The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival

Author Archive

5 Comedy Shows to See in May

Posted on: May 1st, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

If comedy shows are not in your social plans on at least a monthly basis we don’t even know what to tell you. Look at the star-studded list below, or select one of the 10,000 Star Wars improv shows being presented on May the 4th. The choice is yours!

Buskers Head Out East
May 7

The Buskers are back! Come join Crow, P.P., Shaughnessy and their manager Bootsy Ryan as they head east of Yonge and perform their best songs. This is musical comedy experience features Bella Campbell, Bobbi Summers, Chris Sandiford, Sam Burns, Veronika Slowikowska, and Ben Stager.
Comedy Bar Danforth Tickets and Info.

Funny Little Plays
May 11

Sketch comedy. It’s not improv, it’s not Shakespeare, it’s not a quick drawing you made on the back of your homework. It’s…something sorta in-between. It’s… Funny Little Plays! This monthly showcase will feature Gabe Meacher, Jack Creaghan, Jessika McQueen, Jordan Shore, Peter Cheema, and Taylor Hreljac.
Comedy Bar Bloor Tickets and Info.

She’s Not Special
May 24-28

She’s Not Special, written and performed by Fatuma Adar, combines musical theatre and comedic storytelling to explore the pressures of Black Excellence. You saw an except of She’s Not Special at TOSketchfest22 – Screen Time Edition, now this is your chance to see the whole spectacular show IRL.
Tarragon Theatre. Tickets and Info.

Serotonin: A Feel Good Comedy Show
May 25

Hosts Cassie Cao and Chris Middleton invite their friends to do some fresh comedy at the Tranzac in a relaxed and masked environment. See some stand up and variety acts each month
Tranzac Living Room. Tickets and Info.

They Go Low, We Go Laugh
May 27

They Go Low, We Go Laugh is an incredible traveling stage in both Montreal and Toronto that showcases Women of Colour (and friends!) expressing their comedic voices! The May 27 edition at the Theatre Centre will include The Sure Lee Temple Show by Producers’ Pick award winner Margarita Brighton.
Theatre Centre Café. Tickets and Info.

Feeling like a road trip? Our friends at Montreal Sketchfest are presenting their legendary festival May 4-13!

2023 Sketch Comedy Project Fund

Posted on: April 28th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival is proud to continue our partnership with the Pat & Tony Adams Freedom Fund for the Arts to deliver project funding to sketch comedy projects. The 2023 deadline to apply is May 12.

Get all the details and fill out the application right here:

The Sketch Comedy Project Fund

5 Comedy Shows to See in April

Posted on: April 2nd, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

March brought you two incredible comedy festivals with TOsketchfest23 and Blockbuster Week , but the Toronto comedy scene refuses to quit. Here’s a list of what to see in April.

The Flop Shop
April 9

Enjoy a Sunday night of silly, vulnerable character work and theatre-inspired comedy. The April showcase will include Jenna The Show, John Gallagher Portero, Attila Buns, Zita Nyarady, and 2/8 of Calling Mockery.
Social Capital Theatre. Tickets and Info.

New Jokes! Who Dis?
April 11

Toronto’s favourite up and coming sketch and stand up acts try out all new material to a loving audience. In this stand-up and sketch lab hosted by Gabe Meacher, you’ll see the newest material by the coolest comedians in the city guaranteed!
Tallboys Craft Beer House Tickets and Info.

Werq The Mic: April Fool’s Edition
April 15

After a sold out holiday show, the queens of WERQ THE MIC return with a brand new two act production just in time for spring! A mix of stand up, improv, sketch, and little bit of lip syncing featuring the talents of Chansa Showers, Hunni Kruller, Selena Vyle, and Viza DeCline.
Comedy Bar Danforth. Tickets and Info.

Bloom: A Live Comedy Show
April 28 & 29

Vulnerable Flowers is proud to announce Bloom, their first ever full length show! Vulnerable Flowers is a new comedy duo with Dave Barclay and Hana Holubec.
Sweet Action Theatre. Tickets and Info.

Sketch Piercer
April 30

Sketch Piercer is a good old fashion sketch train show (if you know – you know). See a collection of sketches by over a dozen different troupes and individuals in one fast show!
The Rivoli. Tickets and Info.

2023 Best of the Fest Winners

Posted on: March 19th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

The 18th annual Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival was proud to present the 2023 Best of the Fest Show on Sunday, March 19 at 6pm at The Theatre Centre, Franco Boni.

The Best of the Fest Show, hosted by Denise McLeod, included performances and award presentations of six Festival awards including Outstanding Comedy Short presented by The Second City, Sketchiest Sketch Troupe, Audience Choice Festival Series, Audience Choice Long Form, Producers’ Pick, and Best of the Fest presented by Church + State.

The 2023 Best of the Fest Winners are:

Outstanding Comedy Short presented by The Second City – Navi Boys by Mike Mildon
Sketchiest Sketch Troupe – Cheap Wine
Audience Choice Festival Series – Don Valley Girls
Audience Choice Long Form – Good News Toronto
Producers’ Pick – Big Chick Energy
Best of the Fest presented by Church + State – Jon Blair
Honourable Mentions: Ajahnis Charley, Robert Haughton, and West 2 West

These prestigious comedy awards were presented by Joy Provision, Anesti Danelis, The Understudies, and TOsketchfest team members Virginia Woodall, Ivan Hutomo, Julianne Snepsts, and Paul Snepsts.

The Best of the Fest show celebrated TOsketchfest23 – which was 10 days packed with remarkable mashup of contemporary sketch comedy, drag, storytelling, musical comedy, and clown – all performed by unforgettable ensembles and spectacular solo acts.

SHOT LIVE SPECIAL!

Posted on: February 27th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

Be there live and add to the energy of the studio audience for TOsketchfest’s first Shot Live Comedy Special featuring Anesti Danelis, Gillian Bartolucci, and Shohana Sharmin. Be part of the fun live and in-person, or online with our Live Streaming presentation.

We’ve put together a lineup of some of Canada’s top solo sketch and musical comedy talent that you don’t want to miss. Watch from the front row, or from anywhere in the world.

SHOT LIVE SPECIAL
Tuesday, March 14 – 7pm

The Theatre Centre (Franco Boni Theatre)
**Limited seating** for the live, in-person performance. Get yours NOW!

