He's proud of his Māori heritage and hopes to one day win the award named after his comedy idol, Billy T James.
"He changed the way I looked at everything when I was growing up, especially being Māori. In order to do that I have to set goals and hone my craft for a few years. I need to keep going and work towards having my own show, and 20-30 minutes of solid material that I can take on the road and tour."
Former award-winning Hits Palmerston North radio DJ Dryden is hosting the show. Having begun in comedy two years ago, Dryden has had a level of success that most other newbies would love to have. He was a Raw Comedy Quest find in his first year and this year has done several pro shows, including his first festival lineup.
Speaking about very real experiences such as being newly married, raising stepdaughters and health issues he's faced (including cancer), Richard's humour has won him fans across the Manawatū, where he's based now.
"I lost half my tongue and then a year later I also lost my thyroid to cancer," says Dryden. "It severely altered my speech and knocked my confidence for six as my voice was basically my tool for my line of work.
"I was told that my presenting days were over, but I wanted to go out and show that I could still do it. The comedy has been great for me in that sense".
Karen Leslie is the matriarch of Hawke's Bay comedy and recently completed her debut solo show, Queen of Uncool.
Life after 50 has taken a turn for the surreal for Leslie, and she has discovered that the best way to manage the weirdness of reality is to put it on stage and poke it with a sharp wit. And she might even dance, which is always worth a laugh!
