YouTube comic Chris Fleming catapulted to virality in 2012 with the release of Gayle, a series in which he plays the eponymous Gayle Waters-Waters, helicopter mother and suburban housewife extraordinaire. But while Fleming has been tied to Gayle for most of his career, he has recently been touring the continent[Read More…]
Comedy
Peeking into the ‘New Faces of Comedy’
Having helped launch the careers of Amy Schumer, Kevin Hart, and Hannibal Buress, the Just For Laughs (JFL) comedy festival’s New Faces of Comedy showcase has become a coveted career milestone for young comedians internationally. Each year, comics selected are given six minutes to showcase their best material for audiences in[Read More…]
In a Post-Joke Era, DeAnne Smith cheers up audiences at JFL
In mid-July, comedian DeAnne Smith skyrocketed to virality with a bit she performed for CBC Comedy in which she encouraged heterosexual men to treat their girlfriends better. Shortly after gaining recognition on Facebook newsfeeds in Canada and beyond, Smith reached Montreal’s annual Just For Laughs comedy festival—an event that she[Read More…]
Jen Kirkman and her irrational thoughts take Just For Laughs comedy festival
In the summer of 1998, Jen Kirkman came to Montreal’s Just For Laughs (JFL) comedy festival for the first time. Her standup career was only getting started, but her interest in comedy was longstanding. Using a press pass she received on behalf of a small Boston newspaper, Kirkman and her[Read More…]
Comedian Ryan Hamilton to push as few boundaries as possible at Just For Laughs festival
No one walks onto a stage with a bigger smile than seasoned New York-based comedian Ryan Hamilton. This year, audience members at Montreal’s 35th annual Just For Laughs (JFL) comedy festival will witness his kind yet self-deprecating sense of humour in a long lineup of shows from July 24 to[Read More…]
Q&A: YouTube’s Lilly Singh on confidence and life post-grad
A scroll through Lilly Singh’s YouTube channel, called "llSuperwomanll," includes shots of the star wearing wigs and colourful costumes, impersonating her parents, and collaborating with fellow YouTubers to produce outlandish sketch scenes—sometimes all within the same video. Her 12 million subscribers eat her eccentric humour right up, and on July[Read More…]
Comedian Yamaneika Saunders opens up at Just For Laughs 2017
It’s festival season in Montreal, and some of the greatest comedians from across the globe are pouring into the city for the annual Just for Laughs (JFL) festival. Among them is Yamaneika Saunders, a New York-based stand-up comic who has been pleasing crowds with her bold, dynamic nature for over[Read More…]
From the viewpoint: Montreal Sketchfest
Being funny is not easy. Being funny when people expect you to make them laugh is even harder. Fortunately for us, Montreal attracts humble masters of the art of comedy: Performers who know how to perfectly create humor through the juxtaposition of injury and cheer, but who do not pretend[Read More…]
