Some shows begin with a marketing strategy. Others begin with a photo of a few average torsos posed as if they belong on a glossy poster.

The Comic Strippers began with a simple realization: “We have torsos. We can do that.”

For years, the performers behind the touring hit have worked together in Vancouver’s improv scene. The show’s producer and creator had been developing touring comedy concepts when inspiration arrived in an unexpected form.

“One night my wife came home from a real male stripper show and told me how packed and crazy it was,” he says. “And I was like … we have torsos, we can do that.”

What struck him wasn’t just the popularity of the genre — it was the absence of parody. “It’s a very specific genre of show that no one has done a parody version of,” he says. “So start with our average bodies posing in a photo, pretending we’re super sexy, and we’re off and running.”

From the outset, the idea was deliberately outrageous — a collision of fast-paced improvisation and exaggerated, tongue-in-cheek “sexy” dancing. “It’s the perfect mix of energies,” he says. “Fast-paced improv and ‘sexy’ dancing. In a lot of ways the show is like a shirtless Who’s Line Is It Anyway? We do stripper-themed twists on improv games. Private table scenes, shower scenes and lots of audience participation.”

It also requires a particular kind of courage.

“There’s a lot of stretching backstage,” he says, laughing. “Conveniently for us, since we are a parody of male strippers, there is no requirement to be in great shape. Although sometimes you’ll see some of our comedians backstage doing one push-up in a last-minute attempt to buff up.”

But the bigger risk isn’t the lack of six-pack abs.

“Improvising in front of a packed theatre is definitely scarier than being shirtless,” he says. “We’re shirtless, scriptless, and we’re not real dancers. That’s what makes it so fun.”

For anyone who has ever stepped on stage without the armour of costume or character, that vulnerability lands differently. Having stood onstage baring all before in The Full Monty, I learned quickly that the bravest part wasn’t the choreography — it was standing under bright lights and trusting the audience to laugh with you, not at you. The Comic Strippers tap into that same tension. The joke isn’t the body. It’s the confidence — or lack of it — wrapped around it.

That willingness to poke at ego — and at the idea of what masculinity is supposed to look like on stage — runs quietly beneath the chaos. One character has been stripping for 47 years. Another has been doing it for three days. The rookie’s goal? To prove himself worthy and earn the coveted purple bow tie.

“There’s some status play amongst the characters,” he says. “The new guy is trying to become a pro like the others and hopefully earn his purple bow tie in the end.”

If the concept sounds like something that might meet resistance, it hasn’t been the case. “Pretty much everyone who hears about it kind of wants in,” he says. “I thought there might be more resistance from the performers, but everyone seems to embrace the silliness.”

Audiences have embraced it, too. Many return multiple times, aware that no two performances are ever the same. “We often have people coming back saying they’ve seen it five or six times,” he says. “They know it’s a parody and for the most part an improv show with some of the most experienced improvisers in the country. Every show is different — and our show is really different.”

The atmosphere often feels more like a celebration than a traditional theatre night. Birthdays, bachelorettes and big friend-group outings frequently fill the seats. “It’s a really great event to get together with friends or celebrate an occasion,” he says. “If someone is getting married soon, we’ll usually include them in the show.”

What keeps the performers energized after years on the road isn’t choreography — it’s unpredictability. “We’ve had tons of things happen that crack us up,” he says. “Usually mistakes, word flubs or scenes that just get weird. What keeps it fresh is making each other laugh.”

Now, after nearly a decade of trying, the troupe is finally heading to Thunder Bay.

“We’ve actually been trying to get to Thunder Bay for 10 years,” he says. “Finally, The Thunder From The Tundra is going to perform in Thunder Bay.”

He expects northern audiences to bring a particular kind of enthusiasm. “Crowds in hard-to-get-to places are often very excited.”

Beneath the parody and the abs, the goal remains simple: leave people lighter than when they walked in.

“People often comment that their face is sore from laughing,” he says. “So hopefully it feels like a very satisfying laugh workout — and they start making plans to come back next year.”

The Comic Strippers perform on March 20 at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. The 19+ show blends improv comedy, audience participation and a parody spin on the classic male revue. Tickets are available through the auditorium box office.