Oz's funniest hitman coming to town

Heath Franklin as Chopper will be in Wanganui next month to give you a few laughs. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Aussie comedian Heath Franklin - also known as his comic creation "Chopper" - hits town to perform at the Wanganui Opera House on Thursday, November 6, with his Repeat Offender tour.

On the phone from Sydney, Franklin says there is nothing about Wanganui that particularly "melts his trousers" at this stage.

"I'm more at the curious trousers stage at this point, I'll have to see how it goes," he said.

"We missed Wanganui out on the last tour in June so we have put it on the list for this trip."

Franklin has been to Wanganui before although not as Chopper - he starred in the 2010 film Predicament a comedy horror based on the 1975 novel by Ronald Hugh Morrieson.

The film was shot in Hawera and Eltham and Franklin had the opportunity to visit Wanganui on a day trip and reckons it was a pretty nice place.

Predicament, directed by Jason Stutter, also starred Flight of the Conchord's Jemaine Clement and singer Tim Finn.

The Chopper character, based on the notorious Australian underworld criminal Mark "Chopper" Read, came about when Franklin impersonated the character as seen in the 2000 film Chopper by Andrew Dominik.

"I was at uni with a lot of time on my hands and I impersonated him as he was played by Eric Bana in the film and people found it funny.

"My girlfriend - who is now my wife - encouraged me to keep up the portrayal."

The character debuted on Australian television in the The Ronnie Johns Half Hour, a sketch comedy show that ended in 2006.

"At one stage, it occurred to me that the real Chopper Read was out there and might not take kindly to what I was doing."

Mark "Chopper" Read died of liver cancer in October last year but he did get to see Franklin's portrayal and said it wasn't very accurate, but he thought it was funny.

Franklin says he does impersonate other characters in Australia - an eccentric millionaire named Clive Palmer and British adventurer Bear Grylls.

"I don't think New Zealand audiences will get Clive Palmer although he is a bit like Kim Dotcom and the man who drinks his own urine - I have talked about him in my New Zealand shows."

When asked why he thinks NZ audiences get the Chopper character so well, Franklin says he thinks the character has fewer sinister connotations for Kiwis so they are able to laugh more freely.

"When I would come over for holidays and I looked at New Zealand music and film, I saw the black humour in films like Scarfies and I figured there was probably an audience here.

"Australians like to think we are laid back but, when I come to New Zealand and hang out with Kiwis, I think, 'Aw, this is what being relaxed is.'"

Franklin says he doesn't stay away on tour too long these days because he has small children now.

"They are 1 and 3 and, if I stay away too long, my wife is a mad zombie ready to take an axe to me when I come in the door."