Be there Live and in-person

Be there online for our Live Stream

Featured Artists

Shohana Sharmin

Shohana Sharmin is a Bangladeshi-born comedian, writer, and theatre artist. Shohana is a proud Muslim queer woman of colour, and is a current cast member of the Second City Toronto’s National Touring Company. She is a recipient of the 2020 Queer Emerging Artist Award at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Shohana is the creator and a cast member of the critically acclaimed award-winning dark sketch comedy revue Dead Parents Society. She presented her first solo show “Come Here Often?” (directed by Carly Heffernan) in October 2022. Her personal essays have been published by CBC First Person, The Vault magazine, Broadview magazine, and Living Hyphen magazine. She is also the creator and host of the podcast “Finders Grievers.” She is an alumna of the Bad Dog Comedy Theatre Featured Players, and of the Second City’s Improv and Longform Conservatories. Shohana has performed in comedy and theatre festivals across North America with her award-winning troupe Not Oasis (2017 The Toronto Fringe Patrons Pick, NOW Critic’s Pick). She wishes she could be more like her mother.

Gillian Bartolucci

Gillian delivers a batch of tried and true skits with a couple of fresh new bits too! Hot monologues sent straight to your face at a talking speed that verges on panic inducing. She does it all and usually in one breath!

Gillian Bartolucci is a comedian, actor, and CSA-nominated writer. She has written for CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, showcased for JFL42 New Faces: Characters, and is currently an understudy of the Second City Toronto Main Stage Company. Her past solo revues have received critical acclaim including Best in Venue at the 2022 Hamilton Fringe Festival for Something Small, Something Sweet, and was nominated for Best Solo Performance by My Entertainment World for The Weight of It All.

Anesti Danelis

Anesti Danelis is an award winning musical comedian whose work has been featured on VICE, People Magazine, AV Club, Daily Mail UK, Extra TV and other radio and TV shows across the globe. He has an hour-long musical comedy special streaming worldwide on Next Up Comedy, has performed on Global TV, and CBC as part of the Winnipeg Comedy Special (Season 18 now streaming CBC Gem), and has been heard on CBC radio’s Laugh Out Loud. His comedic videos consistantly go viral, raking in over 130 million views and over 370,000 followers online.

As a live act he tours his musical comedy concerts to festivals earning both audience and critical praise. His debut show was announced as a Top 8 Best Comedy Shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the Amused Moose Comedy Awards, and he has been nominated for Best Variety Act at the Canadian Comedy Awards, and has been awarded the sketchiest sketch troup in both 2020 and 2021 at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. His recent third musical comedy concert experienced a smash debut at the Toronto Fringe, and a critically acclaimed run at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe.

Hosted by

Marc Hallworth

Marc Hallworth has been described as “too poor for how happy he is.” Originally from Calgary, Marc moved to Toronto in 2009 and is a founding member of sketch troupe Vest of Friends (TOsketchfest – Best of the Fest, 2016). As a stand-up comedian, he has been featured as part of JFL42, NXNE, YYComedy, FunnyFest, the Brantford Comedy Festival, the Las Vegas 420 Cannibas Comedy Festival, the Comedy Country Festival, the Purge (where he opened for The Sklar Brothers), the Bollywood Monster Mashup (where he opened for Aparna Nancherla) and The Far From Here Comedy Festival (where he opened for Jackie Kashian). His debut album “Happy Pappy” coming out at the end of 2022, he is a rostered comedian with Yuk Yuk’s, was the second-place winner of the Flat Tire Comedy Competition, a semi-finalist in the Toronto Comedy Brawl and Prove You’re A Comic Competition, has appeared on SiriusXM Radio as part of “Canada Laughs,” and was chosen to host the Ontario Celebration Zone as part of the PanAm Games. With material that’s not out to offend, his few goofy ideas and personal anecdotes all culminate towards some real optimism!”

Learning + Fun Program

Posted on: February 24th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

The Learning and Fun program is back with in person and online professional development opportunities for comedians of all levels. We have gathered comedy tastemakers and industry leaders for skill building workshops and community building panels March 8-19, 2023. Learning and Fun is packed with stimulating, comfortable and informative panels and workshops – plus exclusive parties and community get togethers.

Whether you are a Festival performer, an emerging comedian, or you are just starting to write and perform sketch comedy on stage or online – there is something for you in the Learning and Fun Program.

TOsketchfest aims to keep our Professional Development Program inclusive. As such, a limited number of scholarships are available. If the registration cost is a barrier to participation in a panel or workshop, please fill out this form.

TOsketchfest’s Learning & Fun program is presented by:

How To Pitch A Production Company Panel
Thursday, March 9 at 11am – Zoom

Photo grid with Kadon Douglas, Andrew Ferguson, Karen Tsang, Zoe Rabnett.

Host: Kadon Douglas – BIPOC TV & FILM – Executive Director

Panelists:
Karen Tsang – Pier21 Films – SVP, Creative Affairs
Andrew Ferguson – LaRue Entertainment – Producer & Co-President
Zoe Rabnett – Counterfeit Pictures – Director of Talent & Comedy Development

An illuminating online info session with production companies, with deep roots in the comedy space, about how to pitch your work. Hosted by Kadon Douglas of BIPOC TV & FILM, attendees will learn how to engage production companies when they have a project to pitch. This informative chat will explain the role of a production company from idea, to development, to pitch, to screen – plus best practices and tips for getting ready and staying ready.

Staging 101 with The Second City
Thursday, March 9 at 1pm – John Candy Box Studio Theatre

Photo grid with Etan, Julie and Connor

Facilitated by:
Connor Low – Associate Technical Director
Etan Muskat – Artistic Director (Toronto Training Centre)
Julie Dumais Osborne – Managing Artistic Director (Second City Training Centres)

Do you know what blocking is, or what it means to find your light? Join us in The Second City’s beautiful new state-of-the-art entertainment complex at 1 York St. for this workshop – designed for comedians of all levels who want to elevate their stage performances – but don’t quite know how to ask for it. You will learn how to utilize the whole stage, venue tech and equipment through an accessible intro to industry terms, slang & standards. You also will receive directorial demonstrations that will empower you to utilize the stage, your tech times and your venue’s technical resources in order to present your vision efficiently and effectively on stage.

Podcasting Workshop with The Sonar Network
Saturday, March 11 at 10am – Theatre Centre

In this workshop, Michael Mongiardi of the Sonar Network will offer an accessible glimpse into the world of podcasting to help you grow your new or existing podcast in an effective way. Michael will share tried and true Dos and Don’ts for effective hosting tactics, show formats, gear, and more. Pulling from his extensive experience, he will show you how to grow your show, build a community and brand, and how to monetize your work.

Comedy Writing with Anthony Q Farrell
Saturday, March 11 at 12pm – Theatre Centre

Anthony Q Farrell wears glasses and a light green shirt.

Sharpen your comedy writing skills with this workshop from Anthony Q. Farrell. This intimate session will provide insights into how to excel in a writers’ room and how to develop your work from prep-to-production-to-post. Learn how to shape your style and POV, collaborate with others, and find the humour in your real life stories – all while hitting that deadline.

