TOSketchFestBlog
Here it is… our list of Comedy Shows to see at the Toronto Fringe 2024. Get ready to giggle and guffaw! This July, the city is bursting with top-notch comedy. From hilarious up-and-comers to seasoned pros, there’s something to tickle everyone’s funny bone. The Toronto Fringe Festival runs from July 3-14, and this year it will showcase a stellar lineup of comedy acts. Don’t miss your chance to experience Toronto’s comedic talent at its best. Here are our top picks for laugh-out-loud moments at this year’s Fringe!
ALL OF OUR PARENTS ARE IMMIGRANTS
An improvised comedy show that brings to life the humorous and heartfelt stories of growing with immigrant parents, inspired by a special guest each night and also audience submissions
ARTIFICIALLY INTELLIGENT
With nearly 1 million followers and over 400 million views online, musical comedian Anesti Danelis brings you his new comedy special. Feeling lost in life, he asked ChatGPT to write a show based on his life and this is what we got…
BEFORE WE GO
The world is ending and no one can save it. Toronto is in chaos, parties are raging, streetcars are…delayed. But this isn’t about all that. This is about ordinary people making the most of an extraordinary moment. Inspired by audience suggestions every night, their plans for a grand exit may differ, but they have one thing in common: they’re all just doing their best. Inspired by the Canadian apocalyptic indie film “Last Night,” and the Netflix series “Carol & the End of the World.” Before We Go asks you to pay attention to the little things like it’s the last thing you’ll ever do, because it is.
COLONIAL CIRCUS
Juggle between laughter and gasps as two curious Bouffons take you through the circus of colonization. Described as ‘A Neo-Bouffon’ show, Colonial Circus will have many moments of guaranteed guttural laughter and some, where one will squirm in their seats with questions like “Did I Just Laugh at That?” or “Why do I Find This Funny?”
Witness the fire-act of religion, the taming of spices, and the contortion of languages in this dark yet colorful tummy-tickling comedy show, without any fourth wall. As if Alejandro Jodorowsky crafted this seriously funny absurdity… but it’s from the very co-founders of HINPROV.
CRIME AFTER CRIME (AFTER CRIME)
Award-winning genre-comedy specialists Sex T-Rex (2024 Dora Award Best Ensemble Performance, Toronto Fringe 2022 Patron’s Pick; Just For Laughs 2018 Best Comedy) reprise the action-packed physical comedy that won them the 2019 Best of the Fest Award at The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. Don’t miss this epically satisfying 3-in-1 caper spanning three “Crime Periods” – Film Noir in the 50s, Heist in the 70s, and Buddy Cop in the 90s! Mystery, romance, car chases, and at least three crimes await in this epic tale of one family’s rise and fall in Crime City, USA.
PRO TIP: Because Sex T-Rex just won a Dora Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, this show is bound to sell-out, so grab a ticket while you can!
86 ME: THE RESTAURANT PLAY
An immersive love letter to the hospitality industry staged in a bar. 86 ME captures the brutal yet romantic experience of Toronto’s bartenders, and the struggle between serving others and taking care of yourself.
PATERNAL GUIDANCE
Awarded Second City’s Honourable Mention for Best Ensemble at Fringe 2023, Summer Dad is back with a whole new sketch revue! Summer Dad is a comedy troupe that critics have described as “Gen Z” despite the fact that most members are millennials or cusps, at best. Summer Dad presents: Paternal Guidance is a collection of sketches presenting their best (misguided) life advice. Classic Dad! They use absurdity, music, vulnerability and much more to connect directly to the audience. You don’t wanna miss seeing the best up-and-coming sketch comedy troupe that Toronto has to offer.
1 SANTOSH SANTOSH 2 GO: TOSH FINDS HIS GROOVE
Mid-level tech worker and second-hand Tesla owner Santosh Santosh AKA Tosh is on a quest to drink more water, date more vegetables and find love in this solo drag king and silent clown show directed by Umbrella Academy’s Ken Hall.
PRETTY BEAST
Born into darkness, humor is her superpower! Growing up in a dysfunctional family in Japan, Kazu dreams of escape. Raised by a mother suffering from schizophrenia and a distant alcoholic father, forced to combat sexist stereotypes, she discovers her voice and purpose in comedy. An award-winning solo performer, Kusano delivers a one-two punch of wry observation, and raw physicality in this rebellious ride.
SARAH ST-FLEUR: LA QUÉBÉCOISE, FROM TORONTO!
Join Sarah St-Fleur: La Québécoise, From Toronto, for an evening of laughter and inspiration as she shares tales of multiculturalism, perseverance, and courage in her first solo show—a journey from Montreal to NYC and ultimately finding her place in Toronto’s vibrant tapestry.
Want to see more funny in the city?
Thanks for checking out our Comedy Shows to see at the Toronto Fringe 2024. Like our picks? Let us know! Have a show you would like us to know about? Contact info@torontosketchfest.com.
