Mark Allan
Special to The Record
If you’re searching for God, you should be at the Sid Williams Theatre on Oct. 8.
He might not be exactly what you expect, though.
Three-time Canadian Comedy Award nominee Mike Delamont will present his one-man, two-act show God is a Scottish Drag Queen.
In an interview from his Victoria home, Delamont said he was doing shows in that city with a cabaret called Atomic Vaudeville. He and one of the creators developed the character, and they liked the idea that God was in a dress, and that he never made much mention of it.
“Originally, the character was English but it didn’t work at all!” he recalled. “The character came off as mean-spirited and more of a headmaster.
“With the Scottish accent, it made the character much more accessible and I think it lets people know that the character is always in on the joke.”
Unpredictably, it’s become one of the most popular shows on the international fringe circuit.
Playing to sold-out houses from coast to coast, God is a Scottish Drag Queen has won 18 Best of the Fest awards and been nominated for two Canadian Comedy Awards for Best Solo Show, and two Best Comedy Award nominations from Just For Laughs.
The show expanded into a trilogy of routines, then Delamont added a fourth. How much do the newer versions reflect current or recent events?
“Recent events are always a huge issue,” he said. “Right now, in Part Four, I do a lot about the current election in America and the like. It will change over the years, but I try to keep the shows as topical as they can be.
“The shows take place in the theatre you are at and on the day it is, so there is always an element of improv in new cities and I always try to be topical.”
Delamont will perform Parts One and Two in Courtenay.
“It’s a full-length, two-act show and it has very quickly become my favourite show to do.”
Doing a one-man show can be demanding, as the focus is on you throughout, but Delamont said it’s not a problem for him.
“I started doing my own solo shows in 2010, and it’s all I do now. I don’t know if I could go back at this point.”
In spite of the provocative title, Delamont said he has never had a negative reaction from anybody attending the show.
“I think if people are buying a ticket to a show called God is a Scottish Drag Queen, then they aren’t going to be too offended by the content.”
Outside the theatre is another matter.
“I’ve had a few older ladies write into the newspapers about the show and complain’, and I’ve gotten a few emails over the years, but it’s always people who have never seen the show.
“We always have a lot of clergy attend the shows. Ministers, pastors, nuns, and they all love it.
“The show is a look at the human side of religion. What if God made mistakes? Got angry? Was sometimes a little petty? It’s important to me that people laugh and have fun. It’s a nice escape and a good laugh.”
Where does Delamont get his comic inspiration?
“I find inspiration in the strangest places. It’s how my brain works and I can’t seem to ever turn it off, but the thing that inspires me is rarely the thing people think it will be.
“And as for the God character and those shows, the Bible and everyday life is where it all comes from.”
For more about Delamont, visit www.mikedelamont.com.
Mike Delamont performs Oct. 8 at the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay. The 2016–2017 Blue Circle Series is proudly presented by Odlum Brown Limited. For concert details and tickets, visit www.sidwilliamstheatre.com, phone 250-338-2430 or visit 442 Cliffe Ave.