Comedy Road Trip Panel #1
Saturday, March 11 at 2pm – Theatre Centre

Photo grid with Chili, Erick, Stef, Allie, Lanee’, and Amanda.

Host: Chili Davidson

Panelists:
Lanee’ Sanders, The Nitro Girls (New York)
Amanda Xeller (New York)
Erick Acuña, Acuña Acuna (Washington)
Stef Curran, Mom’s Girls (Newfoundland)
Allie Entwistle, Brunch (Vancouver)

Comedy Road Trip brings together comedians and producers from across North America to discuss the current landscape of sketch comedy, with a glimpse into their local scenes. Through this fun shop talk between comedy colleagues, attendees will get a sense of what is going on in various comedy communities including opportunities and challenges, audience attitudes, the pros and cons of traveling for performance opportunities.

Meet the CBC Comedy Team
Monday, March 13 at 11am – Zoom

Photo grid with Miguel, Greig, Zach and Sarah.

Host: Miguel Rivas

Panelists:
Greig Dymond, Director of Development and Head of Festivals, Comedy
Zach Feldberg, Director of Current Production, Comedy and Head of Scripted Gem Originals
Sarah Quan, Executive in Charge of Development, Comedy

In this third annual online discussion, join CBC’s Greig Dymond, Zach Feldberg, and Sarah Quan as they outline the current vision for comedy at CBC, and how you can pitch your work across various platforms. In this thorough discussion, you will gain insight into the kind of comedy projects CBC is looking for, and whether CBC TV or CBC Gem is the right fit for your project.

This Panel Has 22 Minutes
Wednesday March 15, 3pm EST – Zoom

Photo grid with Aba, Ashley, Jordan, Stacey and Chris.

Panelists:
Aba Amuquandoh, Cast
Jordan Foisy, Head writer
Stacey McGunnigle, Cast
Chris Wilson, Featured cast member
Ashley Botting, Writer

Join a dynamic online conversation with cast and writers of Canada’s longest-running TV comedy series, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, now celebrating its 30th season on CBC. This panel will explore their process of provocative satire, with behind the scenes anecdotes from this lasting legacy. Attendees will also learn how to submit their writing packages, and how the 22 Minutes writers’ room and cast creates contemporary comedy that skewers the weekly news from script to screen.

Comedy Road Trip Panel #2
Saturday, March 18 at 2pm – Theatre Centre

Photo grid with Ben, Ally, Joan, Ellie, Nick, Jake, Brooklyn, and Christopher.

Host: Ben Sosa Wright

Panelists:
Jake Martin, Snakes Are Cool (Fredericton)
Ellie Heath, Girl Brain (Edmonton)
Brooklyn Melnyk, Side Salad (Montreal)
Christopher Morucci, Pointless Appliance (Brooklyn)
Ally Condrath, Dinner For One (Brooklyn)
Joan Ford, Joan and Raft (LA)
Nick Kruger, Maple Daddies (Seattle)

Comedy Road Trip brings together comedians and producers from across North America to discuss the current landscape of sketch comedy, with a glimpse into their local scenes. Through this fun shop talk between comedy colleagues, attendees will get a sense of what is going on in various comedy communities including opportunities and challenges, audience attitudes, the pros and cons of traveling for performance opportunities.

Introducing the new Curator Program

Posted on: February 17th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

The Curator Program is a new, experimental artistic programming initiative where five community leaders have curated showcases (get it? – Curator Program!) in primetime TOsketchfest schedule slots at The Theatre Centre, while mentoring artists throughout. These showcases will include drag, clown, ASL, musical theatre comedy, and exciting new takes on sketch comedy. Thank you to the Toronto Arts Council for supporting this program.

We are so happy to announce the five Curators are Candace Scott-Moore, Selena Vyle, Gaitrie Persaud, Rochelle Ellar and Goldy Goldberg with showcases starring Manifest Destiny’s Child, Tita Collective, Angëll Morana, Calling Mockery, Don Valley Girls, Emily Jeffers, Jelly, Passport to Madville, Stella Mongkok, Victoria Watson Sepejak and more!

The Curator Program facilitates the sharing of knowledge by highlighting both emerging and established artists, and pairing artists with targeted mentorship opportunities. The 2023 Curator Program mentors include Meg MacKay, Tom Hearn, Isaac Kessler and Ramesh Meyyappan.

This cross-section of notable community leaders are from a variety of artistic backgrounds with comedic passions that will breathe new life into the sketch comedy domain. They have a deep love and appreciation of comedy and have thoughtfully curated their showcases from the wider arts scene. The intention of the Curator Program is to elevate emerging artists, spotlight established artists, and to develop new audiences for all involved.

Candace stands outside in a bright green space. She smiles at the camera wearing a cool hat and a beaded medallion.

Candace Scott-Moore

Candace Scott-Moore (Wilde) [Anishinaabe – Ojibwe Potawatomi] has 20+ years working in event production with selected career highlights including Producer of Tkaronto Music Festival, Indigenous Fashion Arts Festival 2022, imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival Awards and Special Events, Zaagidiwin & Built On Genocide for Luminato Festival Toronto, 2021 Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards, and Taking Pulse Films for the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. She was an invited Creative Producer of Impulse Festival at Bundanon in New South Wales, Australia. Candace was the Associate Producer & Head Talent Coordinator of the Indspire Awards for over ten years. Artistic Associate at Planet IndigenUs, Host/Emcee at Message Stick Festival at Sydney Opera House. Her love of logistics lead to her Production Stage Management at: Tkaronto Music Festival, Indigenous Arts Festival, Indigenous Fashion Week Toronto, IPAA’s InterTribal Gatherings, Six Nations Unity Festival, Ontario Contact Showcases, Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Nuit Blanche, Aboriginal Pavilion at the Pan-Am Games, and Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival, just to name a few.

Candace recently joined the team of Floor Directors for The Juno Awards. Candace has a strong connection to culture and community. She has produced and coordinated several large Community and Cultural Gatherings in First Nation communities. She has served on the Board of Directors with the Centre for Indigenous Theatre, imagineNATIVE Film & Media Arts Festival, Southwestern International Film Festival, Kettle & Stony Point Pow-Wow Committee, & her local Chippewas of Kettle & Stony Point Mino Bimaadiziwin Optimist Club. Candace enjoys creating projects with the Wiiwkwedong Arts Collective & 50/50 Performing Arts Collective.

Curator Showcase: Candace Scott-Moore

Friday, March 10 at 8pm
Theatre Centre, Franco Boni

A sketch comedy showcase featuring 20 minute sets from celebrated fan favourites.
Featuring Manifest Destiny’s Child, Tita Collective, and Don Valley Girls with mentor Meg Mackay

Selena sits on her side in full bearded drag with large black wig, red lips and a striking purple and black latex look.

