What are you lookin at?

Published Thursday March 5th, 2009

Comedian Darren Frost brings X-rated material to town.
By Hanne Armstrong

He's worked alongside John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and Christopher Walken in Hairspray. With Ethan Hawke in Assault On Precinct 13, and Michael Douglas in Don't Say a Word. He's the Listerine super-hero of commercial fame, and his voice speaks through cartoon characters on But in his heart of hearts, Darren Frost is a stand-up comic. Clubs, bars, and Just For Laughs are where he thrives, and on March 11 he brings his hard-hitting brand of humour to Moncton's Studio 7 Hundred.

"It's what I was born to do," he says. "It's what I have the most passion for."

If you're wanting to laugh, willing to be open-minded, and prepared to be offended, then Darren's one-night appearance is something you won't want to miss. He classifies his shows as X-rated, and he doesn't put on a family entertainment kind of evening. There are no taboos; any topic is grist to his harshly satiric mill. Sex, illness, politics, the guy next door or the guy in the seat beside you, Darren will make you laugh, and maybe even think, about all of them.

"Being a social critic is just as important to me as making people laugh," Darren says. "I rant about hypocrisy and the underdog in pretty much all my acts. I want people to have a good time, but I want to make my point, too."
Making his point has occasionally gotten Darren into trouble. Audiences sometimes holler and hiss at him. He has received death threats.

"People must not be listening to what I'm actually saying," he suggests. "There's not much you can do about that. But I'm not some evil guy. I'm a dad, with two sons. I X-rate my shows so people will think before they come."

Rosalind Miller, owner of Studio 7 Hundred, was very pleased when approached by a promoter to provide a venue for Darren's 'X-Rated Comedy Night'. She's been interested in hosting comics for some time, in keeping with her philosophy of diversity, and hopes that Darren's show will be the first of many.

Tickets for the March 11 evening are only $20 at the door, and $15 in advance. The show starts at 9 p.m. Advance tickets are available at Studio 7 Hundred. Those very reasonable prices get you not only Darren Frost, but Shane Ogden, who has been in the Saint John and Rocky Mountain Comedy Festivals, and home-grown comic Neal Mundle. Altogether a great evening's entertainment for a great price.

Darren himself is no stranger to Maritime audiences. And he has a certain respect for Moncton audiences in particular.

"Last time I was in Moncton," he recalls, "I got a 50 per cent standing ovation, and the other 50 per cent left the room. To me, that's the perfect gig. Everybody listened, and then decided. The people who left weren't rude, they just left, and they didn't judge the people who laughed. Moncton's a good comedy town."

He likes smaller markets, too, because they're hungry for entertainment. In places like Toronto and Vancouver, the audiences almost defy a comic to make them laugh, while in second-tier markets like Moncton, audiences are ready for a good time. In fact, he says that smaller markets are the bread and butter not just for comics, but for big acts like Elton John and Neil Young.

As to playing venues which are licensed premises, Darren has this to say.
"Drunk audiences are the worst. Loosening up with a drink or two is fine, but when people are hammered they don't listen, they yell and they don't know how loud they are."

And Darren wants people to listen to what he has to say. He writes all his own material, often taking stories from the Internet as his starting point. Once his ideas are down on paper he goes to some of the nearly 20 Open-Mic locations in Toronto where he's based, to try the new material out on a real audience. He even tapes himself, to make sure that he's not just screaming, but actually saying something.

Raised in Brantford, Ontario, Darren had a good-paying job, but started to do amateur comedy nights in the early '90s. By 1994, he was able to give up his day-job, which he did and gladly. It's not making him rich, but he's happy doing what he's doing.

"I get a lot of e-mails asking how to break into comedy," he says. "I always tell the person not to do it for money, but if you love it, get on stage not just in front of your friends, and just do it. It's not an easy road, and I've thought about quitting many times. But if it's what you love, you have to do it."

His passion for comedy keeps him at it, and his passion for commentary on just about everything keeps him controversial. Come out on March 11 and check him our for yourself.