Good giggles come to town

The warm-up tour for a globally-released, clean comedy special by the latest New Zealand comedian to crack American markets comes to Marlborough this weekend.

Ahead of recording his newest special for SiriusXM's Laugh USA channel over two nights in Nelson this August, Nick Rado’s ‘Good Laughs’ tour with Tarun Mohanbhai hits Kaikōura’s Mayfield Theatre and Picton’s Little Theatre on July 25 and 26 respectively.

Nick credits his comedic chops to witty family and friends, with the show echoing “a really fun catch-up with mates, if your mates were slightly unhinged and had a microphone”.

“I grew up around people who could make you cry laughing at the most boring stuff - you had to be quick to get a word in, and you had to be funny if you wanted to be remembered.

“So now when I’m on stage, I’m recreating that vibe just sitting around the table, giving each other heaps and laughing till someone snort laughs.”

And in a modern comedy world of shock humour, Nick says the accidental slip into clean comedy was what opened international doors for him.

“People kept saying afterwards, ‘Thanks, I brought my mum,’ or ‘we haven’t laughed like that as a family in ages’.

“It turns out loads of people want a fun night out without needing to explain ten awkward punchlines on the drive home and forces me into sharper creativity approaching topics.

“You can’t always lean on shock, so you’ve got to find sweet spots where everyone sees the humour and no one feels left out of the joke.

“It also opened up doors I didn’t expect, like recording a Nateland Live special in Nashville for Nate Bargatze and SiriusXM going out to millions of listeners which usually features huge American acts was wild - I was just hoping they’d understand my accent.”

Nick, a familiar face from appearances across New Zealand radio and television, or as a six-time New Zealand Comedy Guild MC of the Year, is familiar to the Top of the South.

“We used to live in Stoke for a couple of years, my daughter was born in Nelson and my brother, sister-in-law and nieces live in Blenheim, so I have spent plenty of time there over the years.

“It’s such a beautiful part of the country, and Tarun and I are stoked to soak it up between shows.

“There’s a real appetite for live comedy where people are genuinely excited you’re there.

“Small-town crowds are often more up for it as there’s less of the “go on then, impress me” vibe – they’re right there with you from the start for a good time.

“We warm into the recordings with new material in front of honest audiences - Kaikōura and Picton just felt like the right fit and we’ll be back if locals will have us.

“We’re expecting great energy, a few surprises, and probably a bit from the local wannabe comedians.”

Get tickets for the ‘Good Laughs’ Tour on Eventfinda.