Improv & Comedy coming up in Winnipeg

Winnipeg shows are coming up. Yes, the world seems to end in February and it seems like nothing will ever be good again. But instead of being depressed, let the comedy and improv melt your heart and make you feel good.

Thank you to all the people in Berlin who came out to the Virtual CRUMBS show we had at the Ratibortheater in Berlin. Lee was live on the stage while Stephen was live in his living room using the magic internet.

What's that? Upcoming shows? Of course!

Tue, Feb 16th

The Comedy Double Date Show

The Comedy Double Date is a real live double date of 

comedy. Two of Winnipeg's power couples of comedy, spanning the world of stand-up, improv and sketch, unite. Tim Gray, Dana Smith, Caitlin Curtis and Stephen Sim combine forces and let you tag along like a fifth wheel on their comedy double date.

All happening at the King's Head Pub as part of the Comedy Knights comedy series that happens ever single Tuesday night.

FACEBOOK EVENT

Look for CRUMBS during the Winnipeg Comedy Festival as it gets closer and closer. Fri, April 8th at the Gas Station Arts Centre.

LINK

Well, the Fringe is over...

Another Winnipeg Fringe Festival has come and gone. The crowds have dispersed and the laughter has faded. Now it is time to sleep.

Thank you to all that showed up at the CRUMBS show at the King's Head. Some really really funny shows happened!



Thank you to all the audiences and all the special guests at the Big Stupid Improv Show Fringe edition at the MTYP. Another great run of improv jam shows happened!



Thank you to all that showed up at "What Could Go Wrong?" at the Fringe. This was a risk and "out of the comfort zone" that was written by a couple of improvisers (Stephen Sim and Caitlin Curtis) and was a delight to get on stage. 



Thank you to everyone who went to see "Revenge of the Meek" a show I helped make happen. It was written by Andrew Lizotte and was a religious comedy. 





What's next?

The Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival Sept 29th to Oct 3rd! The festival line-up will be announced very soon and then tickets will go onsale!

Comedy in Winnipeg

Comedy and improv and then even more comedy keeps just happening in Winnipeg. It's mostly because Winnipeg breeds funny. Geographically speaking, the centre of continents are usually funnier than their coastlines, it's just a fact, a fact with many exceptions. One of those exceptions is the East Coast of Canada. Another exception is the West Coast of Canada, but the west coast isn't trying to be funny, they just ARE funny. Not as funny as an Albertan Conservative trying to digest the latest provincial election results... but I digress.


Here is the scoop on the comedy happening in Winnipeg!

An improv show filled with comedy and suspense and story and hilarity is just what you need to recover from a May Long Weekend of rain soaked sleeping bags and soggy fires. We have a strong leak-free roof at the King’s Head. We have a stage filled with live comedy and improv. We have beers that are kept cold in a fridge and not in a 20 year old cooler. We have food that is prepared without the use of fire. It isn’t quaint and it isn’t rustic… but it is the Comedy Knights Show for FREE at the King’s Head on a Tuesday.

Stephen Sim from CRUMBS hosts many amazing guests in this show.

Special guests include some of the amazing comedy folks in town filming Sunnyside (City TV). See Pat Thorton, Alice Moran, Rob Norman, Alistair Forbes, and Kevin Vidal.

As well, we have the ladies from Outside Joke (are they a brand new sub-division of the much loved Winnipeg improv troupe?). We have Caitlin Curtis (the Improv Bachelorette). We probably have even more...

There are so many guests and so much comedy and so little rain soaked drippy tents… it’s going to be great.

(*Please be sure to store you food at least 30 meters away from the stage. Because bears)

FACEBOOK EVENT LINK


What else?

H.U.N.K.S are doing another sketch comedy show at the Park Theatre. This time their special guests are Outside Joke. So this show will be filled with the glorious sketch comedy and the glorious improv. I don't use the word glorious enough.

May 20th at the Park theatre!

LINK TO BUY TICKETS!


What else?


The Kids in the Hall are on a reunion tour and they play a show in Winnipeg on Friday at the Walker Theatre/Burton Cummings Theatre... you know the theatre.

Kevin McDonald has been living in Winnipeg so obviously Winnipeg has claimed him as their own. So this is really like a legendary comedy troupe returning to play their hometown crowd, sort of. 

Come and see the TV sketch comedy stars of the 90's and laugh really really hard.

Fri, May 22nd at the old Walker Theatre!

LINK TO FIND OUT MORE INFO ABOUT KITH


What else?

Todd Barry brings his live comedy show to the Park Theatre on Thu, May 21st. He's funny. You want to see it if you like comedy.

EXAMPLE OF TODD BARRY


What else?

Well remember that the FRINGE is coming up and there will so many shows with many comedy hilarities inside them.

1)
CRUMBS returns to the King's Head

2)
The Big Stupid Improv Show returns to MTYP

2)
Stephen is helping out with a couple other shows in the FRINGE. What Could Go Wrong? and Revenge of the Meek.

3)
DnD Improv and Hot Thespian Action will be returning to the GSAC to do shows.

4)
Even more... there are even more shows to see. Don't worry though, I'll keep you updated.

Thank you,

Enjoy the outdoors

It's finally 2015!

The future is now... or at least the future is soon.

It is finally 2015, the futurist sounding year since 2001 and 2010. Unfortunately it happens to be the year that the Back to the Future franchise named in their movie so now we the public are going to be bombarded with Back to the Future references, jokes and complaints.

 The most common complaints will of course be:

- Where's my flying car?
- Where's my Hoverboard?

Instead it really should be:

-Why aren't we all using FAX machines so much?

But enough about Back to the Future... really... I'm wishing already that the movie franchise had been more ambiguous with the date.

2015 looks like a pretty good year, at least when it comes to shows. The first CRUMBS show of 2015 happened already at the King's Head, and it was pretty great. The Theatre Projects Manitoba season of 2015 started with "White Rabbit Red Rabbit" and that was pretty great. CRUMBS member Stephen Sim was lucky enough to be one of the rabbits.

When is the next CRUMBS show?

Tuesday, Feb 3rd at the King's Head

CRUMBS brings you an improvised show that has not only taken the world by storm, it has actually caused storms, and the storms are super crazy. Perhaps you've heard of a little thing called "Global Warming"? Yeah, sorry about that. The King's Head pub hosts a weekly comedy night aptly named "Comedy Knights". It happens every Tuesday and it happens to be FREE. These shows have been so good, the climate has changed so much, that the room has been PACKED and the icecaps are MELTING. Show up early to ensure you have a good seat and that your home isn't too close to the rising sea levels. Dj Hunnicutt will be serving up the sweet sultry tunes and the King's Head will be serving up the sweet sultry boozes. Let's all drink and laugh together before the world ends and all the Polar Bears have drowned.

When are the other CRUMBS shows?

Feb 17th + March 3rd (and they continue of course but you'll see some more updates)

What else is going on?

Comedy shows are so ongoing and weekly. Let me tell you about some of the live comedy shows that keep happening in Winnipeg.

Sundays at the Cavern:
This is an open mic comedy night that happens at the Cavern (below the Toad on Osborne St). It is hosted by John B. Duff and it happens every other week.

Mondays at the HUB:
This is a stand-up show all the way down at the University of Manitoba and is one hot room.

Tuesday at the King's Head:
This show is of course the legendary Comedy Knights comedy show and you of course know it. Sometimes it's CRUMBS, sometimes it's stand-up comedy, sometimes it hosts other experimental comedy shows... but it is always super awesome and super free.

Wednesdays at Jeckle & Hyde's:
This is a great stand-up room hosted by Ben Walker. This is honestly one of my favourite stand-up rooms.

Thursdays at the Handsome Daughter:
This stand-up comedy show is hosted by Mike Green at the bar that used to be the Rose & Bee (and it also used to be the Standard, Eddie's Garage and who knows what else).

Fridays & Saturdays... 
Just go to Rumors, or go out and and make your own comedy or find some special theatre show to go to at the Gas Station Theatre.