Selena Vyle

Selena Vyle is the world’s only Lebanese-Mexican bearded cabaret camp vamp of a certain age! This accomplished improv and sketch comedienne has been featured at comedy festivals such as Toronto Sketchfest, Just for Laughs Montreal, We’re Funny That Way. She’s a co-host of the Canadian Podcast Award winning Squirrel Talk Podcast and co-writer of the Canadian Comedy Award winning A Sketch Comedy Extravaganza Eleganza. She is the voice of Rosa Mel Paquete in Ubisoft’s Far Cry 6, and debuted her first visual album, Broken Hearted Girl at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2021 that nobody watched but did manage to earn TO Live’s Runner Up prize for the Digital Pivot Award. She performs regularly with the monthly improvised drag show Yaas & Vyle Present, the touring improv comedy troupe Werq The Mic, and hosts Drag Brunch weekly at Glad Day Bookshop and monthly at The Smith House. Oh, and she loves you very much.

Curator Showcase: Selena Vyle

Saturday, March 11 at 8pm
Theatre Centre, Franco Boni

A hilarious, high energy drag show featuring three dynamic drag performers.
Featuring Jelly, Angëll Morana, and Stella Mongkok with mentor Tom Hearn

Gaitrie looks at the camera with a smile. She wears stunning blue eyeliner, and curly hair.

Gaitrie Persaud

A Tkaroto-based actor Gaitrie is theatremaker who develops facial expressions and body languages to bring Deaf/hearing actors to work together on the stage in physical theatre styles. Gaitrie continually seeks to challenge herself through new techniques and learning from her mentors who specialize in physical theatre styles.

She is the founder of Phoenix The Fire, a theatre.film hub that supports Deaf artists to discover their talents and to provide ASL theatre.film interpretation service. She has been strongly active in Tkaronto theatre community for almost 13 years.

Over the years, her solo performances and collaborations have toured nationally and internationally. Gaitrie has been involved in Nickelodeon JR show Blue’s Clues & You (the Deaf librarian Camila) and CBC kid show Silly Paws (Simmi). She is also news anchor with Sign1 News powered by CNN.

Curator Showcase: Gaitrie Persaud

Thursday, March 16 at 7pm
Theatre Centre, Incubator

A comedy show performed in ASL for both Deaf and hearing audiences featuring solo and duo scenes from two engaging artists.
Featuring Robert Haugton and Jaideep Goray with mentor Ramesh Meyyappan

Rochelle joyfully smiles at the camera, wearing glasses, a septum piercing and a black flower print shirt.

Rochelle Ellar

Rochelle Ellar (She, They) is a Canadian-Caribbean Black, femme queer, neurodivergent, Disabled, MAD, soft, intuitive artist. Actively and consciously coming from a trauma-informed framework, Rochelle is an atypical lyrical storyteller, multidisciplinary/interdisciplinary artist, producer, facilitator, and arts administrator. Her (artistic) practices include writing (literary and theatre), directing, dramaturgy, vocal, performing, and advocating for Black, Queer, Mad/Mentally Ill, and disabled communities. Prioritizing wellness through care and comfort, her writing and performance work often explore the use of magic realism in performance development. Rochelle’s work challenges western ideologies, exploring them through different styles, structures, and frameworks. Her professional practice significantly revolves around finding the strength and magic in the atypical. After completing an Honours BA in English and Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph, she pursued additional training with Generator, Buddies in Bad Times, b current, Nightwood, Paprika Festival, Dance Immersion and many others. Currently working on several projects.

Curator Showcase: Rochelle Ellar

Friday, March 17 at 8pm
Theatre Centre, Franco Boni

A multidisciplinary collective creation about “Madness,” trauma, healing, and survival in a sometimes unforgiving world – all reimagined as a sketch comedy show.
Featuring Passport to Madville with Alexandra Floras-Matic, Andraya Sky Smith, Angela Sun, Isaac Cunningham, K. Zimmer, and Sivert Das with mentor Alia Rasul.

Goldy’s bearded face surrounded by white spirea flowers.

Goldy Goldberg

Goldy Goldberg is a rogue culinary school dropout who ran from the kitchens of George Brown College and ended up a 12-year veteran of the world of comedy and the radical expressive arts. He’s an award-winning clown and a former president of a socially anxious public speaking club. An official/unofficial caretaker of the much beloved “home for the ridiculous” Sweet Action theatre. A filmmaker who has enjoyed international smartphone filmfest success making a film about a guy trying to put themself into a trash can behind the Eaton Centre. He’s been a part of established festivals such as Reel Abilities and Rue Morgue’s Halloween. Starred, hosted, wrote, and danced in Toronto’s biggest and longest running adult circus variety show: The Lunacy Cabaret. And most recently, helped produce the cult favourite: 10 000 Digits of Pi showcased in the Toronto Fringe and ASSfest. Goldy is very honoured to be apart of this years Toronto Sketch festival, as an awkward recluse introvert goofball, it is a profound pleasure for him to have this chance to be able showcase his beloved endearing goofball companions, and the beautifully outlandish kind of work we’re all about at Sweet Action theatre.

Curator Showcase: Goldy Goldberg

Saturday, March 18 at 8pm
Theatre Centre, Franco Boni

A ridiculous comedy showcase featuring three outrageous clown acts.
Featuring Calling Mockery, Emily Jeffers, Victoria Watson Sepejak with mentor Isaac Kessler

But wait – maybe you want to see all FIVE Curator Program showcases? Don’t worry – we also have a limited number of passes for just $99!

50/50 Cash Raffle Winner!

Posted on: February 13th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

Starting February 13th, and running right through the conclusion of The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival on March 19th, you can participate in TOsketchfest’s first online 50/50 cash raffle! Play for a chance to win half the prize pot AND support The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival at the same time!
*Some restrictions apply.

Funds raised by this raffle are in support of The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, Toronto’s longest-running comedy festival and one of Canada’s only charities dedicated to developing and supporting Canadian comedy creators.

TOsketchfest delivers on this mandate by: producing public comedy performance showcase events like The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival and Comedy Country; delivering relevant workshops, panels and networking events in our year-round Learning & Fun Series; advocacy for recognition that Comedy is Art in our arts funding ecosystem; and direct funding for comedy projects via The Sketch Comedy Project Fund.

The winning number will be announced at The Best of the Fest Award Show on Sunday, March 19, 2023, and the winner will be contacted to claim their prize. For full raffle rules, eligibility and to play, visit our raffle page.

