Doing it Darby _{by Alessia Belsito-Riera}

The man, the myth, the legend Rhys Darby needs no introduction. As one of Aotearoa’s biggest names, he’s graced movie screens, red carpets, and stages the world over. What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Guns Akimbo, Our Flag Means Death, Jumanji: The Next Level, the list goes on, and on, and on. That’s not including his prolific repertoire of voice acting credits or any of his off-screen antics which include four books, New Zealand’s longest-running podcast The Cryptid Factor, or his Substack musings. Oh, and don’t forget Flight of the Conchords where he got his start as well-meaning but inept band manager Brian Nesbit, later Murray Hewitt.

Darby is one of Aotearoa’s most famous faces, and yet, in his newest comedy show, The Legend Returns to ponder whether a simple dad with slightly tight jeans can stay relevant in a world full of AI and robot tech.

Good news: ancient astronaut theorists say yes!

With The Legend Returns, Darby hopes to prove that right now a touch of very human silliness is more important than ever. Perhaps his unique skills, once thought of as absurd, might just be useful after all.

“I’m so excited to return to the stage, a bit older, a bit wiser, but mostly a bit sillier than ever before,” he beams.

Darby’s The Legend Returns will hit Wellington’s Opera House on the 27^th of March and feature his signature mix of astute observations and physical stand-up cocooned in a fantastical storyline that weaves through twists and turns, ups and downs, and over hill and dale.