Kipling (Kip) Davis-Colley – a.k.a Kipling DC; a.k.a. Big Dog – roars into Te Auaha’s Tapere Iti at maximum volume and velocity, leaping through a leafy frame to demand we also “Make some noise!” and wanting to know if we are excited! Fortunately, after hi-fiving the first three rows he settles down – like a good dog who has claimed his territory with people he’s decided to trust.

Fortunately he doesn’t follow his self-named species’ traditional means of marking his territory but he does tell a story about a wet bus seat that becomes a running gag when someone leaves to take a pee, then returns.

As a boy from Whangarei, Kip reveals his aspirations to achieve famous firsts, only to discover which household names have beaten him to it. Stories about himself and the life around him tumble out in a flow that is both energised and energising. His audience is happy to play along – and in the process to enjoy surprise discoveries about his cultural identity, sexuality and neurodiversity.

Kip’s quip about Northland v Wellington place names is spot on. At 26 he knows it’s time to be an adult but being Uncle with a two-year-old gives him the best of both worlds. He riffs on The Wiggles and their lyrics, the names of dinosaurs, a slide-show-illustrated inventory of dogs, things that scare him …

It turns out he has a dream that’s bigger than Stand Up Comedian – and gives it a good go with us as contestants for party pack prizes. Kipling DC excels at audience engagement and tags his show on a heart-warming note about what a ‘Big Dog’ can be. One to watch, for sure.

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