Roots of laughter

New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby, 35, is returning to the UK and standup comedy performing a number of London gigs at the Bloomsbury Theatre and a stint at the upcoming Edinburgh Festival August 6 – 15. The new show deals a lot with the strangeness of Hollywood as seen from a New Zealand perspective; since being “plucked from a damp gig at a Welsh arts centre”, Darby has bounced from Conchords glory playing ‘Murray’ to steal scenes from Jim Carrey in Yes Man and clown for Richard Curtis in The Boat That Rocked. “I used to do really physical comedy, nothing like Murray at all, but this show is more grown-up. It’s about the culture shock and the weird things that happen out there, but it’s really not quite as weird to me as I make out,” Darby admits. “The way things are in the US well, it’s kind of like Australia. The same sports, the same go-for-it attitude and the same patronising approach to the little island way across the water.” He grins. “That’s how the Yanks see you guys, isn’t it?”