Chris Parker: Kiwi Comedian on comedy in New Zealand and Australia, upcoming tour
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How did Chris Parker rise to fame during COVID?
Now, what started on admittedly niche shows and social media has evolved into a full-blown star power for the comedian Chris Parker. For a lot of people, Chris came into their lives during COVID. You'll remember, he was all over our phones as videos started to go viral. He's won the 2021 Best New Zealand Show Award at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. He's won Celebrity Treasure Island. He's sold out audiences. In New Zealand, Australia, London and Edinburgh. And there is some buzz around this tour, as you can imagine, that he's about to do. He's bringing his Take a Good Hard Look at Me tour around the country. And Chris Parker's with me now. Morning, Chris. Good morning. You just freaked me out so badly.
Are we on now as well?
You were like, is this live? What did you think this was?
You just said Cavalier around here, running around, sipping coffee, chatting to the people. Then it was like, suddenly you're sitting down. I was like, oh, we're on. And the whole nation's listening.
And what do you do when you're about to be on? Is it not casual?
When I'm backstage, I'm talking myself up. I'm filling myself up with self-belief. Do you do those noise things with your mouth? I used to, yeah, when I was straight out of drama school, when I was going to be an actor. Now I'm a comedian, it's like the attitude is way more mucky.
What is the significance of Chris Parker's upcoming tour?
You're going more for the laconic look. Exactly. I would say sip a beer, but I don't drink before my shows. I am actually a consummate professional. Why don't you drink before your shows? Because it is the job, I want to stay, like, raise a focus. And also, if you've ever seen me do stand-up, it's like, it's kind of like endurance. Like, I really am working hard out there. And if I had a couple of beers in me, like, it would just be yucky.
Yeah, totally. I have the same rule. The reason I'm asking is I have the same rule because I normally do the afternoon show.
Well, this is 8 a.m., yeah.
you should have the same role i normally do the afternoon shows and one time somebody i think we had like a craft beer situation at 6 30 and so they gave me a sip and i tasted the beer and honestly off one sip i started to go woohoo like funny off it oh and so it yeah it freaked me out i thought no just not not even a sip is acceptable when you're lying all the comics nowadays are sober
Are they really?
But that's because all young people are sober, aren't they?
They are. Yeah. Apparently we don't dance anymore, but I beg to differ. I think we're out.
I'd wondered though, Chris, without getting you to knock on your friends, but I did wonder if all the young people being sober is because they've replaced it with some other stuff. Like they're just hitting the weed harder now. Is that what's up?
I'm not narking on ZB.
Okay, no, not narking. We're definitely not the place to be narking because we are actually... We're definitely still having fun. Yeah, we are the news, so you'll be in trouble. Now, you're just back from Australia, are you, with this tour?
Yeah, I've been in Aussie for like the whole year, basically. I've just gone back now. You just have to... As a comedian now, you do just have to work in Australia and New Zealand.
What do you mean you've been there for the year?
Well, basically, I started my shows in Adelaide in March.
Wow.
And I only got back on Tuesday. Wow.
Is it jam-packed or have you got big gaps between them?
There's gaps in between where you might come back for a little bit and then you go back over again. So every comic now sort of does the same circuit, which is like Adelaide Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Brisbane Comedy Festival, Perth, Sydney. And then the New Zealand Comedy Festival happens, which I was a little bit later. I'm like, I'm September. I don't know why I wasn't on it this year, but I do support the New Zealand Comedy Festival.
Australia's more important?
No.
Is that why you weren't at the New Zealand Comedy Festival?
It's just because I toured, like it had been under a year since LAPS, you know, and I was like, I can't, it can't be like eight months between shows.
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