Canada's own Ron James is bring his comedy show, Gone With Ron, west to Nanaimo for a show at the Port Theatre.
The May 7 show will be the third time in Nanaimo for James, an East Coaster now living in Toronto. The self proclaimed nature lover said he loves coming west, joking that he's afraid to stand in the forests too long, fearing he'll turn into compost when he's out here.
"I really like the Island, the Island comes out strong for me," James said. "It's a way of walking through the world you don't see everyday, it's idyllic."
James' show at the Port will feature about 40% new material, covering everything from a family vacation to Mexico, his childhood, raising a family and timely topics like the war in Iraq, George Bush and Canada's role in the world.
"It's where we are, where we're from and where we're going," he explained. "Of course as a comedian you want to make sure in your stories the specific becomes universal."
James is always writing material for the show. While there has been a trend towards political humour, with Jon Stewart's Daily Show and in Canada Rick Mercer and satire shows like This Hour Has 22 Minutes, James said he doesn't follow trends, he just writes what he knows and feels.
"I don't pattern myself against anyone else or try to follow contemporary trends," he said. "I just do what I do and know that when I step out from behind that curtain I have to deliver to the audience an authentic experience of original comedy. I don't think I'm politically heavy, I think there's enough political shows in Canada."
James, who's done work in TV and films, said it's the purity of the stage that brings him back to standup comedy.
"It's simplicity," he said. "In an increasingly fractured and complex world, comedy is very simple, get laughs or get off and of course you have to have a standard by which you deliver your humour as well. You have to present the audience with an eclectic buffet ... you mix the intellectual with the ribald and the spoken word with physical comedy."
While many people who brave the stage say its one of the hardest things you can do, James said by now it comes naturally to him. He was an actor for 17 years and still takes roles, but comedy remains his love.
"I think what's challenging about the work is nothing will get people's ire up than somebody who steps on stage and has the audacity to think they're funny," he said. "People will sit through an hour of a bad drama but they won't sit through two minutes of bad comedian without changing that channel. It's a quality of humans that we like to laugh but we're very discerning about who we think is funny.
"You're born funny ... I just happen to walk through this world like everyone and go through my day with a number of obstacles to negotiate and when I find the time I sit down and write that down and it becomes everybody's journey."
James said he doesn't spend a lot of time actually watching comedy, however he does read a lot of fiction and non-fiction and listens to music -- seeming to prefer alternative country. He did see Chris Rock perform in Toronto on his No Fear tour and said watching the American comic was a searing experience.
"It was just so refreshing and well crafted and delivered and succinct and all those things comedy is supposed to be," he said.
"It upset the status quo without alienating the room."
James has done a few specials for CBC exploring different parts of the country, the last being Quest for the West -- a look at Alberta and Saskatchewan. Now he gets to turn his love for B.C. into another special- which will look at B.C. and the people. He'll be filming in Victoria in September. James said while many people head south to the States working in entertainment, he loves his country and loves performing everywhere he can in Canada. While in B.C. on tour, he'll start researching for the special.
"It's a tall challenge to try and wrap around your province, boy," he said. "It's five countries in one province. You're either chained to a tree or chopping it down."
For tickets and information call the Port Theatre box office