Jack Ansett, James Mustapic and Ray O’Leary talk viral moments, working with family members, and PowerPoint comedy - Billy T’ Billy

Ray O'Leary, James Mustapic and Jack Ansett are the guests on this week's Billy T' Billy. Photos / Supplied edited by NZME.

The New Zealand International Comedy Festival kicks off next month, running for three weeks across Auckland and Wellington.

More than 150 performers from here and overseas are due to take part in the festival, amounting to over 600 live performances.

Ahead of the festival, the NZ Herald is spotlighting some of the festival’s performers in Billy T’ Billy, a podcast bringing comedians together for a look at the industry.

This week, Billy T Award nominees Jack Ansett, James Mustapic and Ray O’Leary joined the podcast for a discussion on comedy - including the difference between stand up and PowerPoints, working with family members, and their viral moments.

When it comes to family, all three of them had experienced the awkwardness of their family coming to shows early in their careers, when things weren’t going smoothly.

“I think some family members, especially in my family, some of them I think were initially embarrassed or worried it would be bad, and to be fair, in the beginning it was bad,“ Ansett said.

“I remember I had one early show. And all the family came, Grandma, everyone, and it was shocking. And then I just think, eight, nine years pass and they... must just think, oh, ‘he’s still not that good’, they don’t know that you then moved to Auckland and you hustle with the best in the country and you do get a lot better.”

“I have some aunts and uncles who saw me do that very first Billy T show I did in Auckland,” O’Leary said. “I was horrible. I remember just bombing in a room of 50 that was almost entirely my extended family.

“And then the worst thing about bombing to your family is you have to hang out with them afterwards. They have to grimace and say how impressive it was you remembered everything, and how brave you are for standing on stage.

“And then some of them have never come back. And I do wonder what they must think. Like we’ve all done things like been on TV or whatever, and I wonder if they see that and think, what’s going on? This guy’s no good!”

For Mustapic, the only time his grandparents came to see him perform was six years ago, and he doubts they are ever coming back.

“The venue had a rule that it was free venue hire as long as the audience bought $300 of drinks, and then no one was buying drinks.

“I just bought heaps of drinks. ‘cause I was like, either way, I’m paying for this. And then I was very drunk and just the crowd hated me. And I had to have a break in the middle of my show, but there was no backstage or green room for me to go to, so I had to sit in the crowd, after bombing, at halftime.

“So I just sit in the crowd with my grandparents, and be like, ‘We’ll be back in 10′."

Listen to the full episode for more stories from the New Zealand comedy scene.

Billy T’ Billy is a NZ Herald podcast celebrating local comedy, in partnership with the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. New episodes are out every Wednesday.

The festival runs from May 2nd to 25th in Auckland and Wellington.

You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.