Gabey Lucas, a Seattle-based comedian with a hilarious fascination for the “dumb history” aspects of the Pig War, will be bringing her hour-long show about our island’s own history to Friday Harbor on April 26.

“A Berkshire Boar Walks into a Bar (and gets shot in the face)” was previewed here last year as Lucas was finalizing her act, and after performing it daily for the monthlong 2024 Fringe Festival in Edinburgh last summer, she’s ready to bring the finalized product back to the islands.

“The first time, I was a little bit nervous about specifically doing it on San Juan Island, because it felt like the ultimate test,” Lucas laughed. “These are the only people in the entire world who, if I got anything wrong, or felt like if I didn’t tell the story right, would revolt. Mutiny.”

It turns out that instead of revolting, islanders were delighted to have someone take such a keen interest in our own quirky history.

“History usually bores me to tears (as ignorant as that sounds),” admitted local resident Nicole Santora. “But Gabey is funny as hell and highlighted all of the delicious bits about this ridiculous piece of local history. I’m looking forward to seeing it again!”

Described by Lucas as a “smart-dumb comedy show with a dollop of spectacularly stupid history” exploring what happens when “hubristic dolts believe in their own exceptionalism over reason and lives,” the show also explores other absurdities such as giving Mona Lisa a gun, 127 Hours: Cat Edition, unicorn propaganda and whether Abraham Lincoln could beat up Alexander the Great.

Lucas has worked as a stand-up comedian writer of multiple mediums, and producer of live comedy and panel shows for almost a decade. She’s performed all over the world, from New Zealand to New Orleans to North Macedonia, including at festivals throughout the United States and Europe, like Rip City Comedy Festival, Hell Yes Fest, The Ohrid Summer Comedy Marathan and the Edinburgh Fringe.

Growing up in Washington, Lucas was familiar with the Pig War from history class, but when she started reading into it as an adult and paying attention to the details, she couldn’t believe how silly it all was.

“Every single thing that happened – in my head I would think, ‘The guys in this episode are so stupid,’” she chuckled. “Everything in the story is inherently a comedy. I actually wrote a fictional lore sequel to the Pig War. I still add chapters occasionally on my Substack!”

Lucas will be at A Waterworks Gallery on April 26. Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/blindtigerbarservices/1548669. Her Substack can be found at everettflabbergasters.substack.com.

“I’m excited to bring it back after performing there before,” she said. “Now I know, oh, we are homies. You guys like it. You’re picking up what I’m putting down. And it’s better now than it was then. That’s why I was so motivated to come back.”