HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1992-05-13, Page 39Theatre review
Broadfoot
a laugh
a minute
BY KEITH ROULSTON
If a laugh a minute is supposed to
be the measure of a good comic act,
the audience at Saturday night's
Dave Broadfoot's Comedy Crusade
at Blyth Memorial Hall got more
than it's money's worth. Hardly 15
seconds went by when there wasn't
a new outburst of chuckles, laughs
and loud guffaws.
Mr. Broadfoot proved that 40
years of making people laugh have
only sharpened his eye for the
absurdities of life. His loudest
responses from the audience came
with those jokes based on the
quirks of the Canadian personality:
like the Canadian propensity for
looking at a clear blue sky and say
ing: "Oh it's too nice. We're going
to pay for this!"
The Comedy Crusade travels
light. Mr. Broadfoot came on stage
with only a table, a lectern, a piano
bench and a suitcase and proceeded
to entertain for two hours. Not
every joke hit home with everyone
in the audience. Some people were
obviously left cold by some of the
double entrendres while others did
n't enjoy a parody of a religious
sermon from the Bible. But in all,
laughter was echoing from the the
atre's walls all night long.
There were so many jokes, how
ever, that few people could remem
ber many. One joke would follow
another before you had a chance to
really fix the first joke in your
memory.
Mr. Broadfoot managed to good-
naturedly insult everybody. Going
over the contributions of various
nationalities, for instance, he credit
ed the Scots with inventing the
bagpipes...and the two tunes that go
with them. He joked about the taxi
driver in Newfoundland who told
him he wasn't worried about Que
bec separating: it would just mean
Newfoundlanders could get to
Ottawa in half the time.
Because of the nature of the rural
audience, some jokes particularly
hit home. Reading headlines from
supermarket tabloids he talked of
the farmer who died in a suicide
pact with 42 cows: "you can like
your cows but never sign any
thing". And he talked about the
amazing events in Russia where
"for the first time farmers can own
their own land. Farmers in Canada
are hoping the idea spreads here."
After two hours on stage, Mr.
Broadfoot was still pacing with
nervous energy. He seemed to have
more strength than many in the
audience who by that time were
worn out from laughing so hard.
E ntertainment
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 13,1992. PAGE 39.
Engagement
Comedian, a survivor
about his
never two
Broadfoot
his 40th
BY KEITH ROULSTON
You might call Dave Broadfoot a
survivor: after all he's survived 40
years by making people laugh in a
country that isn't supposed to have
a sense of humour.
But there were the phones ring
ing off the hook as people tried to
get tickets for his sold-out perfor
mance at Blyth Memorial Hall on
Saturday while the 66-year-old
comedian sat chatting
long career. "There are
years alike," said Mr.
who will celebrate
anniversary in the business during a
two-week stint at Peterborough's
Arbour Theatre in August. "I like it
like that. A lot of people have to
work every day at jobs they hate. I
have the privilege to do something
I love."
That long career includes being
part of the history of Memorial
Hall. In February, 1975, only
weeks after a new roof had been
installed on the Hall, Mr. Broadfoot
and partner Carol Robinson became
the first act to perform in the build
ing since it had been closed to pub
lic use. Robert Johnston, who was
booking the Take a Beaver to
Lunch, tour had picked up a news
paper which contained a story
about the renovations at Memorial
Hall and written to the village
council to see if the show could be
performed there. Council turned
organizing of the event over to a
local volunteer.
The theatre they played in back
then was considerably different
than the Hall Mr. Broadfoot
returned to on Saturday. Back then
the pair carried their own set up the
rickety open fire escape at the north
side of Memorial Hall. Saturday he
sat in a dressing room located high
above where the original staircase
was. In those days the only dress
ing-rooms were two cubicles in the
back comers of the stage. There
was little heat in the building and
only a couple of hundred people
were on hand (the theatre only seat
ed 400 then because the balcony
couldn't be used) compared to the
nearly 500 Saturday. Few people
outside Blyth knew about the the
atre in 1975. Today it's a mecca for
40,000 visitors every summer and
has been expanded with two large
additions over the years to accom
modate the large theatre company
that makes its home there each
summer.
He was still carrying his own set
Saturday night, though it was small
enough to fit in the trunk of his car
Today he spends about half his
time performing his Comedy Cru
sade, which he's been taking coast
to coast for four years, while he
spends the other half performing at
conventions. That goes right back
to his early days when he first
broke into the business doing the
banquet circuit. He'd quit high
school to join the Merchant Navy
in 1943, spending most of the war
on convoy duty. By 1947, when he
sought dry land again, he was a
marine engineer. He worked in the
clothing business days and joined
three community theatre groups at
night. He jokes about his discovery
of the joy of making people laugh.
He tried to make an exit through a
decorative door on a play's set
instead of a practical door, banged
into the door, fell on the floor and
as he listened to people laugh,
found a career.
