Gregory Milne will be coming home, or at least close to it, to celebrate the third anniversary of the Vancouver improv comedy troupe The Radical he founded when it appears Sunday at the Evergreen Cultural Centre.
Milne grew up in Port Coquitlam attending Kilmer elementary, Mary Hill junior high and Terry Fox secondary, so he should have some family and friends show up.
“I’m very excited for this one,” said Milne. “I’ve wanted to do a show with the group here, basically since it started.
“I should give a discount to everyone who shows up wearing a [Terry Fox Ravens] shirt. I won’t, but I should.”
Milne, 40, came to comedy about 4 1/2 years ago. After spending a decade as a professional wrestler in B.C. and the Pacific Northwest, Milne turned to screenwriting and prose. But when writer’s block hit, a friend recommended taking an improv class to supplement his writing.
“Within one or two classes I knew it was something I wanted to pursue. This one really spoke to me,” said Milne.
Improv is a style that suits Milne more than doing standup.
“They are definitely two different beasts. I myself have trouble remembering lines,” said Milne. “It’s a very different skill set. It’s a matter of being in the moment.”
In 2015, he hooked up some others and they realized they had something special. Summer was about to hit and the dates started to dry up so Milne decided to form the troupe and get organized.
“It was a chance to do something that was really our own,” said Milne. “What I think sets us apart, is we as a group are very close, and we do play a lot looser. I think watching the show the audience can see that we are friends, that we enjoy doing something collaboratively together.”
The other members of the group are Theo Francon, Amanda Jane Porter, Emily Bordignon, Taizo Ellis, Karla Monterrosa and Tyler Soon, who won’t be available Sunday. They’re bringing along another PoCo native, Graham Myers of Second Storey Theatre and Jordon Strudwick.
• Tickets are $12 in advance online through eventbrite.com or $15 at the door. Doors open at the Evergreen’s Rehearsal Studio at 7:30 with the show starting at 8 p.m.
