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Review: Rhys Darby: The Legend Returns (O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire / UK tour)

Review by Izzy Tierney

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Currently touring the UK for his first comedy tour in nearly a decade is New Zealand’s Rhys Darby, the actor and comedian best known for playing Murray Hewitt in Flight of the Conchords. Whilst I’ve seen (and loved) Darby in film and TV roles, I’ve never seen any of his stand-up so I was excited to find out what he had in store... little did I know I was about to watch one of the funniest stand-up shows I’ve ever seen.


 

Presented with plenty of current global issues to choose from, Darby focuses on the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence. He informs the audience he can save us all from AI and its besotted billionaires, before beginning to weave what initially seem like separate routines that end up slotting together perfectly to form an intrinsically designed spider web of comedic storytelling. He creates both a hilarious audible and visual experience, engrossing you in the silliness with spot on impressions (my favourite being an impressively realistic helicopter) and fantastic physical comedy where his mimes and truly hilarious facial expressions act out different characters; the main cast consisting of a very old lady, a dildo-holding robot, a Cybertruck, and his beloved child - a Roomba who calls him Daddy.

 

It sounds insane without any context, but it’s even more insane in person with the context, and I mean that as the highest of compliments. The entire audience hung off of every word he said; completely transported into this weird fantasy world where there was barely a moment without laughter. Darby connects with the audience easily; his friendly eccentricity engaging as he moves through each part of his ridiculous, unpredictable tale with an abundance of charm and warmth.


 

It’s clear Darby has spent many years working hard for the career he has now; his routines are so brilliantly crafted and his stage presence feels natural and assured, so when he ends the show by sharing his opinion AI has no place in the arts, it finishes the evening perfectly. AI has no passion, no creativity, and no lived experience, three things Darby has in excess, proven with this masterpiece of a show that I am absolutely certain no AI (or any other person for that matter) could write, let alone perform so impeccably. AI is incapable of writing something as clever and wonderfully wacky as Darby has done. Just like Darby stresses, it is unable to make any kind of art that comes even slightly close to the meaningful labours of love that humans create, because it doesn't come from the heart, it comes from an emotionless (and often incompetent) algorithm. It’s an important message to conclude the show that only goes to reinforce his obvious love for comedy, and it’s great to see a successful actor like himself stand up for creatives at the start of their careers, who are understandably worried about the consequences of AI entering their fields.

 

It’s safe to say that while I will continue to talk loudly to myself and forget why I've walked into rooms (yes these were part of Darby's middle-aged jokes and yes I am twenty-three years old but I have the memory of an OAP so it was all painfully relatable), one thing I definitely won’t be forgetting any time soon is the legend returning - is it even possible to forget beloved Kiwi actor Rhys Darby humping one of his own vocal cords?

 


If you get the chance, I urge you to go and see the silly, comedic genius for yourself and enjoy a night of energetic storytelling, joyous escapism and the glorious Kiwi accent.

 

Rhys Darby: The Legend Returns is on a UK tour until June 29th

 

 

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