He said on the night he felt his jokes went all right.
“Probably the 10 beers I had before that made it feel good.”
Classic Comedy Club director Scott Blanks, who has been in the industry for more than 30 years, said Raw Comedy Quest was a stepping stone for emerging comedians.
Blanks said Tawi had an unassuming presence off-stage, and he loved the fact that when he hit the stage, there was a sudden injection of confidence and energy in his delivery.
“I asked him where that comes from, and he said he used to do rap battles, so I think he’s used to being on stage in an environment where he’s competing, and in which I imagine you have to be very fast on your feet.
“It was really well-structured material.”
Tawi’s jokes dealt a lot with his life experiences and being Māori, Blanks said.
“When you’ve got a personal touch like that, there’s much more buy-in from the audience.”
Tawi’s “secret weapon” - his partner Millie Wiari-Wroe - gave him a few important pointers after his practice set.
“Shout-out to my partner for all the work she did in the background, and my kids.”
Along with the esteemed title, Tawi took home $1750 in prize money.
“As well, I’ve got the bragging rights of winning, I suppose.”
He plans to see what else he can achieve in the comedy space and will continue performing gigs in and around Whanganui.
“It’s putting our little city on the map.”
Blanks said a lot of winners went on to have careers in comedy while others disappeared; it all depended on the amount of time and availability contestants had to devote to their craft.
“Often just being in the final is enough to get kick-started in the industry, but obviously, being the winner is that extra boost.”
Notable past contestants and winners of the Raw Comedy Quest were Paul Ego, Melanie Bracewell, Courtney Dawson and James Mustapic.
Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.
