Santa Claus is a radio caller who talks to a hungover D.J. in The Strapping Young Lads pre-Christmas sketch comedy show, which opens Thursday, Nov. 30, in Red Deer.
Produced by Ignition Theatre and staged at the Nickle Studio, the subversive show will be more along the lines of Kids in the Hall or Monty Python than the movie Bad Santa.
Only the one sketch is holiday themed, explained Chris Schulz, who partners in the Lads duo with Christoff Lundgren. The rest of the irreverent scenes are populated with other odd-ball characters created by the two graduates of the Red Deer College theatre and film programs — including Fred the Carrot and Man in Chicken Suit.
“We’ll be showing our best stuff and some new things we haven’t done before… It’s just the two of us playing a whole bunch of different roles,” said Schulz.
Since Bull Skit has featured The Strapping Young Lads from time to time, fans might recognize the Rev. Red Phlap, who promotes God’s hatred of “mixed linens.”
Phlap, played by Lundgren, is inspired by the late Fred Phelps, homophobic founder of the Westboro Baptist Church. Lundgren’s chilling, yet side-splitting, portrayal steers about as close to political as The Strapping Young Lads get.
“We tend to avoid real current-events stuff,” said Schulz, who would rather provide an imaginative “escape” for audiences.
He believes the duo’s sitcom-style sketches start out as relatable to everyday life, but then veer off into absurdist territory. “We like to keep it energized and edgy. It’s melodramatic for certain sketches.”
Lads’ humour is about good timing and the ever-evolving relationship between the two Chrises.
“There isn’t much of a through-line, but it keeps people entertained,” said Schulz, who’s often the straight man to Lundgren’s intense guy-at-the-end-of-his-rope. “Sometimes we switch it around so that I’m the one that’s flying off the handle,” Schulz added.
The two Red Deer residents met while both were RDC students back in 2000. They bonded over their similar sense of humour, and have been using it to entertain local audiences ever since.
“We hope this show is something special,” said Schulz. “We believe we’re bringing something fresh and high-quality to the table that we’re proud of… and it’s really exciting — especially with Ignition Theatre as the producer,” he added.
The show goes until Dec. 9. Tickets are available from www.ignitiontheatre, or at the door.
lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com
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