Clever comics use satire to witty effect Times Colonist, Page D6, PREVIEW Many will remember the animated TV special, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, starring Burl Ives. First aired in 1964, it chronicles the rather peculiar adventures of Rudolph and Hermey. The latter is an elf who wants to be a, um, dentist. Next week, Victoria's Atomic Vaudeville takes comedic aim at the beloved classic. The troupe's latest stage show, Island of the Misfit Toys, both embraces the television special and -- not surprisingly -- twists it almost beyond recognition, said director/performer Britt Small. (In the TV program, We're a Couple of Misfits is a musical duet for Rudolph and Hermey the elf.) AV's Island of the Misfit Toys includes a routine about two men who are tortured. Their crime? Being American. |
Naturally, the torturers are members of The Enlightened World of Kindness Society. "It's kind of a stab at liberal humanism," said Small with a chuckle. The Americans in Atomic Vaudeville's show are played by bona fide Americans. They are Andrew Connor and Mike Mathieu, a Bellingham comedy duo who bill themselves as The Cody Rivers Show. As well as appearing in Island of the Misfit Toys, the pair will open the evening with their own show, Tangle. Atomic Vaudeville and Cody Rivers first met at the Victoria Fringe Theatre Festival last summer. The Cody Rivers Show was being mounted at the same venue as Atomic Vaudeville's critically acclaimed Legoland. A fast friendship was formed. Connor and Mathieu subsequently invited Legoland to play at Bellingham's iDiom Theatre, a company specializing in new and innovative work. Atomic Vaudeville will return the favour in Victoria. "That's one of the goals, to work out a bit of an exchange program," said Small, noting that her company is successfully developing audiences in Vancouver, Seattle and Bellingham. There has been a growing buzz about Atomic Vaudeville in 2006. As well as go-for-the-jugular routines such as the Manson Family Christmas and The Politically Correct Racist Family, the company has attracted positive press -- regionally and nationally -- for fully produced productions such as Legoland and The Qualities of Zero. Both plays were written by troupe co-founder Jacob Richmond. Legoland was just accepted by New | York's Frigid Festival (a new independent theatre fest) for performances in March. Meanwhile, Connor and Mathieu's Tangle promises to be as off-kilter as Atomic Vaudeville's own quirky fare. Expect an energetic intermingling of the surreal and absurd. "We have these intersections of, like, political advisers with alien kidnapping types of stories," said Connor. "Or this absurd office communication/negotiation sketch that ends up connecting with this adventure story sketch about spooky-haunted-horror things." Mathieu said the pair, who share a house, don't own a TV. Their humour deliberately sidesteps the pop-culture send-ups that define such popular sketch-comedy shows as Saturday Night Live and MADtv . "I find a lot of comedic entertainment to be disappointing," said Mathieu, pointing to a willingness of others to settle for "common denominator" jokes. "It usually means references to things from the waist down. I don't know what's funny about poop any more. But there's plenty of people who make a living exploring the far reaches of poop humour." In conversation, Connor and Mathieu appear serious, sounding more like chin-stroking artistes than comic actors. Mathieu spoke of being true to his artistic appetite. Connor said he hopes by avoiding comedy that merely confirms prevalent opinions and stereotypes, The Cody Rivers Show can make audiences examine their own values. "On some level [this comedy] helps people realize there are alternatives to the way things are," he said. |