D.C.-area fans of the Canadian TV show “Letterkenny” can “pitter patter” to the Capital Turnaround this weekend.
“Letterkenny Presents: A Night of Standup” hits Capital Turnaround on Saturday, featuring Mark Forward, who played Coach; Jeff McEnery, who played Alexander; and Allie Pearse, a writer on “Letterkenny” and “Shorsey.”
“Jeff’s been doing standup for 15-20 years in Canada and I’ve been doing it the same, so we got this wonderful opportunity to go showcase what we can do. We’re pretty excited to come to Washington,” Forward said. “My stuff is pretty fun and silly and you learn nothing and you probably come out stupider than when you came in.”
The TV series began as a YouTube series before being picked up by Crave TV in Canada and eventually distributed by Hulu for 12 seasons, as well as various TV specials, animated series and spinoffs.
Set in a small Canadian town, it follows the coming-of-age antics of three rival cliques: the Hicks (farm folk), the Skids (drug addicts) and the Jocks (hockey players).
“Jared (Keeso) had made it, on his own, three or four shorts about the hockey players coming up to the produce stand, and it just took off on YouTube and had millions of views.” That’s when Crave came along about developing the material into a series.
Forward said as the cast crew, it included characters who are “some of the most crazy people, all wonderfully cast.”
One of those “crazy” townspeople is his character, the short-tempered Coach, a “psychotic, messed-up human being.”
Forward said he has never played hockey, and he thought someone like his character can’t possible exist in the real world.
“But all the hockey players I meet are like, ‘Oh, I know that guy,'” Forward said.
He based the character Coach on most of his gym teachers, who he said were “very cruel to the nonathletic people.”
He even has advice for Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin on chasing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record.
“I think Ovie might do it,” Forward said. “He’s gonna get tired; he’s getting up there. Stick it out, don’t pass, don’t ever pass, just keep shooting, be selfish with the puck as you try to break the record. You can’t be giving the puck away. Just keep shooting it.”
What makes ‘Letterkenny’ creators Jared Keeso and Jacob Tierney so funny?
“They’re very different human beings,” Forward said. “I think any good writing team, the one person picks up the other person’s slack. What you’re good at and what they’re good at mixes and becomes one creative force. Also, Jacob directed every episode that was ever made, and he also plays Glen on the show, so he was very busy as well.”
He ended with rapid-fire compliments for his co-stars, starting with Keeso as Wayne.
“Posture, the squint, the commitment to the toughness,” Forward said. “Once ‘Action’ is called and his back straightens up, he’s a whole different person.”
How about Nathan Dales as Daryl?
“Just lovable and a bit dim but you’re just rooting for that guy,” Forward said.
What about Michelle Mylett as Katy?
“The grounded one of the group, keeps them in line and everybody in town takes real good care of her,” Forward said.
Finally, K. Trevor Wilson as Squirrelly Dan.
“His extra ‘s’ on the strangest amounts of words,” Forward said. “Just a big, lovable guy, but you wouldn’t want to cross him.”
Listen to our full conversation on the podcast below:
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