For three nights, the Cultch hosted a nostalgic throwback for fans of the sketch troop Kids in the Hall. In Après le Déluge: The Buddy Cole Monologues presented by Pi Theatre, Scott Thompson takes the stage as his beloved character, first appearing in the show on a huge projection screen set up inside the intimate space.

While a few years older, Buddy Cole is unmistakable as he leans against the pseudo-bar—martini in hand, handkerchief around his neck. The audience reaction is one of familiarity and delight as the opening skit ends with Col asking something along the lines of, “why do I have to be careful about what I say…because I’m gay?” To which the bartender replies, “no, because you’re old, white, and male.”

From there on, Thompson twirls into the theatre, ready to dazzle in a purple suit as the sharp, flamboyant, and in your face Buddy Cole. Thompson’s monologues span the entirety of his career from Kids In the Hall until now, with each piece steeped in pop-culture references of every era. While some throw-backs are charming, others fall flat. Thompson starts the night easy enough with a piece about Buddy Cole and his three straight male friends, all named Bob. The jokes feel lighthearted and wholesome, centring mostly around the absurdity of how men are expected to relate to each other. As a bonus, the audience is privy to a 90’s slideshow featuring a fresh faced Thompson.

The tone quickly switches for the next couple of monologues, introduced through increasingly obnoxious multimedia mixes of various hit songs and headlines of our time—including but is not limited to Britney Spear’s 2007 breakdown, the 9/11 attacks and Obama’s Inauguration. Most of the introductions are contextual but do little to add to the actual piece. Other times they are very loosely related. In a 2011 monologue— the year that Osama Bin Laden was found and killed—Buddy Cole, through extraordinary means and the power of the burqa, ends up on a sexual escapade with the son and the brother of bin Laden in a secret mountainside cave. 

The problem I have with the majority of Après le Déluge isn’t tin it’s controversial content, but that the payoff isn't worth it. I’m a firm believer that there’s humour in anything but Thompson’s jokes just aren’t funny to me. In the bin Laden piece, al-Qaeda, Islamic extremism and homophobia are merely a backdrop for his innuendos and Cole’s sexual prowess—as though the subject is interchangeable with any other hot topic. Thompson is an equal opportunity punchdown comic and finds room to continue perpetuating racist, trans and queer stereotypes—all while sprinkling in a couple of rape jokes for good measure.

By no means are such topics off limits but we’ve heard all Thomspon’s takes before, especially from older white male comedians. The show uses controversy to shock, while making no effort to add anything thoughtful to the conversation in the way good comedy can.

However, It’s worth noting that while I may not have enjoyed Après le Déluge, it appeared that most of the audience loved it. I can understand why— they were there for the same boisterous Buddy Cole they were introduced to in 1995, and Thompson delivered just that. Additionally, whether you enjoy Buddy Cole as a character or not, Thompson is an excellent performer and easily commands the stage solo. While Après le Déluge was not the show for me, not all is lost as Thompson comes back in an encore with a funny and refreshing monologue about foreskin.

The show sailed through Vancouver Sept 19-21, but you can see more live events with The Kids in the Hall here.