CBC Radio One’s satirical news show This is That is ending its nine-year run with a farewell tour and Pat Kelly and Peter Oldring are returning to Duncan on Friday, Nov. 16 as part of their last cross-Canada trip.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre for this ground-breaking satirical current affairs show. It will be bittersweet for the audience because Kelly and Oldring have said how much they enjoyed their last Valley visit.
Since its debut in 2009, Kelly, Oldring and producer Chris Kelly have introduced audiences to the voices and stories that give Canada character in this improvised send-up of public radio.
“After nine seasons on the radio, a best-selling book, a live touring show and an award winning video series, we have decided to hang up our This is That skates,” Kelly says in promoting this final tour.
With a run spanning 165 episodes, 500 stories and more than 50 million video views, their impact has been remarkable.
Some of the most unforgettable This is That satirical news stories were mistaken as real news and covered by national and international media, including headlines such as:
• “Texas town adds sugar to water supply to encourage residents to drink more water”
• ”Bilingual Dog Bylaw proposed in Montreal”
• “Mississauga condo developer forgets to put 120 bathrooms in brand new building”
• “To ensure every child ‘wins’, Ontario athletic association removes ball from soccer”
• “University of Nanaimo sued after refusing to accommodate student with ‘visual allergies’”
This is That doesn’t just talk about the issues, it fabricates them. These guys are cheeky that way.
Kelly and Oldring improvise the segments, one playing host, the other the interviewee. Nothing is off-limits: politics, business, culture, justice, science, religion. If it’s relevant to Canadians, the dynamic duo find out the “this” and “that” of the story.
Their Duncan show will feature two acts. The first half is a mix of the duo performing new and fan-favourite material from the radio show. In the second half, they turn the writing responsibilities over to the audience and improvise brand new stories on the spot.
Their online biographies are fascinating.
“Pat Kelly’s career in comedy has spanned more than 20 years. He is an alumnus of The Second City, has appeared at the Just for Laughs Festival and once met Paul McCartney in a steam room. As the co-founder of the Vancouver-based creative agency Kelly&Kelly, he has created award winning television shows, digital series, branded content and podcast series.
“Peter Oldring began his performing career as a longhaired teenager at the Loose Moose Theatre in Calgary. From there he studied at the National Theatre School of Canada, where he cut his hair. He’s performed comedy across the country including at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal where he briefly entertained a perm but a friend convinced him otherwise. He’s acted on stage and in both film and television where he’s sported anything from frosted tips, to high fades and even the Jennifer Aniston. He would be considered a triple threat if only he could sing and dance, but as a mono threat, he’s thrilled to have been recognized with Canadian Comedy Awards and a Canadian Screen Actors Award as well.”
Don’t miss being part of this now-legendary show.
Tickets are $32 each and are available in person at the Cowichan Ticket Centre, by phone 250-748-7529 or online at cowichanpac.ca.