Thank you for supporting TOsketchfest, and for believing in the importance of laughter in our lives!

$1,140

Winning Ticket: C-1241
L. Epstein

TOsketchfest takes problem gambling seriously. If you are having trouble, please contact ConnexOntario problem gambling phoneline (1-866-531-2600); ConnexOntario problem gambling website.

*The TOsketchfest 50/50 Cash Raffle is open to residents of Ontario aged 18 and over. Winner receives 1/2 of funds raised. Draw held Sunday, March 19, 2023 – 9pm at The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON). Raffle administered by Rafflebox Technologies Inc., and operated by The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival Inc., Licence # RAF1298723.

TOsketchfest23 First Lineup Announcement

Posted on: February 9th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff No Comments

Your annual comedy party is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack! From March 8-19, 2023 we will populate Bloordale to Beaconsfield with the best sketch comedy at Comedy Bar Bloor and The Theatre Centre. Single tickets and festival passes are on sale now!

We can’t wait to present 60+ sketch comedy troupes from across North America to you in 50 showcases including Toronto’s own high-energy spectacle Rapp Battlez, a kaleidoscope of colourful sketches in Ajahnis Charley: America’s Most Wanted (Just For Laughs New Faces Canada 2022), the critically acclaimed Don Valley Girls (Toronto Fringe Partons’ Pick 2022), the visually-immersive experience of Late Time With Banzo and Blair (CBC’s Tallboyz), and a bit of music, truth, and most of all heart from Chelsea Larkin: Now With More Chelsea! (2022 Comedy Bar and Second City Award For Outstanding Comedy: Solo).

Image Description: Photo grid with TOsketchfest23 artists Ajahnis Charley, Big Chick Energy, Hillary Yaas, Banzo and Blair, Gay for Pay with Blake and Clay, Chelsea Larkin, Not Oasis, and Acuña Acuna.

This year you will enjoy a remarkable mashup of contemporary sketch comedy, drag, storytelling, musical comedy, and clown – all performed by unforgettable ensembles and spectacular solo acts. Additional Festival highlights include: Not Oasis, Jon Blair, Tom Hearn’s She’s So Hunni, Anesti Danelis, Hillary Yaas, Isaac Kessler’s 1-MAN NO-SHOW, Big Chick Energy, Emily Richardson, and Gay For Pay with Blake and Clay.

But wait – maybe you want to see one, two, or a dozen shows at TOsketchfest? Don’t worry – we also have a limited number of passes for just $99!

The TOsketchfest23 line-up currently includes:

“The” Sketch Show
$20 Sandwich
1-MAN NO-SHOW (Isaac Kessler)
Acuña Acuna (Washington, DC)
Ajahnis Charley: America’s Most Wanted
Amanda Xeller (New York)
Anders Yates
Anesti Danelis
Bear With Me (MK Morris)
Big Chick Energy Sketch Show
Birbs of Paradise
Birdie (Lesley Robertson)
Bleak
Boy Girl Party Live!
Brunch
Cam Wyllie
Carson & Taylor Promise to Read Your Mind
Chelsea Larkin: Now With More Chelsea!
Crunchy Tigers Comedy
Dinner for One Presents…(New York)
Don Valley Girls
Emily Richardson & Others
Erica Gellert Seeks Approval
Gay For Pay with Blake & Clay
Gillian Bartolucci
Girl Brain
Good News Toronto
Hillary Yaas
Incredible Presentation
It’s a Numbers Game!
Joan and Raft: Trans Points (Los Angeles)
Jon Blair
Joy Provision present the Stupendous Bannoch and Clack
Ladies & Gentlemen International
Late Time With Banzo and Blair: Live Script Read
Maple Daddies (Seattle)
Marc and Xave: Song Engineers
Margarita Brighton
Messy Productions Presents
Mom’s Girls (Newfoundland)
The Nitro Girls (New York)
Not Oasis Presents
OBSESSED (Ryan Sheedy)
Oops I Booked A Solo Show (Gordon Neill)
Pointless Appliance (New York)
Potato Potato
Rapp Battlez
She’s so Hunni (Tom Hearn)
Side Salad (Montreal)
Smooth Comedy
Snakes Are Cool – Abridged (Jake Martin, Fredericton)
Summer Dad
Thunderstood (North Carolina)
Try-Racial
Uncle Mothers
The Understudies
Vest of Friends
Welcome to Belleville (Belleville)
West 2 West
Who Brought Cheap Wine?

See the full lineup here!

More exciting announcements are to come including the brand new Curator Program, the lineup for the 6th annual TOsketchfest Film Festival, the Learning and Fun Professional Development program and more!

Meet the 2023 Festival Jury!

Posted on: February 9th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

Each year we are so excited and proud to announce the festival lineup, and in 2023 we will mark a new tradition of also revealing the festival jury in an act of transparency and celebration.

The 2023 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival jury included Matt Keevins (stage manager), Denise B Mcleod (comedian), Surer Qaly (comedian), Zoe Rabnett (Director of Talent & Comedy Development, Counterfeit Pictures), and Sharjil Rasool (comedian). These awesome and bonafide jury members watched over 110 festival submissions to help select the lineup through recommendations and thoughtful group discussions.

Matt Keevins

Matt is a stage manager, with many years experience stage managing improv and sketch comedy around the GTA. He is a graduate of the Humber Comedy writing and performance program and has worked as a theatre tech at Comedy Bar, in The Second City Training Centre. He is currently stage managing The Second City Toronto’s 87th mainstage revue. Matt is honoured to have been selected as a juror to help curate the 2023 Toronto Sketch Festival!

Denise B McLeod

Proud Urban Anishinaabe Kwe, who’s home territory is Sagamok Anishnawbek F.N located on the north shore of Lake Huron. D.B., along with her comedy sisters, founded Manifest Destiny’s Child Comedy Collective in 2017. While with MDC she has taken the stage for events like the Toronto International Film Festival, Royal Ontario Museum’s Friday Night Live, and Art Gallery of Ontario’s First Thursday. Denise was also invited to be in comedy shows like Mirchi Comedy 4th Birthday celebration that was a part of Comedy is Art Festival. D.B’s comedy is rooted in her Indigeneity, focuses on making fun of colonization, misogyny and racism, just enough to make white men uncomfortable. D.B. has graced the cover of the NOW magazine’s 2021 Love Your Body issue, beyond her love of comedy D.B. has a new found passion of Burlesque and has performed at the Nogojiwanong Indigenous Fringe Festival, Toronto Indigenous Arts Festival, Pride Toronto and the 34th annual Weesageechak Begins to Dance.

