Stalking Bill Wood

Bill Wood of comedy group Picnicface is a busy man on the opening day of the Atlantic Fringe Festival, but he found time to squeeze in a phone interview to confirm some rumours that have been floating around the end-of-summer streets. Although it’s true that the Picnicface TV show was dropped from the Comedy Network, the Halifax comedy ensemble is still alive.

Wood has been staying alive on his own by performing and directing in five shows this Fringe, with a total of 16 performances.  That he has been peddling the streets on these hot Halifax days selling frozen treats from a tricycle is also a fact.

Picnicface has been around in its entirety since 2007. Wood collaborated by writing Internet skits, performing stand-up sketch shows, TV shows and more recently acting in Roller Town (2012), a film that opens in Canada Sept. 1. Although their show was cancelled in the spring, Picnicface recently cleaned up at the Canadian Comedy Awards. They won best TV show, best writing for TV, and best ensemble as well as three awards for Roller Town, including funniest film.

“Picnicface will always work together as a group of friends,” says Bill Wood, “but as a cohesive ensemble we need a big project to bring us together.” He says the group has been raising awareness to the fact that they are homeless in the TV world, but at the same time they are all busy working on other projects.

One way Bill was raising awareness, or as he puts it, “keeping myself off my couch this summer,” was to open up his own frozen-treat tricycle. Called Pedal Peddle Treats, he was roaming the streets selling “all the colours of Freezies, root beer popsicles, Fudgsicles and Rockets.” Keep your eyes out for Bill on his tricycle this fall. You’re sure to get a good laugh—as well as brain freeze.