Interview
2019
Simon Morris - Funny As Interview
Musician turned TV producer turned radio presenter Simon Morris pops up among the Funny As interviews mainly to talk about John Clarke — one of the funniest guys Morris has ever met. Among the topics covered:
- How Morris and Clarke first bonded in a cafe at Victoria University
- Clarke's love of the way British comedian Peter Cook combined "low comedy and unbelievably high comedy at the same time...and that was John really"
- Joining Clarke for a badly-reviewed student extravaganza, where Clarke was one of the only stand outs
- How hit TV show Gliding On (on which Morris directed) utilised the classic sitcom formula of a bunch of characters in a single setting, who irritate one another
- Working on the TV pilot for comedy group Funny Business, who arrived "just three years too soon"
For more on John Clarke, check out this extended interview with Clarke's daughter, writer Lorin Clarke.
Interview
2019
Tarun Mohanbhai - Funny As Interview
Tarun Mohanbhai has performed comedy onstage, on-screen and in the theatre for over two decades. In this Funny As interview he reflects on being one of a rare breed of Kiwi-Indian comedians and more, including:
- Doing his first stand-up comedy at pub Kitty O’Brien’s — and how it immediately made him sick
- Taking play D'Arranged Marriage to a venue at the Sydney Opera House for 14 sold out nights — and using negative reviews as constructive criticism
- Taking risks trying new material at the NZ Comedy Gala
- How his parents first discovered that he did stand-up comedy
- Saving time by not joking about his Indian heritage, then being pressured to do so on TV's A Thousand Apologies
- More TV stories — including making hidden camera show The Last Laugh, and shouting at the audience on 7 Days