Rhys Darby: This Way to the Spaceship
Conchords star makes stratospheric rise
It’s likely that Rhys Darby has been able to fill this very large venue thanks to his success as hapless band manager Murray Hewitt on Flight of the Conchords. But he proves in This Way to Spaceship that he’s much more than Murray, though he throws out a couple of funny references to the TV show that’s made him famous.
The title of the show is also the name of the Kiwi comic’s first book, an ‘autobiographical space novel’, and this set is based on the same material. He wakes up in the belly of a spaceship, flanked by some impressive robots, and tries to remember how he got there. It’s a loose frame – only a small proportion of the jokes are space-related – but a tightly-structured, well-written show.
Some punchlines take a while to set up but Darby is in his element when he’s performing characters and sound effects. There’s some inevitable yet memorable idiotic dancing to ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’, and with his big finale, Darby draws in his show’s many tentacles with true professionalism and effortless charm.
Pleasance Courtyard, 556 6550, until 27 Aug, 8pm, £17.50–£18.50 (£16–£17.50).