Lovers of the improv comedy show Whose Line is it Anyway are sure to love the World’s Most Dangerous Comedy, coming to Penticton Alliance Church on Feb. 7.
Orchestrated by comedy improv team The Fidgets, this adults-only show will be fundraising for the Penticton Christian School’s mortgage fund. This slapstick performance is sure to have the crowd laughing out loud as The Fidgets — Dave Lane, Chris Reid, and John Hollingsworth — will be performing their last sketch barefoot and blindfolded, with set mouse traps littering the stage.
“We have the school selling mousetraps, so when you come to the show you can buy them and they’re real mousetraps,” said Hollingsworth, the lead Fidget. “It’s painful, but look at this way — charities are desperate for new ways to raise money. Silent auctions are tough, bake sales are tough, golf tournaments take the whole day to do and they’re expensive. Even if someone can’t come to the comedy show, you can still ask if they’ll sponsor it with buying mousetraps. Everyone’s gonna buy a mousetrap — everyone wants to see someone get snapped by a trap.”
If you’re wondering how the actors recover after their feet-snapping show, Hollingsworth said they use “lots of acetaminophen, ice packs and a hot shower.”
Hollingsworth said he and the other Fidgets have been performing together for eleven years so the audience is sure to appreciate their professional level of comedy. He said their shows are family-friendly, a feat often hard to obtain when performing improv sketches.
“(Aside from the mousetraps) it’s an improv show just like you’d find on Whose Line is it Anyways and it’s totally family-friendly, you can bring your grandma you can bring your kids,” said Hollingsworth. “Clean improv is the hardest improv to do. And this is our 11th year on tour, so it’s a lot of fun.”
For those unfamiliar with improv, guests during the show will help supply information for sketches that the actors must perform. This includes establishing a setting, deciding a character’s personality or career, and much more.
“It’s hilarious and it’s different every time. That’s part of our introduction we say, ‘The show that we’re about to perform has never been done before, and as soon as we do it, it will never be done again.’ because there’s no identical show,” said Hollingsworth. “You can’t match the audience or the suggestions or what we do with them.”
While the audience is encouraged to participate throughout the evening, those with a fear of the spotlight need not fear — only those who wish to be called on will be. There will also be numerous chances for those audience members that do wish to participate to have their suggestions used.
“We never pull anyone onto the stage that doesn’t want to be there. If you’re one of those people that just likes to enjoy the show and doesn’t like any attention then come, sit there and enjoy yourself,” said Hollingsworth. “There’s always plenty of opportunities and plenty of people who will sit there and shout out suggestions.”
Hollingsworth said The Fidgets’ typical mousetrap show can raise between $10,000 and $12,000 for the charity it is supporting. While he currently resides in Ontario, Hollingsworth went to school in Langley and enjoys the opportunity to tour the Okanagan with his team.
“It’s going to be a good show - we’ve been doing this for 11 years so its a finely-polished comedy show,” said Hollingsworth. “We’re looking forward to seeing Penticton. We always talk about our tours coming up and Penticton seems to be a really happening place. We’ve never been there so we’re looking forward to 90 minutes of fun for the whole family.”
Tickets are available in advance at the school, located at 96 Edmonton Ave, for $30 each and include a dessert buffet preceding the event. A limited number of tickets will also be available at the door.
To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.
<>Jordyn Thomson | Reporter
JordynThomson
Send Jordyn Thomson an email.
Like the Western News on Facebook.
Follow us on Twitter.