By Nigel Maxwell

Prince Albert gets handy with Red Green

Aug 26, 2016 | 5:00 PM

Steve Smith, better known to most Canadians as Red Green, has no problem saying he has always been funny.

“When I was in grades six, seven and eight, all three years I had the same teacher, I was the only kid in class that was allowed to speak out.  Whenever I wanted I could say whatever I wanted because I could say things that would just add fun to the lesson without being disruptive,” Smith said.

Smith will be bringing his unique form of comedy to the stage at the E.A. Rawlinson Centre on Oct. 3.

Looking back on his nearly 40 years in comedy, Smith laughed as he discussed the days before he donned his famous plaid shirt and suspenders.

After graduating high school Smith tried his hand at several “normal jobs” as he calls them, including school teacher, a job he would quit after two years.

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“I always say I saved an entire generation by quitting,” he said.

At the time, Smith and his wife were in a musical group which led to getting a TV show called Smith and Smith.  The Red Green character was created for that show in 1978.

Red Green began as a two-minute bit, but would eventually grow into a television series that lasted 15 years.

Smith said he shares a lot of similarities with the character Red Green; both men are very handy.

“I haven’t met an internal combustion engine that I can’t make go so yeah I do have that background and I would say all of Red Green is in Steve Smith but there’s a pretty big part of Steve Smith that is outside Red Green,” Smith said.

Much of the success with the Red Green Show had to do with the various segments, which included the Possum Lodge Word Game and Adventures with Bill.

When asked what was his favourite segment is, Smith said it would be Handyman Corner.

“I am mechanical and I’m creative and I try to be funny and that (segment) combined all three of those,” he said.

Another key factor in the success of the show was the multiple characters, such as Red’s nephew Harold, Bill Smith and Ranger Gord.

Smith said he gave instructions to his actors there would be no cue cards and no scripts so they would have to know their stuff.

“I hired good actors I liked and in 15 years there was never an argument, just never a harsh word,” he said.

Smith also said the live audience made a big difference and made it feel like they were with friends.

For his upcoming show, Smith said the jokes are brand new and the audience will get an autobiographical look at Red Green.

“From birth to growing up, meeting girls and dating, and getting married and of course along the way projects he has done,” he said.

Smith said he will also talk about the changes, “someone his age” has gone through.

“There were no computers when I was born, not really television, a vegetarian was a bit of an oddball back in those days and certainly everyone smoked,” he said.

The Red Green Show has been off the air for nearly a decade but Smith still has over 630,000 followers on Facebook.

He joked that his fans still send him pictures of projects they have done and most of those projects usually include a lot of duct tape.

“I’ve probably signed 25,000 rolls, you know they bring them to the show,” he said.

The show titled I’m Not Old, I’m Ripe starts at 7 p.m.

Tickets are still available.

nmaxwell@panow.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell