Kiwi comedian Eli Matthewson: This is why I left New Zealand

Kiwi comedian and writer Eli Matthewson, 37, had a great life in Auckland with his partner Sam. Last July, Matthewson, a Billy T award winner, former radio host on The Edge and regular on TV shows including 7 Days, decided to move to London to experience big city life and travel Europe. He talks to Varsha Anjali about how it’s going.

Why did you want to leave New Zealand?

I think the main things that we wanted were to live in a big city and do some travel. So, that’s why we picked London, because it’s big, there are opportunities for both of us, and it’s so easy to travel all over Europe and tick off a lot of places that we’ve never done.

Out of 10, what would you rate your London experience so far?

I’d give it a 7, heading towards an 8. It certainly isn’t easy all the time, and it is a bit strange doing this at my age of 37 now, because I think so many people do this when they’re, like, 19.

We really did have a nice life set up in Auckland, we had bought a house ... [Now] we’ve had to rent it out, and we’re flatting again. In some ways, it feels like we’re backtracking in our lives. But overall, it’s been really fun.

Even now. It’s obviously a dreadful, disgusting winter. It gets dark at 3.30 to 4pm ... But I did really enjoy Christmas. I loved mulled wine, I loved all the decorations everywhere, and Halloween as well ... I was like, oh, they really go for it here.

With the iconic red London bus.

What rating would you have given your life in Auckland?

Honestly, life in Auckland was pretty great for so much of it. I love the Auckland summer ... It’s such a dreamy lifestyle when you go to Pt Chevalier Beach at the end of the day, and everyone’s there having their fish and chips and having a swim after work. Life doesn’t really get much better.

That home life was a 9.

We’ll be back, but for the moment, this feels like the right place to be.

Nothing quite like a beach day in Auckland summer.

So you’re confident you’ll come back to New Zealand?

Things hugely took off for me here in a way where it would be stupid to shut this down ... I love so much about Auckland, and I definitely think that’s where I want to see out my days, in the end.

What are some of the other differences in your daily routines?

In New Zealand, I would often do three or four different jobs at the same time. Because I’d do writing work, and then I’d be performing in the evening.

Now‚ I am obviously a brand new face in the UK. I’m trying to go around and do comedy clubs. I don’t have any writing work yet. I’m trying to get management, I’m having meetings ... It’s maybe two or three shows a week, and then a lot of daytime admin, hustle and emails.

We live a pretty flexible life. We make a lot of decisions last-minute and that means that we’ve ended up going to concerts and shows cheaply because if you just look on the day, often there’s cheap stuff going.

He will be back - just not yet.

You’ve got a strong Kiwi community over there. Do you struggle to merge with the British community?

My partner Sam and I have been going to a gay board gaming group, there’s a gay reading club, and there are quite a lot of fun community things like that. There’s always something going on.

I would still say there are many days when it gets to the end of the day, and I’m like, oops, I didn’t talk to a British person this entire day. But slowly, slowly, I’m meeting some people.

I think it’s also hard because we’re both in our 30s now. It’s more a time in life when ... people are so set in their friend groups, so to make inroads in there, you have to be really exciting.

You almost forget what it’s like to have to approach a new group of people.

What’s been the hardest part of the journey so far?

Going back to living week by week, budget-wise. We’re really consciously paying attention to our money at all times.

That’s part of what’s good about being here as well.

Back home, once you’ve been somewhere for so long, you become so work-focused, and work can become your whole life ... but we’re here to experience life, and so it’s quite nice having a little bit more time ... we didn’t come here to just hunker down.

What are some of the cool gigs you’ve been going to?

The best show that I’ve seen is coming to New Zealand. It was Lorde’s show. It was so good. We went to Haim as well, and we’re going to see Dijon.

It is so cool seeing Kiwi artists play here. We watched the Beths play the Roundhouse. It was so awesome to see them in this huge theatre, on the other side of the world, killing it. And Hans Pucket.

We’ve also been to quite a few big warehouse parties - that feels like a completely different world than anything that I’ve experienced before.

Eli and his partner Sam didn't move to London to just 'hunker down'.

What’s your advice for other Kiwi creatives looking to move over?

I would say save as much money as you can, and when you think you’ve saved enough, you should save some more. Use any contacts you have as well, because there are heaps and heaps of Kiwis over here ... so there are so many people who can give you advice and who can help you.

Coming here and doing the Edinburgh Fringe as a way of establishing yourself, I think, is a really good move if you’re a performer because that is like the market of performance, really.

Eli Matthewson’s favourite London spots

Favourite cinema?

The Odeon Holloway.

Favourite pub?

The Red Lion is 40 seconds away. We really love that. But also The Londesbrough. The reason I love this pub is that Mel Blatt from the All Saints ... made burgers at the pub.

Favourite bookshop?

Stoke Newington Bookshop.

Favourite restaurant?

Dishoom.