Whangārei's Luke Bird is bringing his show back for one night only in Whangārei. Photo / Michael Cunningham
What do you do when you realise you're "pretty damn fabulous" and deserve an audience?
Well, if you're Whangārei entertainer Luke Bird - you put on a show and you make it grand.
For the first time since it hatched in 2014, Bird's show, The Luke Bird Experience, is returning to the stage for one night only this month.
Bird said the show was born following feedback he received after hosting one of his first professional events about eight years ago.
"I was told afterwards by a guest 'you were so grand, you had us eating out of the palm of your hand, I've officially had the Luke Bird Experience'.
"From then on I realised what I do is actually pretty damn fabulous and deserves an audience. People want and deserve to be entertained. So I go all out and give them the entire buffet."
His last show was described as New Zealand's version of Graham Norton meets the Royal Variety Show, and audiences loved it.
"To be very honest I was surprised how much they loved it. It was so popular we had to do another night. I guess we forget that no matter who you are, everyone wants to laugh, smile and enjoy themselves," he said.
Bird said people always asked when his next show would be, so he finally set a date and got things moving.
"Originally it was set for May this year but a little five letter word that starts with 'co' and ends with 'vid' stopped that from happening. Once things settled my producer and I came up with the idea to do it so everyone can come together and celebrate live entertainment, people and locally made international talent."
This year Bird has teamed up with Whangārei musical theatre performer Shaan Kloet - who recently played Mary Poppins in the New Zealand produced musical by the same name - and singer songwriter Lavina Williams.
"Together it's a show of glam, fun, songs that'll get you pumped and amped. Right now people of Whangārei and Northland deserve entertainment and when it's this damn good and in your own backyard, you're silly not to attend," he said.
The Luke Bird Experience will be held at Forum North's Capitaine Bougainville Theatre on Saturday, November 14 at 7.30pm. Tickets can be purchased from eventfinda.co.nz.
The worker logged 437 hours in five weeks - all of which was unpaid.