12 - Friday, May 16, 1986 - North Shore News

LIFE’S a laugh for Richard Elwo ‘Vancouver’: 's Punchtines 5 Comedy” Theatre, w now in its ninth
yéar of operation. The ‘theatre often features’ top Canadian and U.S. “comedians and on Tuesdays sets aside time
for local amateurs to take a turn at 1 getting laughs. . :

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THE ONE ABOUT..

9

Funny business is no
laughing matter for local
entrepreneur and comedian

RICHARD ELWOOD
knows the value of a good
joke.

By TIMOTHY RENSHAW

News Reporter

The 32-year-old North Van-
couver comedian and humor en-
trepreneur has turned the art of
making people laugh into a thriv-
ing cross-Canada business that has
ensured the continued cultivation
of Canadian humor and inspired a
new generation of Canadian com-
edians.

Elwood recently celebrated the
eighth anniversary of his Pun-
chlines comedy club, which
stumbled giddily into existence in
the basement of the Queen
Elizabeth Theatre’s cafeteria in
1978. :

It was. a beginning far from
auspicious. The club’s decor; was

. classic rec room glitz; the acts

were raw and more often reflected
rather than elevated their Surroun-
dings.

i. SUCCESSFUL CONCEPT

_ “But the Punchlines. concept
went over from. the beginning,’’
Elwood says: ‘‘People asked us
why it had never been done be-
fore,’’

Punchlines, now the ‘oldest com-
edy club’ in Canada, began as a

sports experts,

one-night-per-week venue, and
quickly expanded to three then five
nights.

It has since moved to its current
bona fide nightclub location in
Gastown, where Punchilines sits as
the headquarters for a comedy
network that includes a sister club
in Victoria and affiliated clubs in
Toronto, Winnipeg and Calgary.

The growing Puichlines humor
empire also include. a management
company that hand.es some of the
best West Coast comedians. ° ;

Elwood himself has been ‘at-
tempting to tickle funny bones
professionally since he was 16. He
opened in Toronto but tired. of
that city’s barbarous climate, he
moved west. :

In-1977, he rolled off a plane at
Vancouver’s airport with destina-
tions unknown.

“I called a friend with the idea
of playing a game of golf. I asked
him the best place to go. He'said
the orth Shore. So I came over. -
and i've been here ever since.” ”

PROVING GROUN

Over the’ years, . -Elwood’s: club:
has been the proving” ground:
local comics, who would otherwi
have found limited. appreciation i :
local pubs or.as warm-up’ acts oO
strip shows. or rock bands.. a

A ‘club, . given. over” “entirely to

Flyer correction notice - . May. 14/86:

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reel

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North Vancouver location open Victoria Day 12-5