The Winnipeg Comedy Festival approaches

Well spring is feeling like it's here already. Is it global warming? Is it wishful thinking? Let's just enjoy the weather and smile and go to shows.

The Winnipeg Comedy Festival is almost here... well, it's here April 3rd - 10th but that seems like soon to me. I'm busy working on making sure all the festival things happen and that is no small feat. There are MANY amazing shows in the festival to announce, but there are also some shows coming up before the festival to talk about to. So many shows!

Versus Improv Show RE-MATCH
Tuesday, Mar 1st
at the King's Head Pub 9PM

This is part of the FREE comedy that happens at Comedy Knights at the King's Head at 9pm. The Versus Improv Show has two teams face off with SECRET improv challenges. Last time we had the U of M Improv group defeat the U of W Improv group. This show is the re-match. Last time we had secret challenges like "rap battle" and "write an improv poem"... who knows what secret challenges we will have this time?

Then we start featuring some FREE outreach comedy shows as we get closer to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival.

Thursday, March 17th
at the Handsome Daughter

Wednesday, March 23rd
at Jekyll & Hyde's

Thursday, March 24th
at McNally Bookstore at Grant Park Mall

Tuesday, March 29th
at the King's Head (Comedy Knights)

Wed, March 30th
at the Park Theatre (Comedy Amuse-Bouche)

Then we have the Winnipeg Comedy Festival actually start, which means that Winnipeg EXPLODES with comedy. So much comedy, so much stand-up, so much improv, so much sketch, so much funny and so many jokes.

Check out the website for information about the 40+ shows featured in this year's festival.

Some highlights?

CRUMBS & Friends
Yes, you'll see CRUMBS with DJ Hunnicutt at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival with some very special guests.

The High School Improv Super Show
The return of this favourite show. Hand selected players from the Canadian Improv Games FINALS will be assembled into a Super Team. This show will be hosted by Caitlin Curtis and Stephen Sim.

Lost in Translation, Perdu en quoi? 
The French and English improv show all about miscommunication. A hit last year, sure to be a hit again. Get your tickets early for this one, the venue is small and the laughs are huge.

The Sketch Comedy Revue hosted by Kevin McDonald
A comedy festival must include sketch comedy. Here we have sketch comedy legend Kevin McDonald hosting this sketch comedy revue. The show will include Craig Lauzon (Royal Canadian Air Farce), Wes Borg (Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie), Hot Thespian Action, H.U.N.K.S., Stephen & Caity and Bucko.
But really... there are so many great shows to check out!

The Canadian Improv Games
The FINALS for the Manitoba Regional Tournament
Were on Saturday, Feb 27th at MBCI (Jubilee Place) 7PM

The Canadian Improv Games have been produced in Winnipeg by the Manitoba Improv League since 1998 and has been sending a team to represent Manitoba at the National Tournament in Ottawa. Congratulations to KELVIN for winning the tournament and being the face of Manitoba improv for 2016!


This is the very best in High School improv from right here in Manitoba and across the country. This is why Canadians are famous for our improv!

CRUMBS splits in half

So, with Lee gone on tour in Europe and Stephen staying back in Winnipeg with Dj Hunnicutt. CRUMBS has split in half for the spring. You can enjoy one half in Europe and one half in Winnipeg. In effect, you are really just doubling your CRUMBS availability. Don't worry, their powers will reunite in Winnipeg come June (you know, June, when winter might be over).

Lee White had his Bon Voyage show at the King's Head. He also had his 40th surprise birthday onstage as well. After the dust settled, the smoke cleared and the cake was all eaten, everyone realized that there won't be another true CRUMBS show in Winnipeg until Lee returns in June. The good news is everyone in attendance at the King's Head has memory of the Bartender Francis joining CRUMBS onstage for a scene. Legendary.

A Venn Diagram?

Here is a nice Venn Diagram to very simply illustrate the simultaneous artistic disciplines at work while a live improv performance is happening. As this diagram so elegantly shows, improv exists at the point where Acting, Writing and Directing intersect.


So now what? What shows are coming up next? Well let me tell you...

#1
Every TUESDAY at the King's Head

C'mon down to this FREE and special show at the King's Head. The FIRST and THIRD Tuesday of the month is for IMPROV while the SECOND and FOURTH Tuesday of the month is for STAND-UP. But EVERY Tuesday is a comedy good time. Stephen Sim (of CRUMBS fame and BLOG writing fame) is still in town while Lee goes on tour, so he will be inviting some guest players and curating some fine live performances.

DISCLAIMER: While the show still has "Free Laughs" we did have a little name change to honour some of the changes in the night. We had one of our founders and longtime producers leave under unfortunate circumstance, it didn't feel right to keep calling the night Free Laughs so we changed the name to Comedy Knights.

#2
What other regular shows are out there?

Well, Wednesdays at the Cheer in Osborne Village hosted by Ben "OBC" Walker. You can also be a part of a new night happening on Thursdays at the Times Changed on Main Street hosted by Chantal Marostica. More? Are there more shows? Probably.

#4

The CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival

This wonderful festival is coming up in April and that means that Winnipeg becomes the funniest place on Earth for one week. There will be some amazing comedy converging in this city and you all need to be a part of it. There will also be some improv happening, Mark Meer from the Irrelevant Show on CBC radio will be doing some improv and YOU simply MUST experience the BRILLIANCE of this show.

Here is the show LINK for you to CLICK

#5

Friday, April 18th at the Park Theatre

The Winnipeg Comedy Showcase featuring the stand-up amazingness of:

John B Duff, Mike Green, Dan Verville, Ryan Ash, Dan Glasswick and Keener. Get your tickets and then get your laugh on.

Here is the LINK for this SHOW

Here's something that happened:

The Manitoba Improv League had it's regional Finals for the Canadian Improv Games, which just happens to be the biggest and most amazing of any High School improv in Canada... maybe even the Galaxy. Congratulations goes out to Vincent Massey on their win and their honour of representing Manitoba at the National Finals in Ottawa.

You know what?

There's probably even more shows. I'll have to update this even more because Winnipeg is just exploding with amazing live comedy shows. Winnipeg is also exploding with winter isolation, stir crazy feelings and strange accidental spillages at coffee shops.