Surer Qaly

Surer is a writer, and comic based in Toronto. She’s performed at TOSketchFest, Lady Fest, and JFL42, and her writing resume includes Virgins! The Series, and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. She might get a pet cat this year, fingers crossed.

Zoe Rabnett

Zoe knows and loves Canadian comedy. Prior to Counterfeit, in her position as Director of Canadian & International Programming at Just For Laughs, Zoe was responsible for finding and booking the best comedy talents from across Canada and from around the world, scouting year round and programming festivals, tours, and TV productions. She has been a producer on the Counterfeit / Just For Laughs co-productions of Roast Battle Canada (CTV Comedy), Comedy Night with Rick Mercer (CBC), and several stand up specials for Crave, as well as on many years worth of Just For Laughs productions including the televised Montreal Galas (CTV Comedy, CBC, the CW), The Stand Up Show (CTV Comedy), a long list of Crave stand up specials, and 25+ audio albums under the Just For Laughs Originals label. Zoe’s passion and enthusiasm for Canadian comedy is her focus as she seeks out unique and funny voices to collaborate with. And yes, you’re right, she sure claims to know a lot about comedy for someone whose bio contains zero jokes.

Sharjil Rasool

Sharjil is a comedian, actor and writer. He is an alumni of The Second City Toronto Mainstage and was featured in JFL42’s New Faces. You can catch him as Nikhil in Run the Burbs (CBC) and the voice of Ajit in Bakugan (Cartoon Network). Other television credits include What We Do in the Shadows (FX), Baroness von Sketch Show (CBC/IFC) and Abroad (OMNI TV). He’d really love it if you followed him on Twitter (@sharjilrasool) and Instagram (@sharjilr).

Find the 2023 TOsketchfest Festival Lineup here!

The jury for the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival can include alumni of the Festival, and/or those who have lived experience and a deep knowledge of the comedy community. The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival will revisit its programming principles and jurying process each year to reflect the needs of the community. TOSketchFest will actively seek to find qualified jurors with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences.

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival thanks all those who have served on the jury for the past 18 years.

5 Comedy Shows to See in February

Posted on: February 6th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

February is the shortest month, but it is still packed with lots of sketch comedy goodness! Here are some great showcases happening in Toronto as we gear up for the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival March 8-19, 2023.

Vermin Melville: Wide Variety
February 7

Each month, Vermin Melville (Matthew Seely, Taylor Gray, and Omer Shamir) bring together their favourite funny people from the worlds of improv, sketch, stand-up, storytelling, musical comedy and more! If you’re looking for a show that exposes you to a wide variety of comedic styles, this is the show for you!
Comedy Bar Bloor. Tickets and Info.

Little Funny Plays
February 19

Sketch comedy: it’s not improv, it’s not Shakespeare, it’s not a quick drawing you made on the back of your homework. It’s sorta in-between. It’s… LITTLE FUNNY PLAYS. This new show will feature Gabe Meacher, Jack Creaghan, Jessika McQueen, Jordan Shore, Peter Cheema, Taylor Hreljac and special guests!
The Rivoli. Tickets and Info.

Cold Cuts- Assorted Sketch Comedy
February 23

Cold Cuts: Assorted Sketch Comedy, presented by $20 Sandwich, serves up an assortment of the best sketch comedy Toronto has to offer. Join them for four courses of beefy sketch acts and new meaterial for your enjoyment.
The Social Capital Theatre. Tickets and Info.

The Sunday Funnies
February 26

Toronto-based sketch troupes Try-Racial and Big Chick Energy are co-producing this Sketch, Improv and Stand-Up Comedy Spectacle at The Rivoli with special guests Clif Knight, Nose Bros and Brie Watson.
The Rivoli. Tickets and Info.

Sketch Betch!
February 28

Scripted comedic scenes? That’s Sketch Betch, baby! An evening of juicy, funny, and betchy sketch comedy brought to you by the $20 Sandwich team with surprise guests.
Comedy Bar Bloor. Tickets and Info.

5 Comedy Shows to See in January

Posted on: January 9th, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

Kick the dust of 2022 off your boots and the hit the pavement to find the funniest shows in Toronto! We have picked out some sure things for you with long running hits, variety shows and more!

Good Stuff
January 13

Every Friday at 7pm Mark Little hosts Good Stuff, a weekly showcase of stand up, improv, and more from some of the city’s funniest comedians and a few of the worst (you decide!).
Comedy Bar West. Tickets and Info.

“The” Sketch Show LIVE
January 15

“The” Sketch Show is a new wave of sketch comedy with a full cast of sketch comedians performing a brand new live show every month. This edition will be hosted by Jordan Shore with special guests $20 Sandwich.
The Rivoli. Tickets and Info.

Sketch At Tallboys
January 17

Produced by Alessandra Vite, this monthly sketch comedy showcase is full of friends and laughs and beers! The January edition of Sketch at Tallboys will feature Tim Gray, Ajahnis Charley, Vest of Friends, and Zoe Marin.
Tallboys Craft Beer House. Tickets and Info.

Beer Beer Comedy
January 28

Now in its sixth year, Beer Beer Comedy is a guaranteed good time as each ticket comes with two tall cans. They do not rest on those lager laurels though – every show has an incredible lineup of comedians with musical accompaniment. Get your tickets in advance because they do sell out!
Social Capital Theatre. Tickets and Info.

Helder Brum & Friends
January 29

This variety show has been a Toronto comedy tradition since 2011. Hosted by Helder Brum (JFL 42; Baroness Von Sketch Show) and featuring friends (every possible credit), this monthly spotlights Toronto’s friendliest stand-up, storytelling, sketch, improv and musical performers. This month see Arthur Simeon, Pat Thornton, Tamara Shevon, Dan Galea and more!
Comedy Bar East. Tickets and Info.

2023 Festival Passes

Posted on: January 2nd, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

Get ALL of TOsketchfest23 at the best price of the season: Festival Passes, Workshop Passes and Everything Passes available NOW!

The TOsketchfest’23 Festival Passes are the best way to experience Toronto’s favourite comedy festival.

SHOWS – Festival Pass
Just $99

**Our most popular pass** All shows in TOsketchfest can be yours with this one-price full-festival pass – access to 60+ shows on 4 stages by 60+ acts from across North America March 8-19, 2023 (Regular single tickets are $25 each). Includes Buddy Discounts for Shows and Advance Booking. PLUS – Exclusive, on-demand access to the 2023 TOsketchfest Film Festival.

WORKSHOPS – Learning & Fun Pass
Just $49

All TOsketchfest workshops and panels are included in the Learning & Fun Pass. Our workshops and panels have a strong focus on comedy skill building, collaboration and cultivating professional relationships. Learn from comedians and writers featured on CBC, CRAVE, Netflix and CTV, and from facilitators and directors from our partners at The Second City, Humber School of Comedy and more. Please note: some workshops require prerequisite of at least one year of comedy training and/or performance. (Workshop/panel enrollments are $25 each) Includes Advance Booking.

EVERYTHING Pass
Just $125

You guessed it! All shows, workshops and panels are included in the EVERYTHING PASS. There are a limited number of Everything Passes available. Please note: some workshops require prerequisite of at least one year of comedy training and/or performance. Includes Buddy Discounts for Shows and Advance Booking. PLUS – Exclusive, on-demand access to the 2023 TOsketchfest Film Festival.

BUDDY DISCOUNTS & ADVANCE BOOKING

Comedy is best enjoyed with friends. We get it. SHOW and EVERYTHING passholders will once again have exclusive access to Buddy Discounts – 20% Discount on Additional Tickets Purchased by Passholders, to shows you are attending!

And once again our Festival Passholders will have exclusive access to our Passholder Concierge service. Book all of your TOsketchfest passholder tickets and workshops in advance.

Limited Time. Limited Supply.
When they’re gone, they’re gone!

Learning and Fun Monthly Series

Posted on: January 2nd, 2023 by TOsketchfest Staff

The Learning and Fun Professional Development program is back as a monthly online series with comfortable and informative professional development opportunities each month! We will gather tastemakers and industry leaders for skill building workshops and panels starting this October.

Fall/Winter Program will feature:

Whether you are a Festival performer, an emerging comedian, or you are just starting to write and perform comedy on stage or online – there is something for you in the Learning and Fun Program. Learning and Fun is offered online as Zoom Webinars, and is available worldwide. Topics and skills being covered are (mostly) transferrable across borders, so whether you’re in comedy communities in Vancouver to St. John’s, or Philadelphia to Seattle, our homeroom is in your home turf.

Join us online for these learning opportunities that will help you build your brand and your business!

TOsketchfest’s Learning & Fun program is presented by:

5 Comedy Shows to See in December

Posted on: November 30th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

Send 2022 out on a rail with a barrel of laughs this month. There are a huge number of excellent comedy shows happening in Toronto before the end of the year, from holiday themed extravaganzas to remounts of wildly successful Fringe shows and full length revues. Grab a ticket and enjoy some laughs – you deserve it!

Anesti Danelis – This Show Will Change Your Life
December 2 & 3

After a smash debut at the Toronto Fringe, and a critically acclaimed tour to Edinburgh’s Fringe, award winning musical comedian, and viral internet comedian Anesti Danielis remounts his hit show at Comedy Bar East. This Show Will Change Your Life is a musical comedy concert and stand-up show with catchy songs on guitar and piano about: stealing from work, living at home, mermaids with unsolicited advice, the dangers of toying with a bisexual man’s heart, alternative medicines, and more!
Comedy Bar East. Tickets and Info.

Entrances & Exits: Home for the Holidays
December 7-18

This retro, theatre-meets-comedy show is a modern take on the classic TV tradition of nostalgic holiday specials. Over the course of sixty minutes the incredible cast – including Ruth Goodwin, Liz Johnston, Paloma Nuñez, Sharjil Rasool, Conor Bradbury, and Brandon Hackett – tries to salvage a holiday event gone awry in this completely improvised farce.
Tarragon Theatre. Tickets and Info.

Werq The Mic: Jingle Belles Edition
December 9

WERQ THE MIC is the only all drag comedy troupe of its kind in Canada featuring improv, stand up, sketch, musical comedy and a little bit of lip syncing. Chansa Showers, Hunni Kruller, Selena Vyle, and Viza DeCline bring their festive spirit to a special holiday themed show!
Comedy Bar East. Tickets and Info.

ASSFest – A Solo Show Festival
December 9-11

ASSFest is a brand spanking new festival from Sweet Action Theatre featuring fantastic solo shows including 10,000 Digits of Pi by Vinay Sagar, 1-Man No-Show by Issac Kessler, Bedwetter by Tamlynn Bryson and more.
Sweet Action Theatre. Tickets and Info.

Comedy On Queen Street
December 1-30

Bad Dog Theatre Company takes over Queen West with a winter wonderland comedy pop-up theatre featuring six hilarious shows including: Hookup, Sex T-Rex Presents “Die Hard, But ____”, My Big Fat Immigrant Christmas, Squad Goals Holiday Extravaganza, All Of Us Are Naughty, and Park Bench Scene From Good Will Hunting 9 Times, Each Time A Little More Drunk.
1479 Queen Street West. Tickets and Info.

TOsketchfest23 – Submissions OPEN!

Posted on: November 2nd, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

It’s that time of year again! Toronto’s favourite comedy festival is gearing up for its 18th year, and that means we’re on the lookout for the best scripted comedy from across North America and beyond. Submissions are now open until November 30, 2022. This is your one stop shop for all things TOsketchfest submissions!

TOSketchFest23 will take place in-person March 8 – 19, 2023 with live presentations of sketch comedy work and the TOsketchfest Film Festival. This may or may not include online broadcasts of live in-person shows.

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival is programmed through a combination of curation (i.e. we ask a troupe/performer to be part of the festival) and jurying (i.e. a stand-out troupe or artist selected from the juried submissions process). This year live festival submissions will be collected via Zone, and film festival submissions will be collected via FilmFreeway.

LIVE PERFORMANCE

For the first time, we will use ZONE Festival, a Canadian online festival and event database program, to collect LIVE festival submissions for in person performances March 8-19, 2023. Please note acceptance into past festivals does not guarantee a slot in future festivals.

Submit Live Festival Application:

This button will take you to the Zone festival submission form.

How To Use Zone Guide:

This button will take you to a PDF called “How To Apply To The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival 2023 Using Zone Festival”.

TOSKETCHFEST FILM FEST

This year, TOsketchfest is accepting submissions for comedy short and digital work using FilmFreeway.com for the in person screening of the TOsketchfest Film Festival on March 8, 2023 with an option for on demand digital screenings March 8-19, 2023. Please note acceptance into past festivals does not guarantee a slot in future festivals.

Submit Film Festival Application:

This button will take you to the TOsketchfest Festival Page on FilmFreeway.

How To Use FilmFreeway Guide:

This button will take you to a PDF called “How To Apply To The TOsketchfest Film Fest 2023 Using Film Freeway”.

FAQs

As you apply to TOsketchfest23, you might be asking yourself “how is TOsketchfest programmed?” or “what are they looking for this year?”. We are happy to share our programming principles to help answer some of your questions! Click here for all the details.

Do you want to apply for the live festival, but will not have a reel available before November 30? Please reach out to damien@torontosketchfest.com for alternative options.

