Comic relief
Derek Edwards bringing his cheer to P.E.I.
One of Canada’s best-known funny guys is returning to Prince Edward Island next week.
Derek Edwards is bringing his new show, “Alls I’m Saying”, to the Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown on April 1 and to the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside April 2. Both shows are at 7:30 p.m. When I spoke with him earlier this week, the comedian said he hopes the show will provide an antidote to some of the negative news that we’ve been hearing, particularly from the United States.
“Positive energy, that’s the key …. So wish me luck,” said Edwards, during a telephone interview.
Here’s what he had to say: Q: What are Canadians laughing about these days?
A: “It’s not what they’re laughing at, it’s who they’re laughing at. Take, for instance, Doug Stanhope and Bill Burr, two of the terrific performers I’ve seen over the past few months. They bring with them whatever baggage is on their mind at the time. That night it was a (certain) neighbourhood burrough of Boston and skydiving. And folks (in the audience) just got on the train with them and had a good chuckle. That always gives us, regular comic folks, hope that with enough salesmanship, hard work and polish we’ll get a laugh, eventually, anyway.” Q: What inspired you, a native of Timmons, Ont., to get into comedy almost 30 years ago? A: “Everybody that comes into their own has a hot night at a kitchen party at some point. You happen to be standing next to the fridge, you happen to make a couple of cracks. Everybody laughs. Now you’ve got a bit of the attention. And you feel this
wonderful, pleasant blanket of comfort. I’m sure it’s what lures so many comics into the notion that it would be a neat way to try and make rent.” Q: What are your thoughts about touring?
A: “Positive speaking, I’m looking forward to returning to the Island. I have fond memories of performing in Charlottetown and Summerside.”
Q: What are your connections to Prince Edward Island?
A: “I spent 18 summers on Prince Edward Island. I also have relatives and in-laws there. We stayed at Seven Mile Bay and, over the space of three years, I watched the Confederation Bridge get built. It was a slowmotion kind of thing. I can look at the pictures of the kids playing on the beach and say, ‘there it is’ when it was just the support beams and ‘there it is’, when some of it was paved.’ It was also great that they built a Tim Hortons just an eight-minute drive away because there were so many people working on that thing.” Q: What are your favourite P.E.I. experiences?
A: “I took a kayak out under the (Confederation) bridge once. It was terrifying, especially the sound of the transport trucks (rumbling) overhead. But it was really cool, too. I also loved attending the national baseball championships in Summerside. I’ve also never smelled a better smell than the Bun King Bakery. So there are thousands of reasons to come back and I’m forced to come back and I couldn’t be happier.”
Sally Cole is an entertainment writer with TC Media on P.E.I. She welcomes comments about her column as well as suggestions for future columns from readers. She may be reached at Sally.Cole@TC.TC or by phone at 902-629-6000, ext. 6054.