Friday, June 01, 2012

Horror Comedian Gerald Gerald Geraldson's Aspirations: An Interview

With a character name like Gerald Gerald Geraldson, some folks may have to do a double, no triple-take, and wonder who is and what he is all about. He looks like a ghoul, or is that a zombie? Either way, this Vancouver-based horror comedian from British Columbia has been performing since 2007, and he knows no bounds in his one-man act about the complexities of being creepy.

Make it or break it, what the real life persona of Gerald Varga did is to create a very unique persona that can stand the test of time. Part of his character's development came from his love of horror movies that started at a very early age. Two films, namely Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects, would prove to be the most influential.

His enthusiasm shows. As an actor, comedian and fan, he is a consummate professional throughout. Although he has many favourite movies that he can draw upon as a template, like Friday the 13th and Evil Dead, he often goes back to referring to the remake of Texas Chainsaw as his main source of inspiration, and how R. Lee Ermey pulled off the role of Sheriff Hoyt.

"Without that character, I don't think I ever would have started doing Gerald Gerald Geraldson. But how do I play something along the lines of that? Well, I'm a stand-up comedian," grinned Varga, "That performance kicked some serious horror ass! And as far as comedic influences go, I'd say Beetlejuice, Tony Clifton, Neil Hamburger, Sasha Baron Cohen have been inspirations as well. I love characters who take things to extremes."

This performer even hints at how much he enjoyed watching Sir Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. Even Bill Moseley’s performance in Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 intrigued him. He sees these characters as very three-dimensional, and the amount of work he put into fleshing out his character of Gerald Gerald Geraldson is tremendous.

The first time Varga did his act was at The Laugh Gallery. The response was very enthusiastic. A few years later, he would appear at other venues/shows that also included the 2009 Vancouver International Comedy Fest, Red Green at the Vancouver Performing Arts Centre, and Hellgig 2010, a big Halloween show where he headlined at the Improv Centre.

And his persona continues to become a fixture in the local theatre scene. He is often invited to host or open for a horror themed night. This year, he opened for the return of "Evil Dead: The Musical" in Vancouver, which played at the Waterfront Theatre, thanks to the help of a fan who introduced the touring US show to him.

"He was a natural fit," said Chance Newman, director of this musical, "And I spoke with him about having a cameo (as Professor Knowby). It's very quick, and he was very excited to do that. We really liked him and he fitted in with our group perfectly."

Varga's response was just as equally enthusiastic and he said that he was quite honoured. When asked about where he will go next, anything is possible, including becoming a late night TV show host for horror films.

"The character has a rich past which I developed while doing the one man show so I would incorporate more of that and also make Gerald more obsessive about the films he introduced," said Varga.

In the meantime, until the opportunity presents itself, Varga will continue his act at comedy clubs and other stage shows. While not everyone can understand how difficult being creepy can be, the crowds who attend these shows may not comprehend the character either. In a venue where people are expecting the theatre of the bizarre, they will eat it up. In a regular crowd, the reactions will be mixed. "I've had plenty of shows where plenty of people are terrified," observed Varga, "I've seen people walk out because they are so scared."

But just like any brand of comedy, the success depends on how each performer approaches their material. "You gotta also have that percentage of you while you are performing that's watching your performance," noted Varga, "If you get too into the role, then it becomes way too creepy. But it's also important that the actor, myself, is having fun doing it. And then, for some reason, it's a lot more funny."

But for this comedian to make his shtick work, a lot of work was required in character development and many years of practice was needed to make the routine consistently funny.

"There was a time where it was difficult to go up there on stage, and fill this character in a way to make people laugh," said Varga. "Getting there was not easy to make it into what I
hope one day will be a world class show."

Meet the character at:

The Horror Comic

Or be his ‘friend’ on Facebook at:

Gerald Gerald on Facebook

| | |

Advertise Here - Contact me Michael Allen at 28DLA

Subscribe to 28 Days Later: An Analysis Email Subscription

0 comments: