St John’s Newfoundland
One week into the Canada tour and I really feel I’m starting to find my rhythm here. The gigs continue to be an absolute joy, with Halifax being our favourite. It’s great being part of such a quality show. I’m slightly blowing my own trumpet here but I really think the line up for the ‘Just for Laughs’ tour is superb. Everyone’s very different but also very funny. We’re getting standing ovations in every venue and no one’s really come near to having a sticky gig. The line up is:
John Heffron - superb American act who won one of the first series of ‘Last Comic Standing. A must see if he ever comes to the UK. He sets up the show beautifully and has even pronounced my name right on one occasion.
Hal Cruttenden - Amazing and sexy.
Pete Zedlacher - Excellent Canadian who is ripping it up everywhere we play. I keep telling him he’s got home advantage but actually he’s bloody good.
David O’Doherty - Irish hairy man and winner of the if.comedy award at this year’s Edinburgh Festival. A whimsical genius on and offstage.
Danny Bhoy - Nothing can phase a man who’s played the Sydney Opera House. Superb closing act. Has the best Gecko material I’ve ever heard.
All in all it’s an honour to share a stage with these guys.
I’m still enjoying being a foreigner. I don’t think I could ever settle abroad but I do enjoy being an object of interest, specially in the small towns where they don’t get many tourists at this time of year. Just this morning, I went over the road to have breakfast and my waitress asked where I was from. When I answered ‘London’ she started telling me how she’d always felt British and even feels tempted to drive on the wrong side of the road - how anglophile/suicidal can you get! I should have explained to her that, however British she felt, she could never qualify as she’d just started up a conversation with a complete stranger and had been far too open and emotional. Of course I didn’t say that because, being British, I cannot reveal my true thoughts to someone I’ve only just met. I sat there smiling saying ‘how lovely’ and that she must get to London one day. I would have given her my address as a contact in the UK but feared that she wouldn’t be familiar with that other rule of being British, ie. never take up an invitation to stay at a relative stranger’s house - it will just end up being awkward.
Only one thing’s frustrating me on the tour and that’s my lack of new writing. I thought up a really good gag about the Canadian national anthem, only to discover that Danny Bhoy’s got a better one. It’s a nightmare working with the best.
Tags: Danny Bhoy, David O'Doherty, John Heffron, Just For Laughs Tour, Pete Zedlacher