As we have already previewed, stand-up shows are being organised around Croatia in honour of Canadian comic Ron Vaudry, who is performing the final gigs of his career here. The London Calling Comedy Club has just added a third date to its mini-run: before moving on to the Botel Marina in Rijeka on February 21, there will be an additional night at Zagreb’s Pri Nami on February 20, slotting in after the initial appearance on February 19. Time Out Croatia caught up with Vaudry, who talks about his time in the business, Croatian audiences and the future stars of stand-up.
Time Out Croatia: London Calling has organised these gigs in Zagreb and Rijeka in honour of your retirement – how does it feel to have a final few performances dedicated to celebrating your career?
Ron Vaudry: I actually officially retired on December 31, 2023, but when Nino from London Calling asked me to do these shows in Croatia, I couldn’t refuse one more run at it.
Nino brought me over on one of the first tours of Croatia. He had a keen sense of the public’s hunger for free speech and its and its application within comedy. I loved the audience's enthusiasm and respect for comedy as an art form. So I’m very keen to visit and share again with the Croatian audiences, and close my career off.
TOC: Looking back on your career, is there any one gig or moment you view as your proudest achievement?
RV: There were so many moments over the 45 years I’ve been lucky enough to contribute. My first day on stage, I did 12 shows for Jerry Lewis’s muscular dystrophy telethon at my local club in Montreal.
I’d have to say my favourite was appearing on the Arsenio Hall show. My first time on American national television. I crushed it and got 81/2 applause breaks in a five minute set. I was very proud of that one. Again, there were so many great moments.
TOC: Are there any up-and-coming comedians working the circuit today that have caught your eye?
RV: Up-and-coming comics? There are so many. There’s a new generation coming along in Europe and North America to be discovered. I’d do a disservice to point to any one comic. They are yours to discover. Enjoy them all and find your favourite. Nino has a good eye and will bring you some of the best.
TOC: You were part of the line-up for the London Calling Comedy Club way back when the project was first starting out – how was that experience, and what did you make of Croatian audiences?
RV: The audiences in Croatia were open and enthusiastic to consume comedy. They are a new generation experiencing freedoms as a former Eastern bloc country that embraced freedom of speech and saw stand-up as a beacon of that freedom, and recognised it as an art form and theatre. I loved that.
When: February 19 & 20 (Zagreb); February 21 (Rijeka)
Where: Pri Nami (Zagreb); Botel Marina (Rijeka)
Tickets: €10 (plus €1 booking fee).
Zagreb: February 19 tickets available here; February 20 tickets available here.
Rijeka: February 21 tickets available here.