Steve Wrigley, newly crowned Billy T Award winner (the morning after he won the Comedy Festival's big prize for up and coming comedians)
KEY POINTS:
Congratulations. How are you feeling?
[Growling noise] Tired.
Oh dear, has it been a good 24-hours though?
It has been a very good 24 hours for everyone involved in the comedy festival this year. We've had a great time. I finished the two-week season of my show that I've been doing in Wellington and Auckland and the last thing I had to do last night was the Last Laughs set. So everyone was building up to that all day. As soon as I finished my set, I grabbed the nearest beer and celebrated with my friends. We had a great time.
What time did you get home this morning?
I still haven't achieved that. [Laughs throatily].
I guess this means you are officially funny. Is that how you feel?
Yeah. So many of my friends have won the award so to be in their company is pretty amazing. I feel great, I'm having the best day of my life so far. I've spent most of it in a pool at the Heritage, just floating around. I think my muscles have forgotten how they're supposed to hold up the rest of my body. I think I'm going to be like spaghetti for the rest of the day.
Indeed. And what does the award mean for you personally?
I guess, it's just cool to be acknowledged by your peers. Part of the award is a grant for five grand so I'm just excited to be able to use that towards doing a tour around New Zealand or something like that.
You're from Wellington, what's the comedy scene like down there?
The Wellington comedy scene is still finding its full time-ness down there there's one night a week at the Bath House. But the festival goes really well down there. The Wellington comedy scene must be healthy because we've won the Billy T Award and the Fred Award. Most years running, coming up to Auckland, we sell out shows or win awards, or both, so we must be doing something right down there.
Last year you did a show with Simon McKinney called Doomed to Awesomeness. I guess this means your prediction has come true? Any other predictions you'd like to cast at this point?
Yeah, Simon's had a fantastic year as well. He won best male comedian last year and he's doing a nationwide tour at the moment. It's worked out really well for the two of us. I think every year we get more people coming out to see the festival and coming to shows. My prediction for the next few years is that New Zealand is just going to fall even deeper in love with its comedians.
So you're not planning on running away overseas any time soon?
Not for a long time. I spent a lot of time in the States and New York where this, er, girl lives. I spent a lot of time travelling backwards and forwards there. I spent a lot of time there and in London doing gigs.
And how did they respond to your comedy there?
They loved it. It's great over there. It goes well everywhere because we're all just people. People laugh at the same stuff. If you get up and tell a silly story in New Zealand they react the same way in London or America or anywhere
Now, I know you're a fan of the bandanna look ...
I love the MAN-danna.
Oh, the mandanna, sorry. How many do you have? And do you have one to match the official Billy T Yellow Towel?
My collection seems to grow, I keep finding them, it's really weird. I think I've got somewhere in the vicinity of 35. I haven't got a yellow one yet! But I should do that. That will be my next project for tomorrow. Go shopping for yellow bandanna.
So where to from here, aside from a good long sleep, obviously?
We're going to go out for dinner tonight to celebrate. But from here we're planning a tour around New Zealand and then maybe go and do a bit of a tour of some places in Australia as well. Wherever people want me to make them laugh, that's where I'll go next.
