He’s cracked jokes to the Dutch and the Irish — now local comedian Niek Theelen is back in central Alberta to film a live stand-up set in front of a Red Deer audience.
Theelen will be weaving parts of his life story into his Wow, So Inspirational video, which will be shot on Friday, April 12, at the Craft Beer Commonwealth brewpub, upstairs at the Gasoline Alley Farmers Market.
His Telus Storyhive project is titled after a reoccurring comment he hears, as a disabled comedian who lives with cerebral palsy. “People often tell me it’s really inspirational, everything I do,” said Theelen.
“I tend to exaggerate,” he added, so his response has been to make wisecracks in his act about what a triumph it is, getting out of bed and making himself toast in the morning.
This self-deprecating style has served Theelen well — from his comedy nights at Red Deer Cheers Pub to Holland, where he spent three months last year.
The Dutch-born comedian, who came to Canada at age six, flew back to his homeland to get back in touch with his roots. He toured the countryside and did some comedy sets that included making some jokes in the Dutch language.
Theelen admitted “they have a different way of arranging sentences,” which can affect the punchline. “But I challenged myself and I think it went over pretty well.”
As with Canadian audiences, Dutch comedy fans seemed to appreciate the honesty behind his wry humour. This includes Theelen’s laments about how the constant rain in their country made his tour of their tulip fields in a wheelchair a bit of a struggle.
“Some comedians joke about harder topics that some people can be offended by. I joke about going through tulip fields…”
Before returning to Canada, Theelen said he took the opportunity to visit a filmmaker he knows in Ireland.
He became a comic busker in Belfast, driving around in an accessible van and stopping to do a few sets to passersby. “We’d be playing music and doing comedy in the street. It was a really fun experience.”
Many of these European memories will be worked into his set at his comedy taping in Red Deer. Theelen said he looks forward to playing for a local crowd again.
The show will be hosted by John Sonofdavid and also feature performances by comedians J.R. Bjornson and Jesse Geddis. Theelen is dedicating the taping to his late friend, B.C. comedian Matt Billon, who died by suicide during the pandemic.
Wow, So Inspirational, is being made with a $20,000 Telus Storyhive grant and will be seen on the Optik Channel next spring.
Tickets to the 7 p.m. April 12 comedy special taping are $15 at the door or from www.niek.ca.