120-year-old tree falls on house of Whanganui comedian Ray O'Leary

A heritage tree topples onto the flat of Whanganui's Ray O'Leary and four other comedians. Photo / File

Whanganui comedian Ray O'Leary brought the house down on Tuesday night ... but it was no laughing matter.

He and four other comedians were flatting in a house in Auckland's Mount Albert when high winds toppled a tree onto the roof on Tuesday night.

One of the flatmates, Joel Hansby, was taking photos of falling branches when the 120-year-old tree gave a huge crack and started falling. A roof beam stopped it coming into the room they were in.

The house was declared unsafe and the flatmates had to scatter, and shelter with friends.

For Mr O'Leary the disruption has come at a "hectic" time.

Ray O'Leary has a degree in philosophy and sometimes uses that in his comedy. Photo/ File

He's busy preparing for an hour-long show in the 2018 New Zealand International Comedy Festival, called ''Young, Dumb and Full of Comedy''.

He will be working with his friend Lucy Roche, and the cynical show will portray the collapse of society and of themselves. It's on in Wellington from May 1-5, and Auckland from May 8-12.

Mr O'Leary went to Cullinane College in Whanganui, then Victoria University in Wellington. He got a job as a civil servant, and had his comedy debut at an open mic night in Wellington in 2015.

Now in Auckland, he was nominated for the Billy T comedy award last year, and had some sold out shows. He also writes for the television comedy 7 Days.