Comedy Q&A: Raybon Kan

Raybon Kan

Q: Why should we see your show?

A: It's a three-week tropical vacation in one hour, complete with self-improvement, emotional catharsis, inner peace, and tips to massively increase your income and look 15 years younger without exercise (individual results may vary).

Q: Tell us a joke in 25 words or less.

A: Why did the peanut go to the police? It was assaulted. (11 words.)

Q: What makes you laugh out loud?

A: Good stand-up. Movies like Zoolander or Something About Mary. Things my friends say.

Q: What's the worst line you've ever delivered?

A: That 25-words-or-less gag is right up there. You get them from Christmas crackers.

I once did a joke about a male optometrist coming on to me because he thought I was bifocals. Groaning ensued.

Q: What keeps you awake at night?

A: Insomnia. No, a mixture of lust and alcohol. Optimism.

Q: What were you like as a child?

A: I was giggly ... I'd have funny thoughts and suffer uncontrollable giggling fits during strict, serious assemblies.

I'd be in tears and shuddering with laughter and people would start elbowing me to stop, which only made it worse.

Q: When were you last embarrassed and why?

A: Embarrassment is good material, so I court it on purpose. Probably the last time I asked someone out. Rejection ensued.

Q: Without looking it up, give us a scientific explanation of laughter.

A: It's a medical symptom that the joke tested positive.

Q: If you weren't a comedian you'd be?

A: I can't see me quitting. If I did a terrible comedy show that wasn't funny, I'd tell people I was doing spoken-word performance. I would begin to wear a beret, and smoke rollies on stage.

* The International Comedy Festival runs until May 22.

Comedy festival

*Who: Raybon Kan
*When and where: May 17-21, Comedy Chamber, Auckland Town Hall
*Tickets: $25; groups of 10 or more, $20 from Ticketek
*Show duration: 1 hour