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A history lesson that will leave you howling with laughter in Chilliwack

Comedy duo Hip.Bang! are in Chilliwack to share their knowledge on The History of Romance
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Hip.Bang! is a comedy duo from Vancouver whose playful, absurd comedy has delighted audiences worldwide. (Submitted)

Has love always existed? How has love manifested throughout different cultures and even species?

On Feb. 8 and 9, Vancouver comedy duo Hip.Bang! are here to share their knowledge on The History of Romance with you. From the first slug-like creatures through to modern times, they’re ready to answer questions you didn’t even know you had.

Tom Hill and Devon Mackenzie of Hip.Bang! take on the personas of Puss and Leslie, a pair of Pangean-sexuals (a person who loves everything), and cover topics ranging from slug mating rituals, the mess that is modern dating and the real history of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Leslie and Puss will happily tell you that the first draft wasn’t about a pair of star-crossed lovers, but rather the story of a man and his crabs doctor).

Hip.Bang!’s sketch comedy thrives on disrupting audience’s expectations and they’re more than happy to do just that in The History of Romance. Inspired by the duo’s years of experience performing as an improv duo, Hip.Bang!’s scripted work is fast, unapologetically absurd, and physically thrilling. The controlled and hilarious chaos that defined their improvised work remains the beating heart of Hip.Bang! as a sketch comedy duo.

“It’s definitely not improv – we should be really clear about that,” Hill said. “There are improvised moments in it, where we’re adapting to what the audience kind of gives us in certain moments, but for the most part it’s a theatrical comedy understanding of romance through the decades.”

Hill and Mackenzie are writers for CBC Radio’s The Irrelevant Show, and they’ve been nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Improv Troupe. They’ve also been featured at theatres and festivals around the world, including the Comedy Central Stage in L.A., Vancouver SketchFest, Just For Laughs Northwest, San Francisco SketchFest and Toronto SketchFest. Their first full-length comedy show, White Pants, was featured around Canada and the U.S. and was a sell out at the Edmonton and Vancouver Fringes.

The History of Romance is the authoritative history of romantic thought you never realized you wanted but have always truly needed.

The History of Romance is coming to the Chilliwack Cultural Centre on Feb. 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Centre Box Office, online at www.chilliwackculturalcentre.ca, or by calling 604-391-SHOW(7469).