Raybonanza!
NZ Tour 2025
The first time I performed stand-up was a quiet Sunday evening in Wellington at Bar Bodega in 1994. There was no tradition of stand-up in Wellington at the time, and the evening was a loose gathering. The performers, a handful, outnumbered the crowd (if it could be described as a crowd.) Nevertheless, beforehand, I recall being parked outside Bodega for what seemed like an age, staring longingly at the motorway onramp — the beckoning escape route. This was fear. Finally I got out of the car. I went up to the mic with a sheet of lined A4 (so as to not forget my few ideas). I don’t remember anything I said, but I got that first gig out of the way, and that’s what mattered. It was unmemorable, fortunately, much the way a car journey that doesn’t lead to panelbeating is also unmemorable.
This year, it’s 31 years later. I’m marking the anniversary with a tour of NZ. You know how wedding anniversaries have things like paper or diamond or crockery, depending on how long you’ve been married? Well, 31 years, it turns out, is Timepieces. (An expensive word for clocks.) So this is my Eras tour, only without any material about exes. The show will be a greatest hits compilation — a medley of all the favourite jokes I can still remember. (Are they jokes? Bits? Routines? I don’t like the word routine. ‘Routine’ makes it sound — routine. ‘Bits’ sound bitsy. These are album tracks. Songs minus music. There’ll be new material as well, just because that’s how the brain operates.
First stop on the tour is Greytown, during the Festival of Christmas in July. The Wairarapa is the province of my birth — (TMI?) — so it’s only fitting they’ll be the first to see this show.
Get your tickets via the links below. This is gonna be fun.
July 24 & 25: GREYTOWN, The Offering. BOOK GREYTOWN.
Oct 10 & 11: CHRISTCHURCH - Little Andromeda. BOOK CHCH.
Oct 17: AUCKLAND - The Vic, Devonport. BOOK AUCKLAND.
Oct 23: PALMERSTON NORTH - Globe Theatre. BOOK PALMY.
Oct 24: WHANGANUI - The Rep. BOOK WHANGANUI.
Oct 25: NEW PLYMOUTH - Little Theatre. BOOK NEW PLYMOUTH.
Oct 31: WELLINGTON - Hannah Playhouse. BOOK WELLY.
Nov 8: LEVIN - Levin Little Theatre. BOOK LEVIN.
Nov 22: PARAPARAUMU. Kāpiti Playhouse. BOOK PARAPARAUMU.
Keep an eye out as dates get added.
‘KAN TOUCH THIS’
NZ TOUR 2020
WOOHOO! FIRST DATES ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2020 TOUR. More dates to come. If you’re a venue who feels overlooked, by all means get in touch and I’ll see what I can do.
Sep 04: Mapua Playhouse, Waimea. Bookings HERE via eventfinder.
Sep 05: Picton Little Theatre, Picton. Bookings HERE via eventfinder.
Oct 1: NAPIER, Cabana. Book HERE via eventfinda.
Oct 2: HAMILTON, Nivara Lounge. Book HERE via Eventfinda.
Oct 22: WHANGANUI, Lucky’s. BOOK HERE via Eventfinda.
Oct 30: PALMERSTON NORTH, Square Edge. BOOK HERE via Eventfinda.
Nov 5: LYTTELTON, Wunderbar. BOOK HERE via Eventfinda.
Nov 6: CHRISTCHURCH, Boo Radley’s. BOOK HERE via Eventfinda.
Nov 13-14: AUCKLAND, Fhloston Paradise. BOOK HERE via Eventfinda.
Nov 19-21: WELLINGTON, Cavern Club. BOOK HERE via Eventfinda.
WELLINGTON 2019: ‘KAN TOUCH THIS’
Stop! Humour time!
Wellington gets the first taste of my new hour of stand-up, ‘Kan Touch This,’ for 3 nights only at the Pow Wow Room, Nov 12-14. Touchy subjects will be touched — sometimes gently, sometimes with abandon, bordering on exclamation. DON’T MISS OUT.
Bookings at Wellyfun.co.nz/events-pw
Tour DATES 2018
Woohoo! This March, I’m touring NZ’s nooks, crannies and arterial bypasses, with the remarkable Nick Rado, in our comedy show ‘Rado & Raybon Save The World.‘
We are being brought to you by the lovely people at Arts on Tour NZ. It’s entirely likely we’re coming to a town near you. Dates below — don’t miss out.
Friday 2 March 7.30pm Whitianga - Town Hall
Saturday 3 March 7.30pm Whakatane - Gateway Theatre
Sunday 4 March 7.30pm Opotiki - Deluxe Theatre
Tuesday 6 March 8.30pm Gisborne - Comedy at the Cossie Club
Wednesday 7 March 7.30pm Waipawa - CHB Municipal Theatre
Thursday 8 March 7pm Wanganui - Royal Wanganui Opera House
Friday 9 March 8pm Upper Hutt - Expressions Whirinaki
Sunday 11 March 8.30pm Onekaka - The Mussel Inn
Tuesday 13 March 7.30pm Ashburton - Ashburton Trust Event Centre
Wednesday 14 March 7.30pm Geraldine - Crown Hotel
Thursday 15 March 7.30pm Cromwell - Cromwell College Auditorium
Friday 16 March 7pm Queenstown - Heritage Hotel
Saturday 17 March 8pm Invercargill - Asylum at Invercargill Brewery
Monday 19 March 7pm Lincoln - The Laboratory
Tuesday 20 March 8pm Christchurch - Gloucester Room, Isaac Theatre Royal
Wednesday 21 March 7.30pm Hokitika - Old Lodge Theatre
Thursday 22 March 8pm Barrytown - Barrytown Hall
Saturday 24 March 8pm Auckland - Uxbridge Arts and Culture Centre
Sunday 25 March 7pm New Plymouth - TSB Showplace
Tuesday 27 March 7.30pm Putaruru - The Plaza
Wednesday 28 March 7.30pm Hamilton - The Meteor Theatre
Friday 30 March 7.30pm Whangarei - The Riverbank Centre
Saturday 31 March 7.30pm Kaitaia - Te Ahu Atrium