Niek Theelen (Photo: Supplied)

By James Dunn

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Red Deer man with Cerebral Palsy finds comfort in performing stand-up comedy

Feb 18, 2020 | 7:00 PM

Red Deer is home to a stand-up comedian with an inspirational story who is about to perform his first taped comedy special.

Niek Theelan was born with Cerebral Palsy, which affects his movement, balance, and muscle tone.

He discovered stand-up comedy almost five years ago attending script writing classes in Lethbridge. In those five years, Theelen has opened for the likes of Brent Butt, Mike MacDonald, and Ryan Niemiller from America’s Got Talent.

Theelan has also won a Red Deer Entertainment Award for Comedy, being a runner up at the 2019 FunnyFest Talent Search, and a two time winner of Edmonton’s ‘Funniest Comic With a Day Job’.

Theelan says seeing people laugh at his jokes and stories brings a smile to his face.

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“With me having my challenges, I always had these stories to tell. Stand-up was always a good way for me to tell those stories,” he says.

“One day, I got frustrated with how busy I was with my university schedule and one night I decided to check out an open mic night in Lethbridge, and I got addicted to it ever since. The first night I did it, I was given a ‘Comedian of the Month’ award. I said ‘You can’t give me a comedian of the month award for only being there once,’” he chuckled.

Theelan and other local comedians will be performing at Burgundy’s Food and Stage on April 24 for Theelan’s for a show marking his five-year comedic anniversary.

“The reason I’m doing it now is because I feel like I’ve crafted an act I’m proud of. I want to be able to show people a physical CD for festivals and making your comedy more reachable to a bigger audience,” he shared.

“If you told me when I started doing this that I would be recording an album, I probably would’ve laughed it off. Comedy is kind of like a roller coaster, there are a lot of ups and downs. With the downs, sometimes you want to give up or you’re not sure if it will work out. When I’m going through those challenges, I always think about the highlights I’ve had so far. Those kind of push me through to where I am now.”

Calgarian Dale Ward hosts April 24 event with appearances from local comedians such as Brad Layden, Adam Mack, Zachary Landry, and Jesse Gediis also on the docket.

Tickets are on sale for the evening at eventbrite.ca and Theelan’s website and niekscomedy.com