Canadian comedian and best-selling author Ron James has been selling out theatres from coast to coast for more than twenty-five years. Born on the ‘coal town road’ of Glace Bay, Cape Breton and raised in Halifax, he has called Toronto home for the past forty-five years. This verbal gymnast, who marries a poet’s ear for language with a comedian’s eye for satire, credits his love of the spoken word to his colourful Celtic pedigree of family and friends.
Having honed a unique and distinctly Canadian viewpoint, whose record-breaking nine one-hour network comedy specials became a New Year’s Eve viewing tradition for millions of Canadians, I had the opportunity to speak with James before his upcoming performance at Meridian Theatres @ Centerpointe on Thursday, October 24, where he will present his latest show, Not Nearly Done Yet!
James has a witty retort for nearly every subject, from history to politics to technology and Boomer mortality. Our conversation began with his journey to becoming a renowned comedian across Canada, which started during a three-year stint in LA. He shared, “I wanted to hone my comedy career here, but people kept saying things to me like, have you ever performed in the States?”
He recounts that decades ago, it was just what you had to do to become a funnyman. After James moved to Los Angeles to chase his dream of landing a sitcom, he decided it would be better to return home to Canada and pursue laughs “by stringing my trap line cross the Big Wide Open”, he opines.
He credits his success North of the 49th to, as he puts it, “Canadians are language-based people with an eloquent grasp of vocabulary and love to listen.” He contrasts that with audiences south of the border, where “American humour is very visually based.”
James did have second thoughts. While driving to a show in Northern BC, he describes how he was navigating a blizzard a Yeti wouldn’t wander, “with logging trucks barreling out of a wall of white on my side of the road threatening to bounce me into the after-life’ on the way to Prince George.”
At that moment, James admitted he had doubts about not staying stateside. However, as he entered the sold-out theatre and saw the crowd that had braved the storm to see him, he understood he could succeed here: “A thousand people laughing in Canada during a snowstorm is the same as a thousand people laughing in Las Vegas when it’s warm.”
Regardless of the weather, James embodies the Canadian spirit with humour. He recalls his first tour around the tip of Lake Superior: “It was minus 90, two hours of daylight, in a town with only two last names.” Reflecting on his early days performing in Toronto clubs 28 years ago, he recalls having a sold-out show on the night of the Superbowl — he was well on his way!
Even in casual conversation, James demonstrates a knack for crafting a long-form joke and finds the perfect place for a punchline. Regardless of the topic, our chat was peppered with funny bits and wise remarks, which is undoubtedly why James’ performances are so special.
His routine touches on an eclectic collection of topics, from our bulletproof youth of campfire chug-a-lug sing-a-longs of a long-gone analogue world to the current seismic shifts in the sociopolitical landscape. He doesn’t shy away from hot topics: “If there’s any sort of theme to my stuff, it is affable subversion; I do a long show because I like to land on a lot of different topics.”
On Thursday, October 24, audiences can look forward to a night filled with laughter as the two-hour stand-up routine will cover contemporary issues such as healthcare, Air Canada, gun policies in America, Donald Trump, and the ridiculousness of vaping flavour, which he describes by saying, “It’s like you’re walking into a cloud of Willy Wonka’s ass gas!”
The Ottawa performance presents a rare chance to witness the comedian live, especially since James has transitioned away from television work. He quips, “The only place Canadian TV wants to see a guy with grey eyebrows go is out the door; me and Lisa Laflamme are busy playing shuffleboard now at the legion.” Laughs aside, James took a sidestep into publishing, penning a book, All Over the Map: Rambles and Ruminations from the Canadian Road (2021, Penguin), described as a comic “love letter to Canada”.
Although James jokes that at the age of 68, he is “just 20 years away from roaming the halls of the nursing home in a Led Zeppelin onesies … one sing-along away from taking the stairway to heaven”, his sense of humour isn’t going anywhere, anytime soon.
Don’t miss Ron James – Not Nearly Done Yet! live on the mainstage at Meridian Theatres @Centrepointe at 7:30 p.m. on October 24, and pick up his book, All Over the Map, online or at your favourite bookstore.
Click here to get your tickets from the Meridian Theatres @Centrepointe or call the box office at 613-580-2700.
Header photo: Dahlia Katz