During the long, dark days of January, you can never go wrong making people laugh, says the secretary of the Osoyoos Concert Series.
Instead of a traditional music concert, organizers with the concert series have decided to switch to comedy for its next concert, set for Thursday, Jan. 31 in the theatre at Osoyoos Secondary School.
The Nelson-based theatre company Pilotcopilot, starring the talented Lucas Myers, will present the one-man play Deck, which promised to provide a night of great laughs, theatre, music and interaction between audience and performer, said Pat Philpott, the secretary for the Osoyoos Concert Series.
“We have tried comedy shows in the past and they have gone over very well,” said Philpott. “The committee which selects the concert performers was very impressed with what they saw when they attended the Pacific Contact showcase (where performers are hired for the concert series in Osoyoos) and saw snippets from this show.
“We could all use a little laughter during the long winter days in January and we think this show is going to be a big hit with the audience.”
Myers plays a neurotic money manager named Cliv, who has recently lost his job and is carrying a heavy debt load, so he declares bankruptcy and moves to B.C.’s interior and moves into a dilapidated house that needs a lot of upgrades, especially the outside deck.
The deck is a wreck and until Cliv can fix it, his family, which includes two bratty and technology-addicted teenagers, can’t move in.
Because Cliv’s renovation skills are basically non-existent, he’s forced to call in his buddy Andreas, a free spirit who happens to be handy with a hammer and saw.
Myers plays all of the characters in Deck and uses voice changes and body mannerisms to convince the audience he’s a teenage girl, teenage boy, uptight carpenter and frustrated homeowner.
Myers also picks up the guitar and ukulele during the performance and sings a few tunes.
He also calls on members of the audience to help him finish the deck and they end up being joined by a banjo player and two trumpeters.
It makes for a wonderful night of entertainment, said Philpott.
“The show gets big laughs,” she said. “It’s very different and combines comedy with music, so it makes for a real fun night. It’s a totally unique kind of production that should be a lot of fun.”
Osoyoos Home Hardware Building Centre has generously donated the lumber and materials for the construction of the deck during the performance, she said.
One lucky member of the audience will win the completed deck as well, she said.
Advance tickets are $23, while tickets at the door will cost $25.
Advance tickets are available at Imperial Office Pro on Main Street in Osoyoos and Sundance Video in Oliver.