It’s been said that in order to be a successful improv comedian, one has to be prepared to take a few risks and not mind looking a little bit silly while doing it.
That’s a recipe for hilarity that fits The Comic Strippers to a T.
To begin with, the premise is, in itself, very funny.
“It’s all pretty ridiculous,” says Roman Danylo, the comedic genius behind the show.
“I was sitting in the tub one day and my wife was talking about watching a male-stripper show and it occurred to me, what if we did a parody of one of those shows?”
What Danylo came up with works.
Try to imagine a male stripper troupe who've been at it for a bit too long and have decided to shift their careers to improv comedy. Given that improv is a pretty scary gig, they continue to bolster their confidence by appearing on stage in a semi-undressed state, despite the fact that the days of wowing the audience with Apollo-like bodies is, well, gone.
Still, the tight black pants and bow ties offer some confidence and, when the music starts, the boys just can’t help but fall back into old habits. They groove and gyrate between scenes and they sing and dance (sort of dance, anyway) as they continue to banter with the audience.
“We started the idea about 12 years ago and originally it was a two-person show,” Danylo says. “We took it to the Adelaide Fringe Festival (that’s the second largest Fringe in the world) and then started touring the show everywhere from California to Hawaii and beyond.”
“When we first brought the show to Canada we weren’t prepared for the volume of laughter and energy that we were getting. It’s fantastic.”
The two-man show has now been rounded out by a few more talented comedians including Chris Casillan, Ken Lawson and Pearce Visser, none of whom, Danylo admits, would ever actually manage a career in the male-stripper business.
“None of us would ever pass for Chippendale dancers but it’s not for a lack of trying,” Danylo says with a chuckle. “I noticed that some of the crew will do some last-minute push-ups before taking to the stage.”
“We’re actually kind of old and it’s funny that this is the show we’re doing,” Danylo says. “It’s really pretty ridiculous that at our age we’re doing the most physical show of our lives, but we love it, and I guess we’ll keep going as long as our knees hold out.””
That’s all part of the humour, of course, as is the dancing.
“We do a lot of silly dancing, but the choreography just never works out and it shows that we’re not professional dancers,” Danylo says. “Think of us as an untrained circus act.”
But in case you think that The Comic Strippers is a ladies-only show, and not appropriate for a broader audience, have no fear. Thankfully, none of the troupe is actually going to strip.
“We want guys coming to our shows as well and there’s really no reason not to. We’re not real strippers and nothing about the show has a weird vibe for the guys,” Danylo says.
Given that disclaimer, the show still targets adult audiences as, well, let’s face it, some of the humour is pretty risqué.
Finally, it would be a disservice to leave anyone with the impression that The Comic Strippers relies entirely on the stripper premise for laughs. There are funny guys, with or without shirts on, and their resumés include an impressive list of comedic and theatrical accomplishments.
The Comic Strippers appear at the Cowichan Arts Centre in Duncan Oct. 4, The Capital Theatre in Port Alberni Oct. 5 and Victoria’s McPherson Playhouse Nov. 2.
Tickets and more information can be found at thecomicstrippers.com.
