Montreal Has An All-New Comedy Festival Starting This Month
Over the last few months, Montreal's stalwart comedians have been keeping the funny alive with long-distance Zoom shows. It's been encouraging to see how important stand-up has remained during the health crisis but for audiences, and the artists who need them, internet-based performances do not cut the mustard. But now, after months of live-streamed stand-up, you'll finally be able to laugh alongside other members of a live audience for a change at the Montreal Comedy Series.
Over nine days, about 100 local comedians — from feisty up-and-comers to grizzled veterans — will perform at a number of venues around the city from August 28 to September 6.
The 15 shows will feature talented local funny people Gino Durante, Daniel Tirado, Andrew Albert, Michelle Dominique, Amer Rez, Lucy Gervais, Wassim El Mounzer, Yannick Dotes, Will Del Vecchio and many others.
The price of a ticket varies from $5 to $20.
The first-ever edition of the Montreal Comedy Series was very close to being cancelled, said festival organizer Sid Khullar.
Khullar had originally scheduled the event for June and was planning to delay the festival until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic but now he's decided to give it the old college try.
"With venues and live entertainment needing a push in the right direction we decided to give it a go with less than a month to organize the entire festival," he said.
The shows will be performed at a number of popular venues around the city including Mckibbins Irish Pub, Brass Door Pub, Lord William Pub, the Rosewood, and others.
"We like to think we're taking audience members on an adventure through Montreal to our favourite venues where they can enjoy laughs curated by the city's best comedians," said Khullar.
All venues have taken precautions to ensure social distancing, including spacing tables widely apart, limiting seating, providing hand sanitizer, and adhering to the province's mask rule, he said.
On August 28, the festival will launch with a bit of risqué humour at the Rosewood Pub and Restaurant with a show called "Get F*cked" which will feature comedians sharing stories about how life "did them dirty for better or worse."