Arjun Pillai
Daily Herald
Award-winning improv troupe The Comedy Department is set to bring its hit show Middle-Aged Boy Band to the EA Rawlinson Centre of the Arts on October 5, and for co-founder Denise Jones, it’s a homecoming.
Jones, who grew up in Saskatchewan and earned her drama degree at the University of Saskatchewan, said performing in the province where she got her start feels “like a magical dream come true.”
“I never would have imagined that I’d have my own company,” Jones said. “I sort of always just dreamed of being an actor and doing the parts and roles that people gave me or I submitted for, and now I’m creating my own work and creating work for other actors who I love and respect.”
Jones co-founded The Comedy Department with business partner David Milchard during the pandemic after leaving another theatre company they had worked with for over two decades. She said they wanted to create something that would connect people through laughter at a time when the world desperately needed comedy.
The show is exactly what the name promises: part improv, part boy band parody.
Jones and her troupe draw inspiration from aging pop stars still performing today, joking about bad knees, softening abs, and hairlines that aren’t what they used to be, while celebrating the joy of getting older.
“The conceit of the show is these guys were a boy band in the 90s, but life got in the way,” Jones explained. “Now they’ve cashed in their RRSPs, put on knee braces, and decided to make that dream come true again, comedy-style.”
Except plenty of audience interaction. The troupe takes suggestions, interviews audience members, and creates scenes and songs on the spot, ensuring no two shows are alike.
“That show only exists when we work with that particular audience,” Jones said. “It’s not really a sit-back-and-watch show; you’re really a part of it.”
Middle-Aged Boy Band first debuted last year and sold out a month in advance. Jones said it quickly became a night out for both nostalgic boy-band fans and comedy lovers alike.
“At the end of the day, the biggest part of the night is all the laughs,” she said.
Jones hopes Prince Albert audiences leave the theatre inspired.
“We don’t make fun of being older; we celebrate it,” she said. “There’s not an expiry date on dreams. It’s never too late to do things that bring you joy.”
Jones also praised Saskatchewan’s live performance scene, calling it “vibrant” and full of talented improvisers.
