Nothing in moderation at the Laugh Pack Late Show

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January 15, 2013

The Gazette
January 15, 2013
By Bill Brownstein


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MONTREAL - It may have one of the most long-winded — and not necessarily palatable — titles in the annals of showbiz: The Laugh Pack Late Show for People Who Dig Comedy. And the event may be held in one of the more unlikely comedy venues in town: the Segal Centre ArtLounge.

But if it’s comedy with a distinctive edge you seek, you’ll find it at The Laugh Pack Late Show. Held on the last Thursday of every month for the last year and a half, this comedy comes with a warning: “Extremely mature content.”

That it is, and that is certainly a guarantee with the ever-volatile Darren Henwood headlining Thursday evening. A fast-rising wit on the local scene, Henwood, who arrived here from Glasgow three years ago, is as unpredictable and outrageous and droll as the best of them here. Forget the audience, even Henwood is at a loss to explain where he’ll wander over the course of a set.

Opening acts for Thursday’s spectacle are the equally dark Paul Ash and Dan Derkson. And making her comedy debut as host is the ever-electrifying Holly Gauthier-Frankel, better known for her alter ego, Miss Sugarpuss, the burlesque star of stage and screen who has been titillating locals for years with her neo-vaudevillian and peeling antics.

Co-hosting with Gauthier-Frankel is Keith Waterfield, the rake-thin comic credited with creating the Laugh Pack Late Show, and its title. “Yes, guilty as charged,” says Waterfield, while holding court at the Segal Centre with Gauthier-Frankel and Henwood. “I still dig it.” The title, that is.

Adds Waterfield: “When I started the show, the idea was to give Open Mic-ers and younger comedians a shot at doing more than five minutes — which is all they would normally get at most clubs. We’re giving them the opportunity to run for almost 30 minutes.”

“Wait a second. I have never done stand-up comedy before,” says the suddenly less-bombastic Gauthier-Frankel.

“No, she does lie-down comedy,” Henwood interjects.

Nor will Gauthier-Frankel be performing as Miss Sugarpuss — as she had been over the last week at the Bouge d’ici dance fest. “I’ll be simply Holly,” she explains. “I’ll be shepherding these hot comedians around. I’m going to wait for them to make me laugh. And then I’m going to steal their best lines and regurgitate them later.”

Henwood operates and performs in the monthly Lowdown Comedy show — set to celebrate its second anniversary in March — and has done a few headlining gigs around town. But this will be his biggest showcase to date.

“This will be the longest set I’ve ever done,” says the moustachioed Henwood with his distinctive Galswegian burr. “I think I’ve done 30 minutes before, but that was when I was only meant to do seven. I’m not very good at keeping time, so here I’ll probably end up doing three and a half days.”

Henwood claims his biggest difficulty is not comedy concepts but rather punchlines. “At the very least, I can promise the audience a lot of great setups,” Henwood says.

Henwood has been the opener at another Laugh Pack Late Show, which he says was one of the best sets he has ever done in town. Waterfield concurs. “Darren found an eightysomething couple in the room, and the guy was wearing a spiffy vest. Darren kept calling him a ‘hepster’ and the man didn’t know what a hepster was. And then Darren gave him sex advice.”

“Oral sex advice, to be clear,” Henwood cuts in. “But he was loving it. He had his notepad out, taking notes.”

“This is way edgier than I ever expected. I think I’m blushing,” Gauthier-Frankel says. “Miss Sugarpuss doesn’t even use the f-word. I’m scandalized.”

Hard as it may be to fathom, Henwood manages the Camper shoe shop downtown and can even be quite civil. “I sell shoes for a living. I’m like the Al Bundy (of Married With Children fame) of the comedy scene. It’s fantastic. And I’m never rude to customers, because I need their money. On stage, though, people have already paid, so I don’t care and can be as rude as I want to be.”

Henwood started doing comedy as a teen in Glasgow. He did it for two years, before taking a nine-year hiatus from the trade. He got back into the business when he moved to Montreal. “The accent helps,” he says. “Makes me stand out. The moustache, too. In fact, that’s pretty much my whole act: my accent and my moustache. And jokes without punchlines.”

Gauthier-Frankel is a reluctant convert to comedy. “If Keith (Waterfield) keeps yanking me by my garter straps, then I’ll have to give it a go,” she allows.

What is astounding is the number of anglo comedy venues in the city. The biggies are, of course, the Comedy Nest and Comedyworks. But there has been a proliferation of smaller outlets in the last few years. In addition to the Segal Centre venue and Henwood’s Lowdown Comedy, aspiring wits and up-and-comers can also ply their trade at Théâtre Ste. Catherine, the Blue Dog, the Comedy Hostel and Grumpy’s Drop the Gloves Open-Mic Night, among other spots.

“The city is cheap to live in and cheap to drink in — so naturally it is a breeding ground for comedy,” explains Waterfield, who works in production at the Segal Centre by day.

“This city has also produced its fair share of star comics, too. Sugar Sammy and DeAnne Smith are now stars around the world. There’s a solid comedy pedigree here.” Pause. “That’s why I’m moving to Toronto,” says Henwood. “Just kidding.

“Yet so many Montreal comics have moved to Toronto. We’ve all thought about it. The comedy community there is so massive and there is a lot of work. But here you know everybody, and the city does bring out the best in our acts.”

“I always think of going to Toronto, especially for acting and musical theatre gigs,” Gauthier-Frankel says. “But I’m not gonna go, because this is my town. Screw that. The city made me. It also keeps me on my toes. I’ll try to do burlesque on the French side. I’m even trying comedy. I’ll do whatever it takes to survive here.”

The Laugh Pack Late Show, featuring Darren Henwood, Holly Gauthier-Frankel, Keith Waterfield, Paul Ash and Dan Derkson takes place Thursday at 9:30 p.m. at the Segal Centre ArtLounge, 5170 Côte Ste. Catherine Rd. Tickets: $5. Call 514-739-7944.

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