BY TERA CAMUS
A Cape Breton born comedian is coming back to the roost Saturday night to perform the last show in his east coast Yuk Yuk’s Stand-up Comedy Tour.
The 27-year-old Nick Beaton, who hails from Sydney but lives in Toronto most days, is headlining a show at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre with Francois Weber, another talented comedian who lives in Prince Edward Island.
Performing before the home crowd is a little tough, Beaton told WGO Friday afternoon relaxing before Saturday’s show. But he’s looking forward to it.
“Sometimes when I know people in the audience it kind of makes it uncomfortable,” he said, with a chuckle. “Sometimes the shows are more comfortable…sometimes it’s weird.”
“I have some material written but I do a lot of writing on stage…I come up with an idea and put it on stage, feel it out…develop material that way.”
Performing before a home crowd in Sydney is just where life on stage began for Beaton years ago, playing guitar with local bands and singing. When a teen, he realized the entertainment scene locally didn’t offer many opportunities to grow as a comedian. But in high school, he signed up and learned to hone his skills by performing in a sketch comedy program and loved it.
“It’s fun,” Beaton told WGO of stand-up comedy. “I have more of a natural ability with comedy than I ever did with music.”
His conversational-style comedy has been described similar to the humor of Rick Mercer or Jon Stewart – comedians who take jabs at just about all aspects of life, whether it’s about relationships and social aspects of life or current affairs.
“I write and come up with jokes that interest me,” he said. “There’s always something new…sometimes people will yell out something to me and that will develop into something.”
Beaton has performed with some of the top comics around the world since moving from the area eight years ago including the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal, Much Music’s Video on Trial and multiple other television and radio shows including CBC Radio.
He began the Yuk Yuk’s show about two weeks ago and plans to return to Toronto where he will continue to do shows. He eyes the United States as well for opportunities where large cities are dying for comedians.
“The States is the way to go as far as comedy goes,” Beaton said. “Canada is so spread out, the population so far between it makes it hard.”
Weber, an actor and playwright known for his physical comedy, takes you back to the days of Romper Room and kissing tag and other life growing up with a French-Canadian mother and Swiss-German father in Ontario.
Now living in Prince Edward Island, Weber has toured with Yuk Yuk’s repeatedly and performed at the Halifax Comedy Festival, The Off-Centre Comedy Festival and the Island Comedy Festival in Prince Edward Island.
Tickets for Saturday’s performance by the two comedians in Membertou cost $15, with doors set to open at 7 pm. Showtime is 9pm.
