Roy Wood Jr. gets big laughs in Vancouver mocking the effects of Donald Trump’s MAGA madness

By Danny Newton

American comedian Roy Wood Jr. performed at the Vogue Theatre last night (February 16) as part of Just For Laughs Vancouver, and my Dad’s a big fan, so he let me tag along and write the review.

Richmond-based comic Ola Dada opened, setting the tone for the night. Born in Nigeria but raised in Fort McMurray, he had plenty to share about his immigrating experience and the severe Alberta climate, something that much of the crowd seemed to relate to.

Ola Dada

Me and Pops made a bet to see who could go the longest without laughing out loud, with both failing miserably within the first few seconds of the headliner. The set opened with a bit aimed at Canadians, centred around the controversial tariffs that American president Donald Trump has threatened to place on our nation, and evolved fittingly into the three sparring matches that kicked off Saturday’s Canada vs. U.S. hockey game, which were seemingly tied to the politics involved.

The set consisted of mainly original content, with one joke borrowed from Wood’s Lonely Flowers comedy special on Hulu, where he detailed being invited to Costa Rica for a week-long sex party that had comically hired its own chef.

One hilarious portion of the show concerned his fellow comedian Deon Cole’s Old Spice TV commercials, and how men would realistically react when being robbed of their body wash by a woman.

Wood’s performance ended with him recalling his first big break in the comedy world, an appearance on TV’s Showtime at the Apollo. The section covered his travels to New Jersey with his dear friend Henry Coleman, their stay in a seedy motel, and how the opportunity didn’t quite go as planned, but taught them a harsh lesson in persistence.

‘Twas a great night downtown for the two of us–starting with tasty grub and Guinness next door at the Irish pub Dublin Calling–and left us wanting to see more of JFL’s fine comedy shows. So far this year the festival has featured the likes of Tim Dillon, Margaret Cho, Sugar Sammy, and Harland Williams, with this week’s performers including Ivan Decker, Ashley Gavin, Maddy Smith, and Preacher Lawson.