The McGill comedy troupe Bring Your Own Juice performed to a full house on the evenings of Dec. 1–3. The student-written show, divided into over a dozen one-shot narratives, featured all 10 members of the group. It was produced by Anika Hundal, U4 arts, alongside head writer Luc Langille, U3[Read More…]
Comedy
‘Just For Laughs’ online festival finds laughter amidst a pandemic
On Oct. 9 and 10, Montreal’s annual international comedy festival Just For Laughs (JFL) debuted its first online and free iteration since its beginnings in 1993. Typically scheduled for two weeks every July, the festival was postponed to October due to the COVID-19 pandemic, shortening its usual offerings to two[Read More…]
Stand-up comedy in a stay-at-home world
The COVID-19 pandemic has halted the regular bustle of Montreal life, and with it, halted its entertainment industry. Cirque du Soleil was forced to lay off 95 per cent of its staff; music festivals, including Osheaga and Ilesoniq, were postponed; and even the world-famous comedy festival, Just For Laughs, was[Read More…]
Creating laughter, and space, from silence
Montreal has always been a city that loves to laugh. It is home to the world-famous Just For Laughs comedy festival and has become a hub for open-mics, weekly stand-up series, and even the occasional underground show. It rarely matters what day of the week it is, for somewhere in[Read More…]
Listen up: Comedy podcasts take over Just for Laughs
The comedy world is dynamic and, at heart, an audial medium. On July 27 at the Just for Laughs festival, podcasts You Made It Weird With Pete Holmes and How Did This Get Made? presented live shows. The McGill Tribune saw—and heard—it all, and here is a breakdown of the[Read More…]
Rachel Bloom discusses mental health and musical comedy in Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Article contains minor spoilers for Crazy Ex-Girlfriend’s fourth season. Comedian Rachel Bloom has every right to be tired. After her musical comedy television series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend aired its finale in April 2019, Bloom went on tour across the US, performing some of the show’s most popular songs alongside her former[Read More…]
She the People is a hilarious beacon of hope
When wielded just so, humour can be a powerful tool: Few understand this sentiment better than Carly Heffernan, the director of comedy club Second City’s boundary-pushing production She the People, does. Having enjoyed a successful four-month run in Toronto in 2018, Second City’s all-female show will make its Montreal premiere[Read More…]
Ronny Chieng thinks we should all just relax
Internationally-acclaimed comedian Ronny Chieng has some advice for university students: He thinks we all should learn to go with the flow. “I don’t think people teach kids how to deal with uncertainty,” Chieng said in an interview-turned-counselling-session with The McGill Tribune. “You’ll see for yourself […] When you graduate, you’ll[Read More…]
Adam Cayton-Holland brings jokes and frank mental health discussions to Just for Laughs
Content warning: Mentions of suicide. Denver comedian Adam Cayton-Holland wants to talk about tough topics most comedians choose to avoid, like his sister Lydia’s suicide. In Nov. 2018, Cayton-Holland published a memoir called Tragedy Plus Time, which discussed her passing and how he processes grief. “I was a little tired[Read More…]
Hasan Minhaj brings digital-age comedy to Just for Laughs
When Hasan Minhaj, host of Netflix’s Patriot Act, takes the Just for Laughs stage on July 26, he will likely surround himself with LED screens. It’s slowly becoming a trademark of his sets: From his parody news comedy to his standup special Homecoming King, information-dense visualizations are everywhere. “Look at[Read More…]
