The creator and star of podcast-turned-TV series Small Town Scandal tells Alex Casey how growing up on a dairy farm helped shape his comedic voice.
Tom Sainsbury’s phone is full of texts from Tom Sainsbury. The comedian, actor and writer’s creative process involves constantly messaging himself ideas for characters or everyday observations, resulting in a chaotic one-sided text chain sprinkled with random book and movie recommendations. “The system’s not good,” he says. “And I’d say 10% of the ideas slip through the cracks because they were just one word and I just can’t remember what they mean.”
Thrillingly, he swipes open his phone at my request and starts to scroll. “My last one was, ‘I’ve just about had enough of your nonsense’. I’ve also got ‘scuse fingers’ which would have been from holiday time and going to dinner parties and things.” He’s hit a rich vein now. “I want to do something with how hot pita bread is when you get it out of the toaster. I also really want to do a BurgerFuel chef who smokes and has tatts and stuff like that. Such a great character.”
Sainsbury has been an observer of people for as long as he can remember. Growing up on a dairy farm in Matamata, he recalls countless characters who made an indelible impression. There were the old boys in fedoras at the stock auctions, the charismatic auctioneer with no top lip, the flamboyant male hairdresser who would come over to help his mum with interior design. Even as a little kid, he always returned to the same question: “who are all these people?”
As he got slightly older, Sainsbury adds that his observation skills also had an element of self-preservation when navigating the small farming town. “Machoism and masculinity was definitely a thing to be on edge about and, being a queer kid, you do that thing that everyone in this situation does, which is that you have to be really attuned to who’s a threat and who’s not. It’s very dark psychology, but I think there’s definitely something in it.”
However dark the origins of his fascination with people are, Sainsbury has gone on to build an unparalleled repertoire of local caricatures, from pashmina-wearing wine reviewer Fiona, to the personification of The Warehouse, to manosphere-pilled chiropractor Dr Darren. How does he choose his targets? “If you attack people’s pomposity, I think you’re always in a safe zone,” he says. “I especially love people who are really performative, or think that they are amazing.”
His latest love letter to the colourful characters of Aotearoa is Small Town Scandal, the television adaptation of his true crime parody podcast of the same name. The series follows disgraced journalist-turned-podcaster Toby (played by Sainsbury) who returns to his fictional hometown of Te Hōiho and is thrown into a new murder mystery involving his millionaire uncle, an automatic lawnmower, and an all-star cast including Morgana O’Reilly, Loren Taylor and Rose Matafeo.
“It really is a perfect storm of everything I love,” says Sainsbury. “A love of small town New Zealand, a love of characters, and a love of true crime.” Referencing his favourite crime podcasts S Town, Hollywood Con Queen and Teacher’s Pet, Sainsbury says the genre is extremely ripe for parody. Fans of the podcast will recognise his love of bombshell cliffhanger twists, dramatic time jumps, and scene-setting “bordering on pretentious”.
And while audiences might recognise a few podcast conventions, there are also a few characters that might ring a bell back in Sainsbury’s hometown. “Not naming names, but they are all inspired by Matamata folk,” he says. Although he finds characters everywhere, he says there’s something particularly potent outside of the main centres. “It’s like people don’t have to check themselves as much so all their bad habits and eccentricities are allowed to flourish.”
Beyond Small Town Scandal, Sainsbury will keep digging up his old text messages and trialling out new characters on social media. Or, as he puts it, “throwing shit at the wall.” He’ll be dusting off his popular Facebook page ahead of the election, but admits he doesn’t have any specific plans for politicians as yet. All those high-powered, pompous people to choose from, and yet it’s that kernel of an idea in his texts around a BurgerFuel chef that he still can’t shake.
“I need to get the tattoo sleeves and smokes and stuff,” he says. “There’s quite a bit to organise, but I just feel so passionate about doing it.”
Small Town Scandal premieres on NEON and Sky Comedy Monday 9 February at 8.30pm.
