No one leaves Giggle Dam Dinner Theatre in downtown Port Coquitlam without a full belly of laughs and food.
But for four months the live theatre venue will be closing for a massive renovation.
What's more the closure takes place just as the iconic theatre celebrates its 20th anniversary.
Owner Mark Friebe said the renovation will repair walls and carpeting that were damaged by a water problem but will also update the theatre for a fresh, new look.
'We get new walls, new foyer, new carpet throughout, we're excited about a brand new Giggle Dam," Friebe told the Tri-City News.
Tomorrow, Saturday, June 12 will be the last night of the current show Dam Naughty Nites, dubbed as a "burlesque show you can take your wife to featuring sex and skin, clowns and fishnets."
For 20 years through fire, smoke and a pandemic, Giggle Dam has been bringing its fun mix of music, burlesque and comedy to the Lower Mainland.
Among the popular favourites is the Christmas show, where a grown man dressed up as a turkey gets "basted," and there are lots of Christmas-themed sketches, popular tunes and dancing.
Audience participation is also key, said Friebe, although there's a "Scaredy Cat" clause for those who are too shy to be on stage.
When Giggle Dam re-opens in November for the Christmas show, audience participation will be back after a long break during the pandemic.
Friebe, who is busy with the current show and the upcoming renovations, said in addition to the Christmas show, he's working on an 80's themed spring show that will begin in February and feature lots of "Big Hair and Big Hijinx."
In the meantime, he admits that being in business as a dinner theatre hasn't always been easy, but he's always been able to find something to laugh about.
"It hasn’t been without it’s struggles [but] at the end of the day, laughter is all we have, and, if laughter is the best medicine, then Giggle Dam is the place to come."
