Words: Caitlin Finnerty

4 Stars

Paul Williams returns to the Fringe with Don’t Look At Me, a beautifully offbeat and deceptively layered hour that combines stand-up, music, and storytelling into a show that is both darkly funny and surprisingly heartwarming. Best known internationally from Taskmaster New Zealand, Williams brings his signature blend of Kiwi deadpan and absurdity, weaving together songs, slides, and stories with a laid-back confidence that quietly commands the room.

The show opens with a home video of Williams as a child, setting the tone for a performance that is as much about revisiting his past as it is about poking fun at his present. Perched behind a keyboard, sunglasses on, he launches into his first number with a voice that is unexpectedly strong and captivating. 

His slideshow offers playful, self-deprecating glimpses into his life: growing up in Nelson (his racist hometown), reflections on his siblings who all happen to be stand-up comedians, and affectionate nods to his tech, Josie. The humour is dry, often cutting, but always underpinned by warmth. His stories about childhood misadventures and strange personal obsessions (like Olympic snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis) keep the audience engaged from start to finish.What elevates the show is its structure: every song and story feeds seamlessly into the next, culminating in a letter Williams writes to himself, a moment both wholesome and oddly inspiring. Don’t Look At Me is cleverly structured, skillfully delivered, and proof that Paul Williams truly has “that dawg in him.”

Paul Williams: Don’t Look at Me 
Upstairs, Assembly Roxy
16:45
Aug 20-24