Family is to Dai for

When Dai Henwood - aka comedian P Funk Chainsaw - left hospital after being born in Wellington, he didn't go straight home. He went to the theatre, sleeping in his carry-cot backstage while daddy Ray performed in the State Opera House.

Aside from growing-up-type interludes at school and university, 24-year-old Dai - one of the TV2 Billy T Awards nominees in the comedy festival - has never really left the theatre.

His parents - mother Carolyn was the first woman district court judge in Wellington - helped to found Circa Theatre in 1976, two years before Dai was born. As he puts it, "I always went along to the board meetings, lurking about, exploring all the nooks and crannies, sitting in the changing rooms watching my parents' friends getting into costume and putting on makeup."

Dai's first appearance on television came when he was 4, his father recalls fondly. "It was the first series and we had a Christmas show where Santa came to the office and Dai sat on Santa's lap."

"I can still vaguely remember that," chortles Dai. "I went to the Gliding On set all the time, holding Dad's hand and waving at everyone."

At kindergarten, Dai's clown genes had already kicked in: "I used to put on Dad's ties and muck around entertaining people. Then at school I was always going for the laughs - but I never got into trouble, I wasn't one of those kind of jokers."

After doing senior drama courses at Wellington College, Dai did a BA at Victoria University, majoring in comparative religion, theatre and film. When he announced he was going to be a stand-up comedian, his parents' reactions were initially incredulous.

"Mum said, 'Don't you think you should do law?' I did that for a bit but it never gelled for me, even if lawyers and comedians are quite close in what they do."

His dad, Ray, says, "It was a bit of a surprise when he went for stand-up. I told him, I couldn't perform without a script."

Since then "they have supported me 100 per cent, more so since they saw my potential and saw the fact that people really laugh and that I was committed to making it work," says Dai.

As part of the game plan, he moved to Auckland and its thriving comedy scene three years ago, and began what he calls the hard yards, including a mad part in Xena, where he chased Kevin Smith and Lucy Lawless around the bush "and went into bars to brag about it".

P Funk Chainsaw - a name which makes his father splutter with laughter - was born out of Dai's fascination with WWF on TV. P Funk, a professional wrestler, is apparently so convincing he's even commentated - as his character - on wrestling at the Mangere Event Centre, and been asked back to do it again.

"I think there was a small point in time when Mum and Dad got a bit worried about my fascination with wrestling," he admits, "but now they've seen that watching it paid off. Strangely enough, I knew something was going to come out of it, but I didn't know what."

His father laughs. "Yes, when he first started watching it, I said, 'Dai, this is silly,' but he just said, 'I know that but they're brilliant'. He could see the theatre in it and of course those amazing names."

P Funk has, in fact, turned into a bit of a role model. Dai's mother has been involved in advising Justice Minister Phil Goff on setting up a pilot programme of intensive residential rehabilitation for hard-core young criminals.

"Now Mum's got the go-ahead, it's got huge implications for the family," says Dai. "I've done some youth justice work with Mum, and P Funk Chainsaw really worked for the Pacific Island and Maori kids, specifically when I went down to Tainui to listen to the process.

"I don't think anyone could justify the fact that jails help young people. The factors that cause them to do crime are usually obvious. If they have a loving mother, a loving father, food, clothing, a bit of money, something interesting to do ... "

Sounds a bit like the Henwood family, actually. "Yes, we have a wonderful relationship," says Dai.

"We are very close, the three of us," agrees Dai's proud dad. "He has a very nice disposition, I find him a nice guy."

Scattered as they are geographically, the family does try to get together whenever possible - and to perform a precious Henwood ritual.

"Our Sunday roast," sighs Dai longingly. "We never missed our Sunday roasts. Dad being a good Welshman, he would always be there at 7.30pm. Mum does the best roast and he never misses it."

* The Story of Funk with P Funk Chainsaw, SiLo Theatre, Tuesday-Saturday.