On screen, his vessel may be sailing the seas with a flag that means death, but in terms of Rhys Darby’s approach to the stand-up spotlight, he’s flying a flag that signifies a renewed sense of comedic purpose.
Closing out a short east coast tour at The Wilbur on Saturday (July 9), the Our Flag Means Death star is feeling the best he’s felt about his comedy career in awhile, as the new Pirate-based series has not only reignited his own creative spark, but also naturally carried hordes of new fans his way, making way for a whole new level of a phenomenal experience as fans further discover his older stand-up material.
“I guess a lot of the new fans didn’t even know I was a stand-up right off the bat, so I’ve really been enjoying being online and seeing what people are getting excited about, and just the overall community feeling with, and the response to this show and my past work, particularly from the LGBTQ+ community, with such enthusiasm and delight,” Darby tells Vanyaland. “I just want to give more, because they’re really responding, so I figured they should see my stuff live instead of just through old clips online. I also realized that I’ve been doing stand-up for 25 years as of this year, so I thought it would be nice to put on a retrospective show that will show both old and new fans everything that has made me who I am today through stand-up.”
As the tour has tumbled to its final date this weekend, Darby has kept up a pace that balances a little of the rock and roll spirit of leaving everything out on the stage, followed by a streak of shows where he was able to still deliver, but in a way that allowed for a bit of restoration to an emptying tank before bringing it back to full speed in Boston. But even with the easing, Darby still feels comfortable in being able to deliver with an intensity that keeps things interesting for his audience – but that’s proven to be a bit over the top, if his legs have anything to say about it.
“Originally, I wanted to just showcase all the stuff that people have seen before, and perhaps the stuff they hadn’t seen from past hours that didn’t make it on to specials and YouTube clips, but after getting up there, and having so much fun with these very enthusiastic crowds, I ended up creating more new material,” says Darby. “It’s all in the same vein, with it being fun and observational, and predominantly physical, but I’m getting on a bit with wondering if I can still pull this physical material off after all these years. So I wanted to kick myself in that regard with this show, and it was going really well, but I pulled something in my leg the other day, so now I’m writing material that isn’t so leg-stretching in case that pulls up again, but it’s been a real experience, for sure.”
A change in direction may shake things up a bit for Darby in terms of his latest stage show, but by no means is he a stranger to the experience. In fact, before the pandemic started, Darby was seriously reconsidering his career in comedy, and specifically whether he was still relevant or not. He felt that maybe his contribution to comedy wasn’t so unique or popular anymore as a white middle-aged man with whacky, physical material about finding himself in awkward situations.
Such was the vibe of his latest stand-up special, Mystic Time Bird — a slate of material in which he processed his mother’s passing, as well as the prospect of stepping away from the stage. The way he crafted it, Darby wanted the special to be his last so he could focus more intensely on acting roles, and luckily, the right ship set sail for Darby and blossomed into everything he’d ever wanted in an acting gig.
“In the past, I had always been number four or five on the call sheet and the person who slips in a few funny lines then disappears, and people remember my characters, but the responsibility of being the lead means that this things really kind of sinks or swims with me at the helm, and that’s just what I needed,’ says Darby. “Because of the representation on the show, the subject matter, the bizarre story, and seeing just how great this thing turned out to be, I’m just jumping with joy. The only fandom I’ve had close to this would be during the Voltron: Legendary Defender phase a few years back, so you really just don’t ever know what’s around the corner.”
While he’s battled through the stormy seas of uncertainty about his own career as a stand-up comedian, Darby has come to fully realize over time just what makes what he once thought was “unpopular” so attractive. Throughout his quarter of a century on the grind, his material has remained non-offensive and friendly, and he’s determined to keep it that way as people just need something silly to laugh at for silly’s sake. Nothing controversial, or crude, or off-brand. Just an antidote of not causing division with his words as he maintains a steady course to providing laughs and a top-notch performance night after night for his still-growing fanbase.
But as he gets to Boston this weekend, the comedy show is just a part of the experience for the New Zealsnd native, as Darby is looking forward to not only taking in the city’s hunger for comedy, but also being able to share a different kind of experience with his son while he’s here.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to the city, not just for the show, but also to show my son around the city, as he’s readying to go to Berklee School of Music for a five-week course,” says Darby. “So I’m just looking forward to having a look around the city with him, and really getting in a good amount of father and son time.”
RHYS DARBY :: Saturday, July 9 at The Wilbur, 279 Tremont St. in Boston, MA :: 6 p.m., $35 to $45 :: Wilbur event page :: Advance tickets