May 11, 2009

Darby slams ‘lazy’ critics
By Rebecca Milne
Herald on Sunday, May 10, 2009

Funnyman Rhys Darby has taken a swipe at Kiwi comedy reviewers for spoiling the punchlines.  

The stand-up comedian and actor, who shot to international fame as hapless manager Murray in Flight of the Conchords, criticised "lazy reviews" on his Facebook page last week. "If you’re going to review live comedy shows, make sure you don’t give away the jokes word for word in your review! … amateurs," he wrote.

"Talk about the premise, yes, even the set-ups but don’t try and get laughs from the reader by essentially stealing the material." Darby was upset by reviews of shows in the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, which features almost 90 acts in Auckland and Wellington until May 24. [More]