Roger Abbott

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Roger Abbott (July 10, 1946 – March 26, 2011) was an English-born Canadian Sketch comedian who was a founding member of the long-lived Canadian comedy troupe Royal Canadian Air Farce, and remained one of its stars and writers until his death.

Early life

Abbott was born in Birkenhead, England; at age 7, he and his family moved to Montreal. While attending Loyola High School, he met Don Ferguson, who would become a co-star of Royal Canadian Air Farce. After graduation in 1963, he attended Loyola College (now Concordia University).

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Career

Abbott began his radio career in behind-the-scenes. Comedians John Morgan and Martin Bronstein, who were looking for non-actors who might write and perform their own script, persuaded Abbott to join The Jest Society, a modern theatre revue (a pun on then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's popular aim of making Canada a "Just Society"). The Royal Canadian Air Farce troupe, which now includes Abbott, Morgan, Bronstein, Don Ferguson, Luba Goy, and Dave Broadfoot, after undergoing a string of staff changes, became known as the Royal Canadian Air Farce. They began a weekly broadcast on CBC radio in front of a live audience at the CBC's Parliament Street studio in Toronto on December 9, 1973. Abbott demonstrated his organizational skills quickly, according to Don Ferguson, who described him as "the leading light of Royal Canadian Air Farce" and "a blend of artistic, organizational, and business skills." Abbott also became the "warm-up man" for the weekly broadcasts, chatting to the audience before introducing the rest of the cast. Dave Broadfoot and Monty Python, one of Abbott's favorite influences on his style of comedy, were the British comedy troupe Monty Python. Bronstein left the troupe the following year; the remaining cast of Royal Canadian Air Farce remained unchanged for many years.

In 1980, Air Farce first stepped into television with a 10-week series of television shows for CBC, but they soon continued to produce their weekly radio show. Around the same time, the makers of the American sitcom Taxi offered Abbott and Ferguson a chance to be writers on the program, but they turned down the invitation.

Abbott starred Huge Jumbo Comedy Thing, a show starring a troupe called the Maroons, which CHOM-FM referred to as "Canada's answer to Monty Python" in 1989.

Abbott and Don Ferguson co-hosted the annual televised Easter Seals Telethon for many years.

Royal Canadian Air Farce returned to television in 1992, this time as a weekly show, although the weekly radio show continued to be produced until 1997. Abbott was known for several roles on the television show, including parodies of Jean Chrétien, The Queen Mother, Yasser Arafat, George W. Bush, Don Newman, Craig Oliver, and "Native People Spokesman Billy Two-Willies."

The show's name changed several times, first to Air Farce, then to Air Farce Live, and finally to Air Farce Live -- The Final Flight. Air Farce continued to produce occasional specials for CBC, and Abbott's last appearance on Air Farce on December 31, 2010 was their New Year's Eve special.

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Awards

• Gemini Humanitarian Award
• Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement
• 15 ACTRA Awards
• a Juno Award
• a star on the Canada's Walk of Fame
• Honorary doctor of laws, Brock University, 1993