What: The Debaters Live On Tour
When: Monday, 8 p.m.
Where: The Port Theatre, 125 Front St., Nanaimo
Tickets: $50.75 at tickets.porttheatre.com or by phone at 250-754-8550
Note: The Debaters will also perform Friday in Duncan at the Cowichan Performing Arts Centre and Sunday in Courtenay at the Sid Williams Theatre
A scaled-down version of the hit CBC Radio program The Debaters will make three stops on Vancouver Island over the next several days, with a range of newsworthy topics on the docket.
Those topics will include embattled Finance Minister Bill Morneau, according to Steve Patterson, host of The Debaters Live On Tour. While we don鈥檛 have the likes of U.S. President Donald Trump, Patterson said during a tour stop in Golden, we have our own politicians worth mocking.
Patterson will lead debaters Jon Steinberg and Graham Clark through their paces on the upcoming Island shows, with the audience deciding the eventual winner of each debate. The Debaters Live On Tour has a tone similar to the live radio tapings for The Debaters, but this run follows a slightly different format.
鈥淲hen we tape for CBC, we bring 12 comics for six debates,鈥� Patterson said. 鈥淭hat formula can鈥檛 work for every theatre on this run, because of the cost. There鈥檚 just three of us.鈥�
Patterson will moderate debates between Steinberg and Clark, with all three comics taking the stage for a brief standup set. Patterson will do 30 minutes, while Clark and Steinberg have 15 minutes apiece. 鈥淵ou can still get a good couple digs in,鈥� Patterson said. 鈥淎nd because we鈥檙e not doing this for radio, we can be looser. It allows us to do [timely] topics.鈥�
Patterson, a Canadian Comedy Award winner with 20 years under his belt as a standup comic, is best known for his CBC hosting work, despite having only 10聽years in 鈥減eople鈥檚 earholes鈥� as聽host of The Debaters, he said. Patterson understands the appeal. The Debaters is a durable brand, 鈥渢he kind of model that can keep going. I can bring different people with me at any time, and we can tackle different topics.鈥�
While he attempts to keep the content family-friendly, the improvisational nature of The Debaters Live On Tour 鈥� which will not air on CBC, and therefore is not subject to censors 鈥� can often produce adult-oriented results.
鈥淎 couple times during the show, I make the earmuffs motion for the kids in the audience, but otherwise it鈥檚 an accessible show,鈥� he said with a laugh. 鈥淧eople who listen to us on the radio know what to expect. 鈥�
As for the winner of each performance, Patterson plays the debate like a democracy. The will of the people wins on his watch. 鈥淭here鈥檚 not enough at stake for me to overrule the audience. In this case, the popular vote counts. We will not elect the wrong guy!鈥�
