Scottish comedy ‘god’ smites RCA
When a stand-up comedian calls his show God is a Scottish Drag Queen, you come with certain expectations.
Merriam-Webster defines a drag queen as usually a homosexual man who dresses as a woman and performs as an entertainer, especially to caricature stereotypically vampish women.
Mike Delamont, who appeared at a sold-out Rotary Centre for the Arts on Saturday night, certainly dressed the part and delivered the expected sermon of religious jokes. His schtick as God also included a series of still photos and videos on a rear screen and musical audios.
He came on stage dressed as a middle-aged woman, fulfilling the first requirement of a drag queen.
However, based on my review of a drag queen burlesque show at Kelowna Community Theatre last year, Delamont wore none of the traditionally outlandish drag queen costuming.
Instead, he sported a 1980s-style matching mauve skirt and jacket, cream blouse, cropped black wig and glasses but had bare feet. Apparently, this drag queen Almightly feels high heels are hell on earth.
“I don’t wear a dress; this is a power suit,” Delamont said to laughs, adding: “I feel like a sexy chesterfield.”
He never did venture into the second part of the drag queen definition, the caricature of a stereotypically vampish women. And there were no references or jokes about being gay whether that is true or not.
A little history: created by Delamont and Jacob Richmond for the cult cabaret Atomic Vaudeville, this one-man show was turned in a full theatrical presentation and then, a five-part series of shows.
It has enjoyed a series of sold-out runs across North America, is a two-time nominee for the Just For Laughs Best Comedy Award, has received numerous other comedy awards and had rave reviews.
However, it’s not for the declining number who religiously attend church or who cringe from the pervasive use of F-bombs and the word sh*t. Or his insensitive description of pop music icon Whitney Houston as “a vicious cocaine addict.”
He quickly added: “If that joke bothers you, it’s time to leave now.”
To his credit, this wanna-be comedy god does skewer churches and what he describes as “fringe religions” such as Scientology and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).
“I can talk about the Mormons because they’re not here,” he quipped.
He also delved into Mormon beliefs: founder Joseph Smith losing the “golden plates” he received from God from which he translated the Book of Mormon. “If you lose your homework, you fail that class. You don't start a major religion.”
And then the impossibility of Noah trying to get two cats into an ark.
Delacourt said that as God, he would play pranks on humans when “super-drunk.” That included asking Abraham to cut off the penis of his child creating the surgical proceedure circumcision.
Also to his credit, he threw in numerous Okanagan references: the empty seats in the theatre (there were none) were because Winfield residents had not yet arrived. A fan’s theme song of Bohemian Rhapsody was so long that the fan would have to start playing it in West Kelowna to finish it before arriving in Kelowna, said Delamont.
He also targeted non-religious topics like spanx shapewear — “a wee sausage casing” that women have to “roll down the rim to lose.”
Music has many uses: “to walk down the aisle (marriage) or to go into battle. Sometimes, that's the same thing.”
And “I love (Justin) Bieber; she’s fantastic.” If the pop song, If God Was One Of Us, was serious, “then, I’d just be a fat man in a dress and who would pay for that?”
He asked if there were any Scots in the audience and when a few responded, he joked: “At this ticket price, good for you.”
After one show ridiculing the Irish and their drinking habits, a woman allegedly came up to him and announced: “I’m Irish and I’m not intoxicated,” Delamont claimed.
His response to her: “Admitting you have a problem is the first step.” Adding: “I don’t think she bought one of (my) T-shirts.”
He also compared the stupidity of skydiving — using a piece of fabric and strings (parachute) — to bungee jumping, saying the latter was more stupid since “if something goes wrong when bungee jumping, you are going to hit the ground more than once.”
His impromptu humour also found favour with the audience. When a fan squealled at a joke, the holy deity responded: “I gave you those lips and I will take them away.”
All of that being said, the Kelowna fans at previous comedy shows — Snowed-In Comedy, Just for Laughs, O Christmas Tree, T.J. Miller, Derek Edwards, Ron Sexsmith and Gerry D, laughed uproariously, almost uncontrollably, with aches from extended bellylaughs lasting for hours.
However, any reviewer commenting on Delacourt should use caution since: Hell hath no fury like a drag queen scorned.