Don’t expect comedian Derek Edwards to use Monday’s federal election as an excuse to crack a few jokes at the politicians’ expense.
He’ll leave that up to satirists such as Rick Mercer and the gang at This Hour Has 22 Minutes, or their American counterparts Bill Maher and Jon Stewart.
“I can’t imagine trying to mesmerize an audience with an hour talking about politics,” said Edwards, speaking to The Morning Star before setting off on his new tour, My Blunderful Life, which arrives in Vernon May 12.
“It’s drudgery to me, those petty negative attack ads. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth…. After May 2 no one will care anyway.”
Instead Edwards will do what he does best, making his wry observations about this crazy thing we call life.
“Life is full of blunders… We never consider the repercussions of the dumb ideas we come up with until someone comes along and swats us across the head.”
Born and raised in Timmins, Ont. (yes the same town where country star Shania Twain grew up), Edwards has been taking mental snap shots of his own life, and the everyday things that circulate around him, since he first got up on stage two decades ago. And he’s not afraid to aim an arrow at the absurd, but he does so in his laid-back, low-voice delivery, which eventually comes to a point sharp enough to pierce the toughest funny bone.
“It’s a great sound, laughing,” said Edwards. “A good day at the rock pile is quite satisfying. I used to work a front loader and when I moved at least 15 tons of rail in one day, I’d be like ‘right on’ and Clint Eastwood in my stride. Stage work can be just as tenuous, but you see the results of the work right away and you learn quickly when it’s s–t.
“I find it handy to talk about the town I am in: the story, the explanation and the observation. I look to Stuart McLean, who is the raconteur of the story, he spellbinds people with those stories, and people don’t mind sitting back waiting for him to get to the point.”
Edwards also cites fellow comedian Stewart Francis as someone he admires for perfecting the one-liner, adding his colleague delivered a few zingers while they recently performed together at the Halifax Comedy Festival.
“I find one-liners poetic, sort of like Gary Larson’s series of one-panel cartoons. You know the ones on the calendar where he lets go with 365 of them? Every one is hilarious,” said Edwards.
“I have some quick segments, but my act is more at a relaxed pace. I like to get the pacing down before the curtain opens.”
More recently, Edwards has had his challenges with the perils of going from radio to live television with CBC’s platform for comedians: No not Just for Laughs, but that titular tryst known as The Debaters.
Edwards has debated his fair share of important topics, such as small town vs. big city on the radio version of the show, but he wasn’t impressed when he appeared in the newly televised rendition.
“Once it went on TV, then it went hell,” he said. “I know comedians who make the two- minute rant look like a comic character is delivering it. They are made for TV. I am not.”
It also didn’t help that while his appearance was being taped, producers stopped him midway through his introducing argument.
“I had a tincture of sweat on my brow,” he explained. “Comedy is about momentum. In radio they would let you go on even if you sweat.”
Edwards is grateful to be back home on stage in front of a live audience with his 13-stop tour through B.C. The funnyman admits he still gets nervous before stepping out from behind the curtain, but he has his own technique for overcoming the jitters.
“Ideally the stage is lit up, and everyone else is in the dark. Maybe you’ll get a couple of rows lit up where you can focus on the miserable bastard that someone dragged to the show. It’s like a challenge to get the pr–k to smile, but it certainly is worth it.”
Derek Edwards brings My Blunderful Life to the Performing Arts Centre May 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $48 at the Ticket Seller, 549-7469, www.ticketseller.ca.
