Derek Edwards is known for his classic Canadian wit and observational humour, and while politics isn’t his schtick, he won’t pass on a moving target.
“It’s hard not to throw a few darts at our friends to the south,” he said of Americans under President Donald Trump. “It’s cartoonish. I’m not one to stop at the side of the highway and eyeball an accident … but this one is a slow-motion accident. It keeps going on and on.”
Edwards will perform Nov. 22 at the Orillia Opera House, as part of his “So Here’s the Thing...” tour. The crowd can expect a bit of political humour, but not much about the Canadian political scene, especially so soon after an election.
“People don’t want to hear anything more about that shite,” Edwards told OrilliaMatters. “They’re like, ‘Thank God that garbage is over.’ I don’t drag people into that mire.”
Much of his material is inspired by his travels. His career has taken him across Canada and beyond, and he has gleaned material from the various places he’s visited. He recently completed a tour of the Maritimes, which “doesn’t hurt” during his Ontario stops.
“I try to bring the country to people who might not have been able to see it for themselves,” he said.
He has found comedy to be a universal medicine. Further proof was provided when he was approached by a man after a show in Cape Breton. The man had just been kicked out of his place by his girlfriend and was sleeping on his office floor. After the show, the man shook Edwards’s hand and remarked about the good time he had.
“It was one of the best things to happen to me in my career,” Edwards said.
He is mindful of his different audiences, having performed in small towns, big cities and everywhere between. He’s been known to read up on local news to inform some of his material.
“I try and bend it around the crowd that’s there,” he said.
So, what does that mean for the Orillia audience?
“Half an hour solid about Lake Couchiching,” he said with a laugh.
Edwards has been described as “an island of stability amidst the frenzy.”
“That analogy is somewhat tongue-in-cheek,” he said, “but I do want it to be an escape hatch from the world. I just want people to leave with a sore jaw.”
The Timmins native will take the stage at the Orillia Opera House at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the box office (705-326-8011) or online.
