in comedy, mastering the art of joke writing, and bringing a film crew along to your worst ever gig are among the topics discussed in the fourth episode of NZME's new comedy podcast, Billy T' Billy.
The podcast is giving this year's nominees of the prestigious Billy T Award at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival the chance to seek advice from former winners – as well as discuss all things comedy and what it's really like being a comedian in New Zealand.
Today's episode features 2021 nominee Josh Davies with 2016 winner David Correos. Davies is a first-time Billy T nominee, and has previously won the 2019 NZ Fringe Most Promising Emerging Artist award. Having grown up nearly totally blind, Davies has turned his experience with low vision into the subject of his Comedy Festival show, Look, I'm Blind!
Josh Davies is a nominee in the 2021 Billy T Awards. Photo / Supplied
In 2016, Correos won the Billy T for his show Second Place Winner, which was framed around the idea of never winning. He was the first Asian comedian to pick up the title, but as he reveals in today's episode of Billy T' Billy, he jokes about not being the right winner.
He returns to the Comedy Festival this year with his new show, David Correos is David Postoffice.
For the fourth episode of Billy T' Billy, the two discuss their experiences with terrible Edinburgh Fringe Festival shows and their own shows that bombed, as well as getting into the cost of comedy, representation on stage – and avoiding being pigeonholed – and what goes in to writing a good joke.
A new episode of Billy T' Billy will be released each day this week.
In Episode 1, Brynley Stent talks with her Golden Boy and Taskmaster co-star Angella Dravid, who won the Billy T Award in 2017, about performing dark comedy, favouring sketch over stand-up, and finding the funny in going to prison.
David Correos won the Billy T award in 2016. Photo / Supplied
In Episode 2, James Mustapic sits down with 2014 winner Guy Montgomery to discuss the competitive side of the industry, podcasting and webseries, and the great lengths one audience member went to to voice his opinion.
And in the third episode, Lana Walters talks with Rhys Mathewson, the youngest person to win the Billy T, in 2010, about the impact the title has, the hidden cost of comedy, and doing stand-up while pregnant.
Follow NZ Herald for more comedy reviews – including the four Billy T nominees – throughout the rest of the International Comedy Festival.
To listen to today's episode, listen to the podcast above. WARNING: Contains strong language
