Canadian comedian Byron Bertram has been busy touring with his routine throughout Ontario and is now set for a performance at Yuk Yuk’s in Abbotsford on March 22 and 23.
All his performances are leading up to the taping of his upcoming comedy album “Passport and Prozac” at Yuk Yuk’s in Vancouver from March 28 to 30.
Bertram recently signed on with the comedy record label 800 Pound Gorilla Records to help him get his comedy out to millions of people worldwide.
The company also represents Jim Jefferies, Michelle Wolf and George Lopez, and is also known for its work with the estates of Richard Pryor and Robin Williams.
Bertram’s journey as a comedian includes praise from Simon Cowell as he advanced on Britain’s Got Talent.
He also received critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Melbourne Comedy Festival.
Other memorable moments in his career include performing for the president of Singapore and the time that Dame Judi Dench gave him a $50 tip.
Bertram has appeared on stages around the world as a finalist in the San Diego Comedy Fest and semi-finalist in the Boston Comedy Fest. He received a five-star review in the Australian Times for his one-man show Guilt Ridden Sociopath.
Bertram is also an actor who has appeared on shows and in movies such as Riverdale, Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, America’s Dirk’s Gently and Big Eyes.
He also has a current-events comedy podcast, The Dry Shave Show, that covers politics, news, and history with hilarious and controversial opinions.
Bertram grew up in Vancouver in a home that appreciated the arts. His father is a gold-record-winning saxophone player who played with the well-known Canadian group The Powder Blues and opened for ZZ Top, The Who, and Tina Turner.
His mother is a watercolour painter who took after her famous father Toni Onley.
Bertram went to an all-Asian high school in Vancouver, and he realized that although he was different from his classmates – he wasn’t academic and was overweight – he could gain acceptance by being the class clown.
He first learned how to be a juggler in a summer school for the arts. From there, he built his stage presence and comedy timing chops as a street performer.
Bertram has performed in 20 different countries doing a comedy, juggling and magic-style show.
He realized that he wanted to go the avenue of stand-up comedy, and hit up any stage he could get on, whether it was at home in Vancouver or on the road while street performing.
“Comedy is like a science experiment of words,” Bertram says. “The formula either works or it blows up in your face. You don’t know until you know, though. The best training is by throwing yourself into the lion’s den and learning from your mistakes.”
Visit yukyuks.com/abbotsford for tickets or more information about Bertram’s two shows in Abbotsford. The shows start at 8 p.m. with openers Bobby Warrener and John Beuhler.
