Comedy
Reviews
On my way out to my first show of Just For Laughs Toronto 2025, I was starting in a familiar space made unfamiliar. Comedy Bar is easily my favourite space for comedy in the city and the cabaret space my favourite room, and it couldn't have started in a more pleasant way.
JFL Toronto Review: The Alternative Show with James Adomian
Posted by: Andrew Lizotte • September 19, 2025 @ 12:15pm
I have been reviewing this festival for a long time now, and one thing remains as true as ever: The Alternative Show is the best show of the fest.
The new producers of JFL Toronto are doing a lot of things right this year. First of all, The Alternative Show is back at the original Comedy Bar location.
In an effort not to bury the lede: You're going to want to see Conner O'Malley.
In a time when the news is overwhelming and it feels like satire might be dead – because reality is just too over the top – his show on Saturday at JFL Toronto was actually kind of healing. It made me laugh in a way that almost knocked me off balance and I didn't see coming.
Live Review: Tracy Hamilton's "I'm Actually Right About Everything: A Bisexual Love Story"
Posted by: Matthew Ardill • July 29, 2025 @ 9:07pm
Full disclosure: I've known Tracy for several years.
Jeremy Dobski is a Toronto-based comedian, originally from Montreal, who this past February released his special Love Language on YouTube. Recorded at his home club The Corner Comedy Club in Toronto, his 9 to 5 is teaching children how to do stand up comedy.
Canadian comic Gabe Koury's 2023 album Mommy, I'm Boring is a punchy 30-minute comedy album with a punk rock aesthetic.
Another JFL Toronto has come and gone. It's been such a treat to see so many masters at work, each showcasing their talent in their own unique way. One of the most memorable among them was Patti Harrison, with a show that sent a shock wave of mixed emotions through The Royal Theatre.
Summers in Toronto are magical, and the Just for Laughs comedy festival is a perfect way to end one with a bang. It's 10 days of your favourite entertainers, the weather is right, and last call stretches 'til the wee hours.
As someone in the funny business, I often struggle between the urge to see and be seen, and the pleasure of my couch + a cozy list of grievances.
Live Review: Al Val's Big, Brave Comedy Taping
Posted by: Matthew Ardill • September 19, 2023 @ 12:12pm
The first time I saw Al Val perform, she was getting roasted by a vicious panel of her peers at one of Todd Van Allen's "Write 'em Up" shows at Comedy Bar; she was being torn apart by the zippers on her pants.
Review: The Jackie Jenkins Jr. Bootleg Comedy Extravaganza
Posted by: Matthew Ardill • May 18, 2023 @ 7:30pm
Sitting down to listen to Jackie Jenkins Jr.'s album, The Jackie Jenkins Jr. Bootleg Comedy Extravaganza, was one of the things I enjoy most about comedy – experiencing something I've not heard before. Jackie is a New Orleans-based comic who has two self-produced specials: Jackie Jenkins Jr.
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