Rick Mercer, the featured performer at Kay Meek Centre's annual fundraising gala, Friday, June 6 at 7 p.m. Tickets and info: kaymeekcentre.com.
Rick Mercer has had a few adventures in his day.
Spending his time crisscrossing the country to film segments for his CBC TV show, the award-winning comedian and political satirist has gained a unique perspective on what it means to be Canadian.
Having just wrapped the 11th season of the Rick Mercer Report, he's still travelling, but this time for a series of theatre shows, offering the story behind the story of a number of his wellknown moments.
"Myself and Rick Hansen bungee jumping in British Columbia: While I'm thrilled with that piece and it's one of my favourite pieces, there's an entire story behind the scenes that doesn't make it into the television show... ." says Mercer, reached Wednesday from his home base of Toronto, Ont. "Quite often when people ask me about these experiences, I find myself talking about things that happened that didn't make it on camera versus things that happened that made it on camera. That's just the nature of the business. So it gives me a chance to expand on some of those adventures."
Having just arrived home from a trip to Saskatoon and Kenora for performances of his one-man show, Mercer is scheduled to head West next week to take the stage at Kay Meek Centre. He is the featured performer at the West Vancouver arts centre's annual gala fundraiser set for Friday, June 6, with proceeds supporting the expansion of youth-focused programs, artistic development and community outreach.
"My happy place is sitting in a theatre as the lights go down and there's that moment where you don't know what's going to happen," says Mercer, whose performance roots are in the medium. "That's why I love theatre fundraisers, I just think it's so spectacular.. .. Theatre is so pure and no one is ever going to say, 'You know what? I prefer to watch my theatre on my tablet when I'm commuting.' That's just never going to happen. It is what it is and there's nothing that matches it."
Vicki Gabereau will serve as the evening's MC. "She is one of those people who gave me a number of breaks early in my career," says Mercer.
The Rick Mercer Report has just been renewed for three more years, the first time Mercer has had a multipleyear contract. "I'm obviously very happy because it's only the CBC that is interested in doing a show that is truly as national as my show is. I think everyone, when they make television, they want to appeal to a large audience and they hope that people all over the country watch the show. But there's very few shows that travel the country as much as I do, and show off the country as much as I do, and get outdoors as much as I do. It makes for some very cold shooting days," he laughs.
The show also gives Mercer an opportunity to experiment with comedy and political satire, as well as speak his mind. "It allows me to do my rant, which is something I've done my entire life. And I consider that the biggest privilege of all because I think most Canadians are ranting somewhere, whether it's in the car or on the bus or in the privacy of their own home."
"I talk about what I'm passionate about and one of the things that I fear most when I have any fears at all for the country is complacency, whether that's reflected in low voter turnout. That's something that I talk about it and hope to change or be part of the change.
"It's not like I feel like I have a responsibility, I just feel like so many people, we're just passionate about certain things and that comes through in my work," he adds.
Despite how keenly attuned Mercer is to the country's political workings and issues of the day, as well as continuing to see for himself some of the challenges facing everyday Canadians, he's managed to fight cynicism.
"I have a very positive outlook right now but there was a time when I was more immersed in the Ottawa bubble, the politics bubble, where I wasn't feeling so positive. And the more that I stopped spending time inside the bubble of Ottawa and spending more time with lobster fishermen and more time with regular folks who have a festival in their community, the more positive I felt and that's something I touch on very much in the show," he says.
Mercer has also been able to incorporate humanitarian initiatives into the show, most notably through his relationship with Spread the Net, which works to protect children and pregnant women by delivering malaria-preventing bed nets to families in Africa. Mercer's face is currently appearing on cartons of Chapman's ice cream with proceeds from sales of RMR Blueberry Pie Ice Cream supporting the non-profit.
When asked what he's most proud of, looking back on his incredibly successful career to date, Mercer says being able to continue working for one, as well, "I love the fact that when I started out and I was travelling around the country with The Mercer Report, kids would say to me, 'What are you doing here? Why would you come here?' And now they say, 'I knew you'd come!' So that's pretty good," he says.
