Camille is a comedian and actress based in LA. She is the producer of the TV series "Charlie", a sitcom that she also plays one of the main characters.

Why did you choose to spend this time of year here?

I love New Zealand - my partner Hamish Dean is from Christchurch (born in Westport) and we have family in Christchurch. We live both in New Zealand and Los Angeles. Hamish is a touch rugby player, and is CEO of his own tech company called Shapeshifter which is based both in New Zealand and USA. So when we are in New Zealand I get performance dates.

Have you been anywhere else in New Zealand?

Yes, Auckland, I was in the New Zealand Comedy Festival several years ago. We have been to Queenstown, Westport, Napier, and other places in the South Island.

How do the crowds compare to LA in terms of noise, interactions?

I love the Christchurch crowd. Stand up Comedy is a newer thing in the south island, and the scene is really great. I love the comics down here, they are not arrogant, (I found some comics in other parts of New Zealand - I won't say where, Auckland, Oh I said it, some not all, had a little bit too much arrogance for my taste). The comics in Christchurch are pretty talented and have unique acts, and are inspired by comedy it's really great.

Do you frequently perform at open mics back home and/or overseas?

I don't perform at open mics, I just perform on shows. But the "open mic" in LA and NY are very different than probably any place else. They are pretty depressing! But mainly because in LA alone there are 10,000 comedians trying to get stage time, so its very saturated. Whereas an "open mic" internationally is more like just a regular show.

What would you say to potential comedians who are not as confident? What are the differences between doing a TV show and your stage show in terms of writing?

Confidence. I would say the shows you do the more confident you get. I watched the comics from a year ago here - and so many of them have gotten so damn good. It's really cool to watch. Writing for TV as opposed to writing jokes - is different - sometimes. In season 1 of my TV show Charlie, I actually used quite a lot of my stage jokes on the show.

There is lots of competition in Hollywood, what are the best ways of getting people to shows?

It's easier to get people to the bigger clubs where I perform i.e.; The Laugh Factory, The Improv, The Comedy Store because at any moment a super famous comedian like Chris Rock can pop in to work out a joke on your show - so people love coming out to see famous comics. I also do more "themed" shows like The Vaud Squad at The Laugh Factory - it's comedy and burlesque, so people like to come out to see cool shows like that.