BY EVAN BUHLER

Red Deer Express

Bull Skit has been a mainstay for laughs in Red Deer for the past five years, and will be hitting the stage in the finale of their 2012/2013 season May 23-25.

All three shows will start at 8 p.m. at the Scott Block Theatre; tickets are $23 for adults and $18 for students and seniors.

This month Bull Skit will be celebrating their five years of making Red Deer laugh by bringing back some of their most memorable sketches. “If people have ever missed Bull Skit this would be the time to see it, because you will get to see stuff that spans from the first year all the way up to this year,” said Jenna Goldade, artistic director of Against the Wall Theatre and co-founder of Bull Skit.

Bull Skit will have improvisers from Calgary and Edmonton, and special guests including Mayor Morris Flewwelling, Blaine Newton, and Chris Cook.

Musical guests Randi Boulton, a local singer/songwriter; folk artist Jason Thomas and adult comedy duo the Dirty Show will share the stage will Bull Skit as well.

It is set up similar in manner to SNL, where sketches and music are presented into time slots throughout the evening. “Movies are great they will always be there, but live comedy or live theatre is there one time and it’s never the same. And getting to make the audience laugh is the best part, hearing that laughter is like an actors’ high.”

This month Bull Skit will reinvent 36 of their favourite sketches over the last five years, whittled down from over 300 sketches.

Some favourite moments include Drunk Batman, Robot Boyfriend, Nerdy Girlfriend, and classic musical parodies that include Rent, Billy Joel, and Beyonce.

With five writers, producing a different show every month, Bull Skit is able to touch on many comedic subjects such as politics and relationships.

“A lot of our writers write from personal experience, which I think is the best kind of funny. And we just heighten it to make it funnier,” she said. “If my grandfather says something funny I’ll write it down and use it.”

The brainchild of Goldade and Amy Erlandson, Bull Skit was started five years ago as a way for local actors to gain a foothold and create opportunities for themselves in the industry. “I hated the idea of auditioning for thousands of parts and then praying to God to get a part.”

Originally branded as a cabaret, comedy and drama production, Bull Skit has evolved into a blend of improv and sketch comedy. “We thought this would be a two year thing and now five years later – look at us now.”

Goldade attributes Bull Skit’s success to the simple fact that they are a comedy show, and the fact that sketch and improv comedy has now become viral.

“I think that people get scared away by the word ‘theatre,’ and the idea of watching a drama on stage, and we were lucky to find our niche, which is comedy,” she said.

“People in Red Deer just need to laugh.”

Goldade encourages people to buy their tickets online and early as they are poised to sell out with guests like Mayor Flewwelling making an appearance.

“If you get tickets in advance you’re guaranteed to see the show, or else you’re guaranteed to stand in line and wait.”

For information about tickets, call Sunworks at 403-341-3455, or go online at bullskitcomedy.com or evenbrite.com.

reporter@reddeerexpress.com