Bill Bailey is bringing his latest stand-up comedy show Qualmpeddler to New Zealand in late September / early October – and I was given the opportunity to get up early one morning recently to give him a ring to have a chat.
With all the trademark Bailey elements, Qualmpeddler will have the musical mash-ups, twisted logic, some political ranting, brilliant visuals and animation, a clear-eyed yet surreal view of the modern world. Qualm is brilliant word – I remember my mother telling me she’d “have no qualms” about giving me a “thick ear” if I misbehaved as a child (I hasten to add, she never actually did give me a thick ear – the mere threat, or advice that she’d be without qualms over it, was enough to keep me in check – evidently I was a cowardice child).
“It’s an interesting word – my grandmother was very fond of it – she’d have qualms about all sorts of things … she’d have qualms about scone coming out of the oven right; and then she’d also have qualms about nuclear power and war.
But to no qualms can also mean that you have no scruples about something, for example ‘he had no qualms about lying’ – so the lack of qualms – the meaning is somehow greater than the qualm itself…” Bill explains, “I quite like the word – a peddler of qualms is someone who is hawking these – a hawker of concerns – an anxiety monger, if you will.”
“…but also, a qualm-peddler is quite a nice euphemism for a stand up comic” Bill wryly observes.
“A mockery is a great way of undermining opression – you can do a lot with a well turned phrase .. also it can highlight issues that are quite serious in an a irreverent and comedic context – comedy can quite mercurial like that”
You can listen to the interview in full here:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
10min 45sec
Bill Bailey – Qualmpeddler:
WELLINGTON – MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE
FRIDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER
SATURDAY 29th SEPTEMBER
Book at Ticketek 0800TICKETEK (842538) | Online www.ticketek.co.nz
CHRISTCHURCH – CBS CANTERBURY ARENA
MONDAY 1ST OCTOBER
Book at Ticketek 0800TICKETEK (842538) | Online www.ticketek.co.nz
AUCKLAND – ASB THEATRE
WEDNESDAY 3RD OCTOBER
THURSDAY 4th OCTOBER
Book at 0800BUYTICKETS (289842) | Online www.buytickets.co.nz
