Melbourne International Comedy Festival review

As you may be able to tell from the punny title alone, Hoani Hotene is a charming ray of sunshine full of upbeat, sometimes silly, positivity.

The Kiwi comedian is palpably delighted to be on stage, but you feel he’d be happy to be anywhere. He frequently utters a delighted, ‘Oh man!’ as punctuation, as his observations so often seem to express wonder at all the world’s possibilities. 

Many of his jokes have a sweetness to them – such as his act-out of God creating dinosaurs that’s as hilarious as it is cute. He chats engagingly with the audience and occasionally brings out a guitar for a quick gag, all part of his non-threatening, super-friendly demeanour.

Hotene projects himself as the sort of comedian for whom concerns don’t get much bigger than coffee shop merchandise or how many baked beans you get for breakfast. Yet he does venture into more significant territory, such as cultural identity, with the most delicate of touches.

Though pale, fragile and ginger, Hotene is actually a Māori man - not the sort to be at the front of the intimidating Haka, he jokes, nor even able to endure a vigorous massage. But the mismatch between appearance and heritage leads to a rather poignant exchange with his father, played with typical lightness.

He speaks the indigenous language Te Reo Māori, too, and occasionally drops a little of it into his show to educate us. How else would we know how SpongeBob Squarepants plays to fellow speakers?

An early-evening slot suits him well, his refreshing style serving as an easily palatable amuse-bouche for more robust servings later. It’s a lovely hour in the company of a lovely, funny man.

• Hoani, Hoani, Hoani, Must Be Funny in a Rich Man's World is at the Charles Dickens Tavern at 6pm (5pm Sundays) until April 19.

Review date: 13 Apr 2026
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett
Reviewed at: Melbourne International Comedy Festival