Watch Trailer Park Boys: Drunk, High and Unemployed Live in Austin
- 2015
- 1 hr 14 min
Trailer Park Boys: Drunk, High and Unemployed Live in Austin is a stand-up comedy and improv performance feature that captures the spirit and essence of the Trailer Park Boys, one of Canada's most beloved comedic franchises. Starring the series' main actors, Mike Smith, John Paul Tremblay, and Robb Wells, who play Bubbles, Julian, and Ricky respectively, this stage show delivers the raw and unfiltered humor audiences have come to adore directly to the stage of Austin, Texas.
The film transports fans into the heart of the Trailer Park Boys’ world, but this time it's not the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park. Instead, we're invited to watch the boys perform in front of a live and highly enthusiastic crowd. Throughout this raucous performance, the three resume their infamous personas to deliver a night filled with alcohol-fueled antics, profanity-laden tirades, and hilarious sketches that keep the audience on the edge of their seats with laughter.
Armed with a combination of prepared material and improvisational skills that have been fine-tuned over the years on their TV show and previous live performances, these actors have crafted an experience that feels both fresh and familiar. Mike Smith's Bubbles, known for his innocence and quirky fascinations, John Paul Tremblay's Julian, the level-headed leader with a penchant for rum and coke, and Robb Wells' Ricky, whose incredible malapropisms and hair-brained schemes have garnered a cult following, all shine in this live setting.
Drunk, High and Unemployed Live in Austin presents a new dimension to the Trailer Park Boys phenomenom. There's no fourth wall here—instead, the boys are in their elements, directly interacting with the crowd, responding to live feedback, and frequently referencing their surroundings, which ties in the unique flavor of Austin into their acts.
This particular show veers slightly from the traditional narrative format seen in their TV series and films. Instead of following a central storyline, the performance feels like a variety revue, with the characters taking part in different skits, stand-up routines, and off-the-cuff dialogue. It's structured to showcase each character's distinct personality, allowing ample room for the improvisational comedy that the actors are known for, pushing the envelop on unpredictability and outrageousness.
Throughout the show, the Trailer Park Boys find various ways to riff on their well-known personalities and environments, often engaging with topics that have become signature elements of their brand of humor. Themes of illegality, incompetence, money-making schemes, and substance use are prevalent—true to the source material—but it's all done in a self-aware manner that winks at the audience, acknowledging the absurdity of it all through sheer exaggeration.
Fans will appreciate the way the performance references and points fun at their previous escapades and how the actors break character at times, letting slip their genuine camaraderie and the sheer joy they derive from performing these roles, something that adds to the authenticity and charm of the experience.
One of the highlights of Drunk, High and Unemployed Live in Austin is the audience participation. Audiences aren't mere spectators—they are part of the show, whether through direct interaction with the boys or by creating a boisterous atmosphere that encourages the performers to amp up their antics. The crowd's reactions often influence the direction of the performance, making each show a unique event, peppered with moments of unexpected hilarity.
Without giving away any specific jokes or revealing plot points, it’s fair to say that the movie is interspersed with improvised segments that take the boys off-script and provide some of the funniest moments—showcasing the trio's innate ability to bounce off each other and the audience, creating laughter through shared spontaneity.
It's important to note that, much like the TV show, this live performance is not for the faint of heart or those easily offended. The humor is crude, lewd, and profanity-laced. However, for those who relish in the charm of the Trailer Park Boys and their brand of comedy, there’s no denying its appeal.
Trailer Park Boys: Drunk, High, and Unemployed Live in Austin brilliantly captures the spirit of the television show, wrapped in a spontaneous and energetic live act. It's an unfiltered and intimate opportunity to see Mike Smith, John Paul Tremblay, and Robb Wells breathe life into their beloved characters in an environment that's buzzing with the energy of a live crowd and the unpredictability of an unscripted stage.