John Clarke

One of the funniest people on either side of the Tasman, John Clarke’s brand of droll wit (always delivered with a wickedly understated authenticity) defined the high-water mark of Kiwi and Australian comedy for 30 years. Spawned in the early 70s, his gumboot-clad character Fred Dagg marked a defining moment in the development of New Zealand comedy. Clarke passed away on 9 April 2017. 

In basic terms, Clarke invented humour in NZ … he came up with a comic language. Every attempt to be funny or real in a NZ way follows from here. Steve Braunias, Metro Magazine