PREVIEW
What: The Devil
Where: Intrepid Theatre Club, 1609 Blanshard St.
When: 9 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Tickets: $15 via eventbrite.ca
He has played God. And it’s time for the flipside.
Tonight, Mike Delamont opens his new show, The Devil.
The Victoria comedian is best known for God Is a Scottish Drag Queen. Basically, the show is Delamont in a wig, glasses and a sensible dress. “God” is portrayed as a middle-aged, Scottish auntie who discusses the Bible and tells outrageous jokes and stories.
Delamont has enjoyed great success with God Is a Scottish Drag Queen, which started out in 2011 as a character in the Atomic Vaudeville cabaret.
It was twice nominated for a Just for Laughs best-comedy award. It has had sold-out runs across North America, with people sometimes lining up for hours to get in. So far, God Is a Scottish Drag Queen has had four incarnations — a fifth version is in the works for this fall.
The Devil is intended as a cheeky answer to God Is a Scottish Drag Queen.
“People have gotten to know the God character. I feel there’s a lot to plumb from the other side of the coin,” Delamont said with a grin. “Yeah, it’s Satan. It’s an evening with the underlord.”
The Devil makes its debut tonight at Intrepid Theatre Club, an intimate 50-seat theatre on Blanshard Street. Delamont stresses this is an embryonic version of the show. Basically, the notion is to see how different ideas will fly in front of a small audience.
Last week, Delamont was still trying to figure out exactly what his devil character would be. For example, he could be a sophisticated, British-accented fellow in a cravat and smoking jacket. Or he could be “an effeminate southern gentleman who just kind of just kind of accidentally fell into this evil stuff.” Or the devil could be an Irishman.
“It’ll be a different show every night. But the basis of the show is there, the bits, the jokes.”
Delamont, who has played his share of large, soft-seat theatres, prefers to try out new shows in front of small crowds. That’s what he did with God Is a Scottish Drag Queen.
At the beginning, he worked out the show’s bugs at the 60-seat Fort Street Café over nine performances. “In some of the big theatres I play, when you get 1,500 people, 2,000 people in a theatre, you can’t sense failure. If 500 people are laughing, it’s still a big sound,” he said.
“But if you’re in a 50-seat theatre and 10 people laugh and 40 people don’t, it’s deafening.”
Getting a comedic character just right can be tricky. Delamont said his first version of “God” was a British-accented woman in a fiery red wig and Lady Gaga-style sunglasses.
For some reason, it didn’t work. Making the character a Scot changed everything.
Audiences started to laugh.
“Before, it came off as very bitter. It didn’t land.
“But with the Scottish accent, there’s a bit of a wink-attitude toward it. You’re aware that the character is in on the joke,” he said.
The Devil has its official debut in May, when Delamont will perform it at the Orlando Repertory Theatre.
A poster for the run will feature a gramophone with a stack of records.
It’s a nod to the “devil’s music;” the albums advertise such bands Styx and Led Zeppelin.
One might wonder whether playing the devil will land Delamont in hot water.
He said he’s not worried — although he admits his unorthodox “God” persona has occasionally drawn flak.
People have written emails and letters protesting God Is a Scottish Drag Queen (Delamont said they came from people who haven’t seen the show, but merely noticed his posters).
Such folk called him a pervert and a devil-worshipper. In Chilliwack, members of a church gathered in the torrential rain outside the theatre to protest.
“They had their picket signs. We offered them tea and cookies,” he said.
“You get some weirdos. Over the years, we’ve had some bodyguards and security.”
Delamont figures The Devil might do something to bolster his subject’s image. The comedian wonders if the Prince of Darkness might be the victim of bad press over the centuries.
“After all, no one’s going to a holy war over the devil. But he’s still the bad guy,” he said.