Speaking of the Gas Station Theatre:

Did you all know that the Gas Station Arts Centre produces the Winnipeg Comedy Festival? Did you know that CRUMBS' own Stephen Sim is now working for the Winnipeg Comedy Festival? Did you know that the Winnipeg Comedy Festival just got a whole lot funnier as a result of that?

Look for more Comedy Festival posts and info soon on this site and on their official site!

The Holidays are coming... and going

With the Holidays approaching so fast, you just know that they will pass just as quickly. There are some shows that bring us right up to the holidays, a show that helps us celebrate the holidays and then a couple shows after the holidays. It's like a whole holiday gift basket of shows. And let us not forget what the holidays are about... they are about not working, about avoiding the shopping malls, about eating a lot of food with your friends and family, they are about using the power of the mind to not even hear the death loop of jingles and carols that follow you everywhere.

Let's unwrap these gifts of laughter in a chronological order shall we?

1)

Tuesday, Dec 16th (doors open at) 8PM

CRUMBS at the Good Will Social Club



CRUMBS usually performs on a Tuesday night at the King's Head for the Comedy Knights free laughs series, but we are taking a break from the King's Head for the Holidays (there's that word again). Instead of just not doing a show, we thought we would do an awesome show at an awesome new venue. And since the price of OIL is so low, we can now pass the savings down to you and do a little something we used to do back in the day... FIVE DOLLAR COMEDY!

Facebook Event LINK


2)

Saturday, Dec 27th 8PM (sharp)

Outside Joke + CRUMBS = Secret Santa Improv



The two most prominent and distinguished improv companies in the city join forces and have a holiday party live onstage. This show will feature a Secret Santa game where each mystery gift is the inspiration for the improv scenes. The first have will be nice and the second half will be naughty. Come join us in celebrating not being at work, have a cup of cheer with us and cheer and laugh at the hilarity.



Get Your Tickets!

Facebook Event Page!


3)

Tuesday, January 6th 2015
Tuesday, January 20th 2015 

Comedy Knights returns to the King's Head on Tuesdays and CRUMBS returns to delivering your improv comedy theatre to you on a regular basis. Enjoy the warm and gentle insanity of CRUMBS + Dj Hunnicutt as they create instantly engaging shows. Every Tuesday at the King's Head there's a comedy show that rotates... sometimes it's improv... sometimes it's stand-up... all the times it's funny.


4) 

Saturday, January 17th 8PM

Theatre Projects Manitoba presents:
White Rabbit Red Rabbit



Stephen Sim takes part in this interesting play. Each night the play will feature a different actor, it has no director, and it has been produced all over the world. Come on the Sat, Jan 17th to see Stephen Sim of CRUMBS and improv fame perform in a legitimate theatre production. How could that not be interesting to see?

Theatre Projects Manitoba LINK

Article about the show in the Winnipeg Free Press


5)

Don't forget things like:

CRUMBS on the radio every Monday at 5-6pm. Tune in to 101.5 UMFM or use the power of the online world to do it.

UMFM LINK

CRUMBS appearing on the Week Thus Far live taping of their very very last show ever at the Park Theatre on Dec 11th. They have been airing their TV show on ShawTV for 5 years and now it's coming to an end. Come and say goodbye.

WTF LINK

All the other comedy and stand-up rooms in the city that happen. Sundays at the Cavern, Mondays at the HUB, Wednesdays at Jeckle & Hyde's... heck there might even be more!

If you really must give a gift... give the gift of laughter.

Today I Learned

Winnipeg successfully hosted the very first TiL show this Tuesday, Nov 4th at the King's Head Pub as part of the ongoing Comedy Knights comedy series.

TiL is a comedy show inspired by the TED talks we love so much. TiL stands for Today I Learned and aims to be as packed with information as it is packed with hilarity.

The show featured some of Winnipeg's brightest minds and hosted by Stephen Sim. He will be fresh from Emceeing the TEDxUManitoba event all day at the University of Manitoba, so you know he'll be all hopped up on TED and ready for the TiL show.

