Keegan’s back alright.

Local boy, Keegan Thomas has hit the Comedy Festival running, dancing and bopping (although he neither dances nor bops) with his debut hour, Boy Band Brain. Throughout this hour of highly polished stand-up comedy, Thomas takes us through the highs and lows of various diagnoses, a pure insight into the experiences that shaped him, and some bits about his grandma fucking.

From the get-go, Thomas invites intrigue. A photo of disgraced (?) celebrity, Timothy Allen, is set up front and centre of the stage. We don’t really know what its purpose is. We’re leaning forward. But we trust that it’s a deliberate move.

By the time the lights go down, we’ve already decided to trust Thomas and he never betrays that. He locks us in immediately with a magic trick that’s partly crowdwork and partly impressive, celebrating his near win and getting us to root for him immediately. He maintains such a playful presence with the audience to the point where we don’t feel the separation between audience and stage. His vibe is warm, inviting and he laughs at his own jokes almost as much as we do. He’s clearly comfortable in his element and does such a great job making us feel the same way.

Part of that is his sense of pure vulnerability as he delves into aspects of his boy band brain and how it’s affected him throughout his life. His stories are personal without ever feeling like oversharing, each one more hilarious than the last. At some moments he even takes a small step back, just to soak in the atmosphere of his first full hour. It’s calming. It feels like we’re experiencing one of his stories for the first time with him, in real time. And then he snaps back to jokes about fairy smut without breaking a sweat.

In fact, nothing fazes this man. He is a master of comedic aikido, redirecting the audience’s positive energy back at them, rewarding them for their earnest interactions with even funnier jokes. There are so many instances in this show that would have derailed a lesser comedian, but instead, Thomas allows the train to go off-track, then expertly brings it back with a chuckle and a smile. He’s almost apologetic for his tangents but he really shouldn’t be since the they seem to beget the best laughs of the night.

Keegan Thomas is a national treasure in the making. He’s the homegrown result of mixing a classic kiwi dude with therapy, and it’s a wonderful environment to enjoy comedy in. There are frequent eruptions of laughter, consistent giggles, and at one point, a scream that rips the roof apart. It’s the sort of show you sit down, get comfortable with, and maybe end the night with a dap and a man-hug.

Bring it in, cunt.

Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I may be quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show. Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.

Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.