You’ll want to mark this one in your calendars, Victoria!
Comedian Blake Lynch — a.k.a. Nurse Blake, is not only one of the most influential media figures out there right now, he’s also a dedicated healthcare advocate and trauma nurse.
You may recognize him from social media platforms such as TikTok, where he entertains nearly 4 million followers and has gone viral with over 300 million views on his lighthearted videos that derive from his personal experience working in healthcare.
Sound intriguing? Well, you’re in luck!
On Tuesday, August 29th his new 100 city Shock Advised tour is bringing him to Victoria and he’ll perform at the Royal Theatre for everyone that hopes to catch this phenomenon in action.
His last tour, the PTO Comedy Tour, was a huge success — reports stated that it began as a 14 city tour and quickly grew to 55 cities due to demand, and he sold out every venue!
In an interview with Victoria Buzz, he expressed his excitement in seeing the city and what his new tour has to offer.
“I’ve been working on it for the past 6 months now,” Lynch said.
“It’s a mix of standup, audio and video elements, musical elements…so, it’s very interactive.”
Lynch shared how incredible it is to welcome growing crowds and finds comfort and happiness knowing that he has provided so many people with an outlet of comedic relief regarding topics surrounding healthcare and the challenges that come with it.
He loves large groups of nurses especially, and said that they often come in with 20 or 30 coworkers to watch his show together.
“Anytime that coworkers can get together and build that bond outside of work is super special,” he said.
“Being able to provide that venue is definitely what keeps me going.”
He wanted to highlight the importance of mental health while on a tour this long, especially because he knows that nurses tend to have unhealthy coping mechanisms — which he often brings into his comedic bits.
He said that the energy of the crowds will take you part way, but exploring the city when he gets the chance, exercising, journaling and staying sober are what really keep him grounded.
Lynch is also well known for his contributions to the eventual abolition of the FDA gay blood ban with the creation of his Banned4Life movement in 2013 — this was well before he became a comedian and influencer while he was in nursing school.
Now that he has the worldwide attention, he hopes to use his voice to continue the spread of joy, laughter, and awareness for key issues in healthcare like safe staffing and affordability.
“I never thought I’d get into nursing to do comedy…it just happened naturally and I feel super lucky that I’m able to do it,” Lynch said.
“I just have the best time, I live on stage for sure.”
He is also the creator and host of NurseCon at Sea, one of the largest and most popular nursing conferences, and the NurseCon App which provides free continuing education courses for nurses!
When we asked him what he usually tells his fellow nurses, particularly the newest ones, he underlined the pressure nurses often face to be perfect, but as humans, that isn’t possible and the focus should be on connecting with patients and having fun.
“Patients probably aren’t going to remember what meds you gave them, but they will remember how you made them feel, so being able to establish those real life connections will keep you going and ensure you enjoy the profession.”
He’s hoping to get the opportunity to explore the local hot spots in Victoria while he’s here too — so, you might see him around!
Nurse Blake’s Shock Advised Comedy Tour
- Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton Street
- When: Tuesday, August 29th at 8 p.m. (doors at 7 p.m.)
- Tickets: Available online