Since 1952 when he performed
his first solo act in a Vancouver
night club, he's continued to make
people laugh, averaging 100
engagements a year. He's so busy
that he finds little chance for a
vacation. He and his wife plan a
vacation in France in September,
their first in several years since
they arrived in the Caribbean at the
same time as a vicious hurricane.
Over the years through his solo
appearances, his appearances on
CBC's Air Farce, his television
work and his work in such shows
as Spring Thaw, he has created a
gallery of characters that travel
with him from Sergeant Renfrew of
the RCMP to the Member from
Kicking Horse Pass. Three writers
contribute material to his shows but
he says that in order to keep the
shows current, he ends up writing a
lot of his own material.
His work has won him a legion
of fans who pack his performances
and many honours, from being
no
named an Honorary Staff Sergeant
of the RCMP to being named an
Officer of the Order of Canada.
Forty years in show business
might bring a deserved retirement
but Mr. Broadfoot says he has
intention of retiring. When he goes,
he said, he'd like to go like
acquaintance from Vancouver who
was entertaining a crowd and had
just told a joke that had the audi
ence in stitches when he keeled
over, face-first on the lectern. The
audience thought it was another
joke and kept on laughing.
12 angry jurors
deliberate at Grand
A unique adaption of Sidney
Lumet's acclaimed 1957 movie, 12
Angry Men will be presented at the
Grand Theatre on June 19 and 20.
Performed as a fundraising pro
ject to benefit The Grand Theatre,
72 Angry Jurors will feature a cast
of well-known London litigators,
and is presented by the Board of
Directors of the Theatre London
Foundation.
Directing the judicial ensemble
will be Grand Theatre Artistic
Associate, Charlie Tomlinson, with
designs by Technical Director
Craig Blackley.
Experience this powerful and
suspenseful drama as these "real-
life" litigators grapple with the jus
tice system.
an
DANCING AT
Family Paradise
RR *4 Walton 527-0629
SATURDAY NIGHTS 9:00 TO 1:00
Licensed Under LLBO
May 16 - The Royal Aires
May 23 - The Wildwoods
May 30 - Beechwood
Thle Ad Saves You 50'
Ken and Betty Hulley with
Don and Florence Pullen are
pleased to announce the
forthcoming marriage of their
children Darlene Caroline
and David Stewart. The
ceremony will take place at
the Londesborough United
Church on May 23, 1992 at
3 p.m. Reception to follow at
the Seaforth District and
Community Centre at 8:30
p.m.
the
Blyth Iw
THURSDAY NIGHT IS
WING NIGHT
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
WINGS 35c EACH
MINIMUM ORDER 10
a variety of sauces available
Wings available for take out at
regular price of 50e each.
THURS., FRI., & SAT.
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
WINGS & CHIPS
$5.45
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
THURS., FRI. & SAT. NITES
PIZZA
5 P.M. - MIDNIGHT
EAT IN OR TAKE OUT
ENTERTAINMENT
RETURNS
Dennis Siren
May 15 & 16
Qrand Opening
Of
CELJZABETLFS A^ Gallery
’’Mostly Mozart”
By Students of the
lltiritii £fcultt
oJantunun
Voice Studio
Director:
Renee Stalenhoef
Featuring:
Tanya Ross - Mezzo Soprano
& Wayne McVikar - Bass Baritone
Accompanist:
Mrs. Janet Thomson
to be held at
Victoria Street United Church
Goderich
Sunday. May 31
2 p.m.
Free will offering
^Friday, 9day 15th, 1992
from 12:00 noon until 9:00 p.m.
114 Court blouse. Square
(godericft, Ontario (519)524-4080
‘Refreshments unll be sewed
featuring Original "Works by
Lorraine. Ppy, "Vyvyan (green, "Paul Martelacci, "Wendy "Wroe
"Llizabeth "Van den "Broecki Jane Munter, "Patricia A. "Downie, ...and others
Engagement
PARK THEATRE
DANNY
GIBSON . GLOVER
■ SUBJECT TO
CLASSIFICATION
i
w-r/.
Join Their Family At The
Royal Canadian Legion,
Seaforth Branch On Sunday,
May 24th Between The Hours
Of 2-5 pm To Wish Them
Many More Successful Years
Of Wedded Bliss!
(Remember...Best Wishes
Only!)
BRIAN & WILMA TRAVISS
GAIL & KEN MOFFET
AND FAMILIES.
fri.-thurs.
MAY 15-21
FRI. & SAT. 7 & 9:15 PM
SUN.-THURS. 3 PM
The parents of Lynn Isabel
MacDonald and Darryl Lee
Chalmers are pleased to
announce the forthcoming
marriage of their children.
Lynn is the daughter of Enid
MacDonald, Goderich,
formerly of Blyth and the late
Kenneth MacDonald. Darryl
is the son of Joan and Jim
Chalmers of Blyth. The
wedding will take place on
Saturday May 30th, 1992 at
4:00 p.m. at Blyth United
Church. Open reception to
follow at Blyth Community
Centre, 9:00 p.m.
Photo by Harvey McDowell
LETHAL^WEAPON^
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