As my time in the audience of the Comedy Festival develops, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that there many good acts on offer this year, but what Steve Wrigley’s set at the San Francisco Bathhouse has demonstrated to me is that there is a subtle difference between a good act and a great act.

After a smooth entrance taking the mickey out of a commercial hip-hop track, Wrigley launches into a series of tales stemming mostly from his misadventures with close friends.   It’s clear from his energy and liveliness that Wrigley is a talented comedian.  Expressive, confident and articulate, Wrigley is a natural performer.  Of course, we should expect no less from the 2008 Billy T. James Award Winner.

Wrigley hails from Wellington (Newtown to be precise) and he has no hang-ups about relating his misadventures as a young adult to a crowded room.    Anybody who’s flatted in Wellington has probably lived his stories of pot smoking, pizza deliveries and general antics associated with being young in the city.  He knows Wellington, he knows its culture, and he tells his tales with an intuitive panache which is fun and inclusive.

What sets Wrigley apart is that his jokes and stories are not simply for laughs, although be assured these do come thick and fast.  Much in the vein of Bill Hicks, who amidst his ravings delivers some true pearls of wisdom, Wrigley has subtly used comedy to convey a theme and a message; to treasure in our memories. 

It may be that because of my youth I found this more profound than it was intended, but I certainly left the bar knowing that I had taken more away than just a dose of comedy, and to me this is what marks Steve Wrigley as a great act well worthy of being the Billy T. James Award winner in 2008. 
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The Basement, in Greys Ave, is the venue for 2008 Billy T Award winner Steve Wrigley’s Auckland chapter of the International Comedy Festival.

A mellow hub under the due line of Mayoral Drive, the bar is swathed in dim red light that lends a Soho feel to its metro surroundings. Cool but friendly bar staff play host to affordable drinks and generous servings. It’s a great place to partake in a preshow tipple or two and serves a laid back base for Steve Wrigleys six night outing of his 2009 showcase Of Mates and Mischief.

The title alludes to the show content where visually unwelcome but nonetheless hilarious accounts of ‘bromance’ (non homo love for ones male friends) and romance (cuddles and intimate love for his absent lady) fleck the hour with good humoured silliness. From the time the lights go down, my friend Sarah and I stay in fits of laughter, along with the rest of the house.

If I was any good at maths (which I’m not), I would calculate that Steve Wrigley fits 360 degrees of nonsense into this 1 hr slot, full circle…no lies, especially when the bro-stess with the most-est has an uncanny ability to corrupt the most mundane everyday action through the fine art of piss taking.

Case in point: an audio dub of a phone order becomes an orchestrated karaoke playback, the simple act of answering the phone with this (trainee) evil genius (he’s not really mean) leads the unwitting recipient into his good natured mischief.  This opening alone is worth the ticket price; we couldn’t stop laughing.

During the set latecomers are ribbed for being just that and get a 3 minute breakdown of the show thus far: his improvisation skills are prevalent and they’re tight. One bloke up front is commended on the two lady friends he has for company; Wrigley quips: "He’s got options after the show." None seem harassed and all jibes are delivered with an easy going tone.

Hilarity ensues as we are treated to accounts of charity picnics and creative liberation for the physically disabled; the demerit of ladies’ facial hair and the unforgivable faux pas of panic ditching good marijuana when you’re wasted.

Wrigley dots the hour with so many laughs, my brain and breath can barely keep up. It is clear from the onset why he won the 2008 Billy T Award (the NZ Comedy Guild Best Show award) along with Wellington Comedian of the Year award.

The Official Comedy programme states "Steve is clearly the balls." I would have to agree and in the spirit of this testicular vein, I would have to say he’s a shiny brass pair. (Sorry about the visuals).

To miss this show would be a major disappointment, coining a phrase from the man himself: "You’ll fizz your face off."

Go see it, support NZ Comedy.
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