Tim Gray = Relationship Advice

JD Renaud = Robocop

Robyn Slade = Buzzwords

Caitlin Curtis = Dogs Will Be Dogs

Andrea del Campo = Depression Era Home Economics

Andrew Lizotte = Science vs Magic

Cathy Hebert = Carbon footprint

Ryan Ash = How to Make the Internet a Nicer Place

Join us this Tuesday, and every single Tuesday, for a FREE comedy show at the King's Head Pub.

Jokes Worth Sharing

This show is inspired by TED of course as well as a show that has been running in Toronto for years called Trampoline Hall as well as a one-time TED talk parody that happened in Vancouver called KEN

CRUMBS pledge-o-rama and other other stuff-o-rama

It's getting close to that time when the leaves change colour and fall off the trees. We cozy up and get ready for the winter. Here's some ways to stay warm.

CRUMBS has been making radio live on Mondays for almost a decade. We've won numerous made-up awards for report the news that most media companies are afraid to touch and we've broadcasted into your homes. We are now reaching out during the UMFM Pledge-o-rama which is a pledge drive for our listeners to put their money where their ears are and support the amazing radio that 101.5 UMFM has been delivering for years.

Tune in on Monday at 5-6PM for live radio news of the fake. This week we have wonderful guests from the Week Thus Far crew (Ryan Ash, Chad Anderson and Tim Gray). The Week Thus Far tapes live on Mondays at the King's Head Pub and you can be one of those "live studio audiences" that everyone is talking about.

What else is up the CRUMBS sleeves?


CRUMBS splits in two! While Lee White is busy spreading the improv love across Europe, Stephen Sim holds the fort down here in the Prairies.

Tue, Oct 21st 9PM

CRUMB & Friends performs at the King's Head on Tuesday with the musical wizardry of Dj Hunnicutt. We will have the talent and wonder of Jane Testar and Robyn Slade joining the stage for some "not-to-be-missed" improv spectacular.

Jane and Robyn are both in Outside Joke and have been killing the improv scene with their improv musical style show for years (years before a lot of these other improv musical shows have been doing it btw).


Tue, Nov 4th 9PM

TiL stands for Today I Learned... which will be a special Comedy Knights showcase show of "jokes worth spreading". This TED inspired parody/satire/actual lecture of information. The comedy community in Winnipeg is not only hilarious, we are also a deep well of valuable information and we all do have "jokes worth spreading". Show up for hilarity and education and more hilarity and then some more knowledge.

Click this LINK to find out how cool TED is, now imagine how cool this show will be. 
Tune in and keep tuning in for more radio and live show updates!

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CRUMBS battles Winter

CRUMBS is in Vancouver! Come and see us be CRUMBS here.

Hey, want to know some CRUMBS history? Okay, the first show that CRUMBS ever did as a duo was way back in 1998 in Vancouver in the Vancouver Little Theatre. We then became a permanent duo show after shedding a member (becoming slimmer really looked good on us). Here we are back in Vancouver... 15-16 years later doing a show.

 

Get your tickets the old fashioned way ONLINE NOW!

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Meanwhile, last week in Winnipeg... CRUMBS was a trio again for a night.

Here is a picture of CRUMBS backstage with Kevin McDonald (The Kids in the Hall was a TV show in the 90's). We did in fact have a great time performing together. It was the closing show of the Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival and it was great to play with our friend Kevin. The duo was a trio and it worked out quite well. Then we went back to being a duo again.

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Speaking of shows...

CRUMBS is playing a show at the King's Head Pub as part of the COMEDY KNIGHTS comedy series that happens for free every Tuesday night at 9pm upstairs of the King's Head.

We then continue to offer up improv genius and hilarity every other Tuesday at the King's Head. But really, you should go to the King's Head every Tuesday for the FREE comedy.

See y'all there! 

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What's that? You are interested in WORKSHOPS? What's that? You're wondering how I can hear you ask questions through the internet and how I can write the answers down here?

