‘Letterkenny’ coming to life on stage
Canadian comedy series on Crave TV
It’s almost time to hoist a few Puppers! Letterkenny Live! -The Encore is hitting the Enmax Centre stage on Dec. 14 and it’s a show fans won’t want to miss.
“Letterkenny,” the hit Crave TV show, is Canadian comedy at its most irreverent and funny. A show so Canadian that the smell of the imaginary Puppers beer swilled on every show can practically be tasted from the television screen, “Letterkenny” is a testament to Canadian life. It’s a cultural canvas that the cast paints a different picture on with each episode, every one endearing in its own inimitable way.
Created by star Jared Keeso and written primarily by him and director Jacob Tierney, “Letterkenny” now is in its fifth season.
The live production of the show features Keeso and other cast members performing original sketches and some scenes from the series. The touring cast includes Keeso, Mark Forward (Coach), K Trevor Wilson (Squirrely Dan) and Calgary native Nathan Dales (Daryl).
Dales, in a telephone interview last week, called the show “incredibly fun.
“Everybody has a good time,” said Dales, who in 2017 earned a Canadian Screen Award nomination for best supporting role in a comedic series for “Letterkenny.”
A 2007 graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles, Dales plays a key role in “Letterkenny” as the best bud of Keeso’s character, Wayne.
“Letterkenny,” he says, “is a very special beast. It’s very relaxed, very professional. Everybody wants to get the job done.”
Before the series, several of the cast members already knew each other from playing beer league hockey in Vancouver and the camaraderie they share on screen is real, suggested Dales.
From references to the Tragically Hip and other Canadian artists to even Easter traditions, “Letterkenny” is a goldmine of Canadiana with each episode showing nuggets of brilliance.
“I’m proud as all hell to be Canadian and I hope it shows up on screen,” said Dales, who is looking forward to getting back to his Prairie roots with the tour.
Tickets are $64 and $91.50 at the Ticket Centre locations.
With the stage show, cast only have one take to get things right, but Dales says it’s “pretty seamless. It’s easier than I thought it would be.”
During the shows, both on stage and on camera, cast stick pretty much to the scripts created by Keeso, who has starred in two TV movies about Don Cherry, playing the coach and renowned hockey commentator.
“Jared writes the scripts and in rehearsals we find out what works,” Dales said of the series.
Dales’ work on the series has produced many memorable moments and among his favourites was the St. Patrick’s Day episode last year when cast recalled the party the previous night at a community hall party which Dales’ character doesn’t remember anything about.
“That was so much fun,” he recalled.
The partnership with Crave has been a good one for the series, Dales said.
“The platform Crave gave us is really fantastic. It’s been a huge blessing and I’m glad everyone seems to be gravitating toward it.
“This is a dream come true. To have a steady job as an actor in Canada isn’t an easy thing to do and all the credit in the world goes to Jared for creating such great scripts. It’s all working out really well.” Follow @albeebHerald on Twitter.