I must admit, I didn’t have high expectations for Peter Helliar’s Dreamboat Tour. For me, Helliar is a hit-and-miss comedian. Sometimes I find him very funny. Other times, his jokes make me wince, or yawn. Dreamboat Tour was a pretty ordinary show with luke-warm humour that didn’t always work. Helliar seemed nervous to begin with, but as the set progressed he relaxed and found his rhythm. Once he did, his timing was good, and his banter with the audience was entertaining, if at times a bit uncomfortable as he got a little too personal. Occasionally, he would really hit the mark, with passes at the Twilight series and Avatar, and his tales of woe as a husband and father were particularly funny. For the most part, though, his gags received few laughs and little applause.

Helliar is charismatic, easy to listen to, and really knows how to engage an audience. He is one of those comedians who has great potential but who is hesitant to break new ground. It would be interesting to see him stripping back the waffle and taking a shot at the grittier side of life. It’s a pity Helliar’s not game enough to go down that path. Like a television show on a commercial network, Dreamboat Tour felt as though it had been tailored to meet the needs of a particular demographic. The result was a dreamy, whimsical hour without much substance.