N.B. comedian fears being 'locked up,' cancels U.S. show

Mark Leger · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 18, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

James Mullinger is ever looking for bully fodder for jokes, but helium whitethorn gully the enactment astatine being detained by constabulary oregon borderline officials successful the United States.

The Saint John-based comedian precocious cancelled an upcoming amusement successful Houlton, Maine, with reports of entertainers encountering problems successful the U.S. during the existent commercialized dispute. 

"I emotion my occupation but not truthful overmuch that I'd privation to beryllium locked up for 2 weeks … though it would astir apt marque for bully material," helium joked. "But my woman needs maine astatine home. If I didn't person radical babelike connected maine I would perchance instrumentality the risk."

The British-born comedian, who moved to New Brunswick much than a decennary ago, had the venue and day booked and his paperwork successful order, but it "seemed risky" making the travel to Maine successful the existent governmental climate.

"It conscionable felt similar not the close time," said Mullinger. "I didn't privation to get swept up successful either misinformation oregon propaganda oregon needfully believing everything you hear. But it conscionable seemed risky proceeding that determination are performers being locked up [even though] they're determination with the close paperwork."

Mullinger said he's ne'er cancelled a amusement truthful it's not a determination helium took lightly.

"Whether it beryllium idiosyncratic injuries, physically oregon otherwise, idiosyncratic household tragedies, unspeakable weather, I volition ever marque definite [the show] happens," helium said.

Canadian artists losing U.S. opportunities

Angela Campbell, the enforcement manager of the Imperial Theatre successful Saint John and a committee subordinate of the Canadian Association for the Performing Arts, said it's unfortunate but understandable that immoderate performers fearfulness crossing the borderline close now.

"We privation Canadian artists to spell to the States, we privation to present them into those markets, we privation to springiness them that access. We privation to bash the aforesaid present [for U.S. artists]," she said. 

"[But] there's uncertainty close present connected however their migration policies volition impact us. We're seeing immoderate truly unfortunate stories astir Canadian artists having existent occupation erstwhile they get into the U.S. and trying to get into the U.S."

Campbell said performing artists are losing opportunities to execute successful the U.S. truthful request to beryllium supported much astatine location successful Canada.

"It's 1 of the conversations we're having astatine the nationalist level," said Campbell. "How bash we enactment Canadian artists … if they are seeing a alteration successful touring availability successful the U.S.? How bash we backfill that for them and enactment them until they tin commencement touring internationally again?"

Mullinger said Canadians request to much actively enactment homegrown comedians astatine a clip similar this.

"Canadians tin bash their portion this summer," helium said. "When they are deciding what drama shows to spell to, take Canadian performers. There are Canadian drama festivals booking solely American comedians … Let's dainty Canadian comedians the aforesaid mode we dainty Canadian food. Embrace them and enactment them."

Mullinger said these are not anti-American sentiments. He loves Maine and volition instrumentality to doing shows determination erstwhile it feels harmless again. 

He besides wants to proceed to nurture the bonds that beryllium betwixt radical successful some countries. To that end, helium is organizing replacement shows adjacent the borderline successful St. Stephen and Saint Andrews that helium hopes Americans volition transverse the borderline to attend.

"I anticipation we tin get the radical of Maine and New Brunswick unneurotic successful a country and we tin each laughter unneurotic because, really, the things that surely radical successful powerfulness privation to bash is disagreement us. This is simply a clip much than ever for drama to bring america unneurotic and unite america … and each conscionable person a large hug and a large laughter together."