‘A lot of times comedians do one or the other, but I try to do both at the same time’

It takes a certain level of skill and confidence to poke at cultural, social and political flaws, and make the people impacted by those flaws laugh at their own scabs and shortcomings.

It’s a delicate tightrope between laughter and outrage that Canadian comedian Sugar Sammy not only does well, but also seems to relish.

“It’s the best kind of comedy. I think it’s probably the most difficult as well — trying to cross the line but also keep the laughter. A lot of times comedians do one or the other, but I try to do both at the same time,” he says.

It’s that intelligent, irreverent brand of humour that audiences can expect on his 20-city tour Canada: The 51st State, which kicks off tonight (Friday, Jan. 24) in Winnipeg with four shows at Rumor’s Comedy Club.

It doesn’t take long talking to the Montreal-born standup comic (whose real name is Samir Khullar) to see how seriously he takes his profession. He spends time studying and working on his material to be able to devilishly manoeuvre his toe toward that culturally acceptable line.

It’s the same kind of skill he admires in some of the comics who inspired him: Dave Chappelle, Martin Lawrence and Chris Rock.

But it was Eddie Murphy in all his red-leather-clad, foul-mouthed glory in Delirious that sparked something in the then-eight-year-old boy.

Watching a rented bootlegged DVD copy of that special with his parents — whom he said “freaked out” before succumbing to the humour — was a defining moment in his career.

“There was something very Elvis ’68 comeback special about it. As soon as he got onstage, you knew this was going to be great. You can tell within the first few seconds how good and how polished a comedian he is. Right away, I started getting butterflies and I said, ‘I need to do this,’” says Sammy, who watched the tape over and over again, eventually buying his own copy.

“It became an apprenticeship for me when I was young, in terms of studying the writing, the crafting of the formulas, the pausing, how to build the show. So when I was ready to finally take the plunge, I knew how to build a show very young. It definitely helped me early on in my career.”

Now 48, the veteran comic, who speaks four languages (English, French, Hindi and Punjabi) and has performed in 33 countries, is gaining international notoriety — with the Hollywood Reporter adding him to its list of 10 Comics to Watch.

In addition to his comedy tours and specials, he’s also appeared in Ce Gars-Là and is one of the judges of La France a un incroyable talent, France’s version of America’s Got Talent.

Sammy thinks that eight-year-old boy would be happy with where he’s ended up.

“Obviously the first few years of this profession are racked with self-doubt and insecurity, but it’s a good insecurity that pushes you. I overcame that at some point, because I knew my artistic vision and my skill as a writer,” he says.

“When I connect with the audience and we find our wavelength together and then we surf that wavelength, there’s nothing more magical than that.”