For actors John Paul Tremblay (Julian), Robb Wells (Ricky) and Mike Smith (Bubbles), the Trailer Park Boys franchise is a gift that keeps on giving. Conceived in the mid-1990s with creator Mike Clattenburg, the boys' Canadian TV mockumentary was an instant hit in 2001 (later on, Netflix Instant helped win American fans). Seven seasons, two movies, one spinoff and multiple stage shows later, the decadently debauched exports of Sunnyvale Trailer Park are as intoxicated and active as ever.
The hash- and booze-loving trio aims to spread holiday cheer this Friday at the State Theatre with its latest stage endeavor, "Dear Santa Claus: Go F#ck Yourself." In it, good-hearted Bubbles tries to spread the true meaning of Christmas, but his plans are upended by Julian's scheming pursuit of the Xmas dollar and dimwitted Ricky's inexorable drive to meet the real Santa. The boys' nemesis -- drunkard trailer-park supervisor Jim Lahey and his cheeseburger-addicted assistant/lover, Randy -- are along for the ride.
Lowbrow? Absolutely. But not brainless, as sharp writing and rich characters have been constants in the Trailer Park Boys universe. Last year's "Drunk, High and Unemployed Tour" stop at the Pantages Theatre couldn't fully reimagine the magic of Sunnyvale, but you wouldn't know it from the howls of rowdy TPB diehards. We scored a phone interview last week from the Trailer Park Boys as they zigzagged between the United States and Canada on their big holiday tour.
Q: Why are you guys telling Santa Claus to uh, go screw himself?
Bubbles: It's more telling the corporate aspect of Xmas to fuck itself, ya know? Santa represents the whole commercial side of Christmas and all that bullshit, and that's not what Christmas is about. Christmas is about getting drunk and high with your family and your friends. Don't get me wrong -- I like Santa. But when he represents the commercial side, he can fuck right off!
Ricky: That's what Christmas is supposed to be, yeah, just hanging out with your friends and family and getting drunk and high, not all this money stuff and presents, the turkey...cranberries or any of that bullshit.
Q: Any favorite Christmas traditions in Sunnyvale?
Ricky: I like the traditional eggnog and mushrooms.
Q: Ricky, you've spent Christmas in prison. How was that?
Ricky: It was awesome, I love being in jail on Christmas. You party with the guys, there's no real rules. It's just a free-for-all, all the booze and dope with the boys you can handle. It's awesome.
Q: What inspired this Christmas special?
Bubbles: I just like to go around the country and try to spread the true meaning of Christmas, bring some Christmas joy to people, sing some Christmas carols, that type of thing. Julian's got other ideas, but he always does because he's a goddamn greaseball.
Q: What can fans expect from the show?
Julian: I plan on making some money, because that's what Christmas is all about for me: making money. 'Cause people spend money like crazy during Christmas, so I'm just gonna capitalize on that.
Q: Will [trailer-park supervisor] Jim Lahey be sober?
Julian: Lahey is never sober. Even when he says he's sober, he's not sober -- he still has some fucking liquor coursing through his veins.
Q: What's it like touring with Lahey and Randy? You guys don't always get along...
Julian: It's bad enough having Randy, but he's working for me this tour. He's gonna be helping me make some money. Lahey, he's not supposed to be showing up, we're trying to keep him away from us, but sometimes that's usually impossible.
Q: How was you guys' first tour [2010-11's "Drunk, High and Unemployed Tour"]?
Bubbles: I remember it being a real crazy ripper, with all kinds of booze and ladies all over the place...ladies of the evening.
Q: So you enjoyed it?
Bubbles: Yeah, because we're drunk 99 percent of the time.
Q: What did you do after the Minneapolis stop?
Bubbles: I went to Prince's house. I went to Prince's house and got my freak on.
Q: Why do the Trailer Park Boys have such global appeal?
Bubbles: We don't give a fuck. Ricky tells people to fuck off left and right, and I think people envy that. They'd like to tell their bosses to fuck off and other people, but they just don't have the balls to do it. So I think they're a little bit envious myself.
Q: In the spirit of Christmas, go around and say what you admire most about one another.
Bubbles: Julian, the first thing that pops to my mind is his gorgeous body. I mean he sculpted that thing from scratch and he looks like Zeus or somebody. So I have to say that. And Ricky? Well I'm really proud of Ricky's hair.
Ricky: I admire Julian's muscles and his words. And I admire Bubbles and how nice he is to kitty cats.
Julian: I admire, I guess, Ricky's ability to deal with police under fucked-up situations. And I admire the fact that Bubbles can easily get an erection on stage in front of thousands of people, and he can dig at it, and it doesn't blow up.
Q: You guys are big Rush fans. Any words for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for taking so long to induct them?
Bubbles: Oh, my God, that is fucking bullshit. That's my quote: fucking bullshit. Greatest fucking rock band on the planet.
Q: If any fans are on the fence about coming to your show, what would you say to them?
Ricky: Just come on out. It's a great party, there's a lot of good messages and Julian may even be taking his shirt off.
Q: Will the Trailer Park Boys live on forever?
Bubbles: Oh, fuck, I hope so. I'm just gonna keep hauling shopping carts out of the pond. I'm sure Ricky is just gonna keep growing dope. And Julian'll be ingesting protein bars and Muscle Milk.
Q: What's the best Christmas gift you guys have ever received?
Julian: A mighty fine prostitute with blond hair, blue eyes.
Q: Who gave you that?
Bubbles: Oh, I gave Julian a hooker one year.
Ricky: One year I got a carton of cigarettes and I found a half-kilo of hash, so that was a pretty awesome Christmas.
Q: Anything else people should know about the Christmas special?
Bubbles: I just want to reiterate to people that it's fuckin'...it's gonna be like Cirque du Soleil, incredible production values. I come swinging in from the back of the auditorium, swinging on the trapeze, and I go flying through some fire hoops. And we bring out the lions and tigers. I think that's mostly what we do. I just wanna make sure people know that it's a Christmas extravaganza and to be extra high and drunk when they come to the theater.
Q: Last tour you guys sold hot dogs from the stage. Any entrepreneurial goodies this time around?
Bubbles: Most likely fuckin' Julian the greaseball will be up to something.