Well, I will answer your workshop question. Stephen Sim is teaching a workshop series for writers:

UNBLOCK: Improv as a Means of Defeating Writers Block

The workshop is a collaboration between the Manitoba Association of Playwrights and the Winnipeg IF... Improv Festival.

Here is the LINK for more details. 

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Speaking of winter... it's coming and CRUMBS just cannot seem to burn enough raw crude oil to stop it.

Sorry folks, we live in Winnipeg, we have winter.

Improv and the Comedy Festival

The CBC Winnipeg Comedy Festival is almost upon Winnipeg and Winnipeg will soon be the funniest place on the planet for a week, not that Winnipeg isn't usually in the top ten on any day.

While I am going to be at the Gas Station Arts Centre introducing all of the shows for the Comedy Festival I will be hosting and performing in The Doctor Whom & the Lords of Improv show happening on Tue, April 8th. The is happening at the always wonderful Gas Station Arts Centre and will not only be featuring myself, it will also feature OTHER amazing performers too. Robyn Slade and Leif Ingebrigtsen will be there as well as some cast members of the Irrelevant Show including Mr Mark Meer. Who(m) is Mark Meer? Well, he will be playing the part of Doctor Whom and who better to play the part than Mark Meer, the king of the nerds! He is perhaps best known for being the voice of Commander Shepard on the monster hit video game Mass Effect. He's also quite beloved as an international improviser. Improvising for years with Edmonton's Rapid Fire Theatre and the long running improv soap opera Die Nasty. Winnipeg is happy to have my good friend Mark Meer on a Winnipeg stage. Check this show out!

Buy tickets to the Doctor Whom & the Lords of Improv Show

The next Comedy Knights improv show is Tuesday, April 15th at 9PM and free as always, the show will be CRUMB & Friends. Of course you do know that every Tuesday there is a show that happens, we rotate between improv and stand-up to ensure that all the comedy bases are covered.

How amazing was the Bizarro Comedy show that happened on April Fool's Day? If you missed it, then you missed a dozy. You missed some local stand-up comics giving improv a try… and rocking the stage with their improv-ness. You also missed some local improvisers giving stand-up comedy a try… and killing it!

It was such a success that it will most assuredly be returning with more stand-up and improv swappiness.

Outside Joke is presenting their 2nd Season of the Yuks. Which is Outside Joke putting on an actual season of shows at the Gas Station Arts Centre with some amazing guests. I say amazing guests because you might remember that CRUMBS was their guest at the season opener… and CRUMBS is amazing. But seriously folks, more amazing than that is Rapid Fire Theatre is sending over one of their own to guest with Outside Joke. Kory Matheweson will be partaking in some improv and teaching some improv workshops. The show will feature a "Nondescript, Non-denominational, Trademark-Free Short form Improv Competition show" that will be hosted by Stephen Sim (hey, that's me).

Tickets for the Outside Joke Show

What other shows are happening in Winnipeg?

Every Monday you can go see a live taping of the Shaw TV show "The Week Thus Far" and be in a real "Live Studio Audience". The show features a good cross section of Winnipeg stand-ups in a talk show formatted comedy show. The show is taped live at the King's Head and starts around 8PM.

Every Wednesday you should go to The Cheer in Osborne Village. The stand-up show there is called "Stand-up and Cheer" and it is hosted by the "always handsome" Ben "Ol' Ball Coach" Walker.

Every Thursday at the Times Change(d) on Main Street you can enjoy the "Workshop" hosted by the very talented Chantal Morastica. The evening is a show that has stand-ups and improv and sketch comedy performers work on new hilarious material. Always so much fun.

On the Sundays that this show is happening, you should really go. The legendary Comedy at the Cavern open mic stand-up show. The Cavern is under the Toad in Osborne Village and it hosts a legendary stand-up night that is hosted by the almost just as legendary John B Duff. This is where most of the city's stand-ups cut their comedy teeth (teeth, I might add, that are now razor sharp).

Hey Winnipeg, thanks for reading this, thanks for seeing live comedy shows and thanks for being so great.