KEY POINTS:
Smacking, sex and supermarket checkout operators were all on the agenda last night, as the annual Comedy Festival kicked off with the Crunchie Comedy Gala at Auckland's St James.
More than 15 performers took to the stage throughout the night, offering a snack-size sample of their individual brand of comedy.
We headed along to the gala to check out the best - and worst - of the night, to help you know who to see and who to steer well clear of.
Best host
Well, admittedly he was the only host of the night. But Irish funnyman Ardal O'Hanlon did a superb job MCing the night and keeping the show rolling. Best known for his role on Father Ted, O'Hanlon proved himself to be as equally charming, if slightly more racy, a character than the loveable Dougal. Unfortunately, O'Hanlon is only sticking around long enough to play one show in Auckland tonight.
The silent achiever
Sam Wills - The Boy with Tape on his Face - delivered a hilariously unique set that saw him remain completely silent (a giant strip of masking tape over your mouth will do that to a man) throughout. Relying on audience participation, Wills had the crowd in stitches with his Ghost pottery wheel scene re-enactment.
Most awkward
There's always one. The room froze in horror as Tarun Mohanbhai aka That Indian Guy lost focus and forgot his punch line. Trying to recover, the visibly shaken comic launched into a stilted, offensive and completely unfunny tirade against gay people, which was the undisputed lowlight of the evening.
Best comedy export
Canada appears to be the latest hot comedy exporter, producing two of the night's star performers - Jason John Whitehead and Craig Campbell. While Whitehead delighted with his laidback, stoner style, Campbell won the crowd over with his rugged, bear hunting humour.
Local laughs
The home team did New Zealand proud last night with Dai Henwood, Brendhan Lovegrove and Simon McKinney producing three stellar sets of local stand up. Newcomer McKinney had the room in stitches with his unerringly accurate impression of New Zealand check out operators.
Creeptastic
Australian comic Carl Baron is a funny man - in both senses of the word. His subtle, oddball comedy was a highlight of the night, proving that even the most obscure topics can be entertaining with the right delivery. Odd but brilliant.
