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As with his past shows, Tales of Bravery and Stupidity is autobiographical in nature and will include snippets of his past leading up to his recent decision to move his family back to Toronto after spending 20 years in the U.S.

There is a overriding world view that has been evident throughout his comedic career. But Tales of Bravery and Stupidity, while obviously chock full of laughs, will find him examining this theme much more directly and sombrely.

“I’ve always defined myself as a humanist,” he says. “But I really do that sort of corny ‘we’re-all-in-this-together.’ I think there’s a feeling, which I’ve always felt, of this unity with all the lonely people, all the outsiders, which is all of us. So I think that theme is central, certainly to this show in a way I haven’t done before.”

While McCulloch doesn’t want to give away too much of the narrative, he will say that the show will mix standup and storytelling and include an emotional story about his decision to move back to Canada. But most of the stories will, at least partially, be based on one of McCulloch’s long-standing habits in life.

“The title Tales of Bravery and Stupidity is really about my personality,” he says. “Which is how I get myself in and out of trouble, seemingly for sport, which I think I’ve been doing since I was a young punk. But I still have that characteristic that I just can’t get rid of. So I do find myself in weird situations.”

As for the format, McCulloch says his approach to one-man shows, those exhausting marathons of the theatre world, has continued to evolve as he ages. At one time, they were certainly gruelling, Ironman-like experiences for the 57-year-old comedian. But he has mellowed out.