Do you want to apply for the film festival, but will not have you project completed before November 30? Please reach out to ivan@torontosketchfest.com for alternative options.

If cost is a barrier to completing your application, please reach out to damien@torontosketchfest.com for an access code for Zone Festival and FilmFreeway.

Still have questions? We welcome all questions! Reach out to Damien Nelson for live submission or Zone Festival questions, and Ivan Hutomo for film festival or FilmFreeway submission questions.

How is TOSketchFest Programmed?

Posted on: November 2nd, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival is Toronto’s longest running comedy festival and submissions for the 2023 Festival are now open. You might be asking yourself “how is TOsketchfest programmed?” or “what are they looking for this year?”. We are happy to share our programming principles to help answer some of your questions!

Overview

The jury for the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival typically includes up to 25 people who are either alumni of the Festival, or have deep knowledge of the comedy community. The jury is selected by TOsketchfest producers, who also oversee the submission and jurying process. For 2023, the live festival submissions will be overseen by Damien Nelson, while the film festival submissions will be overseen by Ivan Hutomo. The jury members watch Festival submissions and help select the Festival lineup through recommendations and discussions. The list of jurors will be released after the programming announcement.

After submissions close, each Festival submission is watched by at least three jurors and given a rating of Recommend, Maybe, or Pass. TOsketchfest producers then meet with the jury to discuss submissions and ratings to make final decisions about what is included in the final Festival lineup. The jury could also be asked for recommendations should there be any missing voices from the selection.

Throughout the year, TOsketchfest producers also seek out potential programming options by watching sketch comedy videos online, and attending live performances and comedy festivals.

The 2023 Festival will also include The Curator Program, a new artistic programming initiative that invites five community leaders to take an active role in programming a showcase in a primetime Festival slot. The goal of the program is to identify and elevate emerging artists, spotlight established artists, and develop new audiences by providing stages for artists from Indigenous, Black, Person Of Colour, 2SLGBTQIAP, and Deaf/Disabled/Mad communities. These showcases will also be programmed through curation, and could also include work submitted to the festival through Zone and/or FilmFreeway.

VALUES

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival is committed to supporting and strengthening a culturally diverse and inclusive sketch comedy community. The jury is instructed to consider artists from equity-deserving groups as a programming priority when making recommendations. The overall Festival program will be reviewed by jury and staff to ensure a balanced and representative program before it is finalized. Demographic information is collected from applicants on a voluntary basis to help the Festival track representation of equity-deserving groups in our programs. To ensure representation, the demographic make-up of the Festival program is reviewed and compared to multiple years of data before the program is finalized.

We will not program submissions that contain racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist, or hateful language, imagery, or actions. We will make an effort to eliminate outmoded disability labels and language.

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival presents the best scripted comedy each year. Regardless of the troupe size or style – including solo – if the content is scripted/rehearsed and composed of sketches/bits/segments, it is considered “sketch.” While TOsketchfest does not typically program classic forms improv or stand-up, we are open to unusual or alternative comedy formats.

2023 FESTIVAL FORMAT

The festival will be scaled back compared to pre-COVID festivals, making the slots for the 2023 more competitive than previous years. Acceptance into past festivals does not guarantee a slot in future festivals.

LIVE:

TOSketchFest23 could program up to 50 troupes from anywhere in the world, with a strong priority for local and Canadian acts.

Live shows will return to a similar format as TOsketchfest 2020, 2019 etc. The Festival will host live, in-person sketch showcases in front of live audiences. These shows could include: full length revues; showcases featuring two-three troupes or solo acts with 15+ minute sets; or variety shows with short spotlights featuring many troupes or solo acts.

FILM FEST:

TOSketchFest Film Festival could program up to 30 Digital Shorts by artists from anywhere in the world, with a priority for local and Canadian acts.

There will be an in person screening of these works at The Theatre Centre (similar to TOsketchfest 2018-2020), with an option for online viewing.

STREAMS OF PROGRAMMING

The Festival traditionally has a few streams of programming: Emerging, Established, Featured and Headliner. The 2023 Festival will focus on these three streams:

Emerging: Troupes or artists that are identified in the emerging stream might be first-time Festival performers, newly formed troupes or recent graduates from training programs. While some may appear “green”, these troupes or artists have made a professional commitment to the comedic arts, and have demonstrated artistic achievements. The troupe or artists must have some history of performance on stage or online.
Established: This stream includes troupes or artists that may have performed at the Festival in the past, troupes with a history of artistic achievement, and newly formed projects by established artists. These troupes or artists have a strong following of fans in person or online, a repertoire of high-quality material and a track record of local and touring success in recent years.
Featured: This stream features troupes or artists who are currently at the top of their game and/or representing a vitally important point of view and should be introduced to a wider audience through the Festival. They will guarantee our audiences a great show and deserve to be highlighted at this time in their development.

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival will revisit its programming principles and jurying process each year to reflect the needs of the community. TOSketchFest will actively seek to find qualified jurors with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences. The Festival is committed to improving the programming process to reduce barriers for artists, and to continue spotlighting best scripted comedy.

If you have any questions about the 2023 Submission process, please reach out to Damien for Live Submissions, or Ivan for Film Fest submission.

How To Use Zone Festival

Posted on: November 2nd, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

Submissions are now open for the 2023 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival running March 8-19, 2023. For the first time, we will use ZONE Festival, a Canadian online festival and event database program, to collect LIVE festival submissions for in person performances. Submission are now open until November 30, 2022.

Click the graphic below for the Zone guide:

This button will take you to a PDF called “How To Apply To The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival 2023 Using Zone Festival”.

SUBMIT TO TOSKETCHFEST:

This button will take you to the Zone festival submission form.

Submissions must be completed by Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

How To Use FilmFreeway

Posted on: November 2nd, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

TOSketchFest is back March 8-19, 2023 with in person performances plus the return of the TOsketchfest Film Festival. This year, TOsketchfest is accepting submissions for comedy short and digital work using FilmFreeway.com.

FilmFreeway is an online platform for filmmakers to submit their films to hundreds of festivals around the world. It is a free and simple way for you to submit your work, and a useful platform for festival juries and programmers to consider hundreds of submissions.

We have created a step-by-step How To Use FilmFreeway Guide to help you get your TOsketchfest submission in flawlessly by the November 30 deadline.

Step-By-Step Guide:

This button will take you to a PDF called “How To Apply To The TOsketchfest Film Fest 2023 Using Film Freeway”.

Submit to TOSketchFest:

This button will take you to the TOsketchfest Festival Page on FilmFreeway.

Submissions must be completed by Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

5 Sketch Comedy Shows to See in November

Posted on: November 1st, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

Pack your pockets with left over Halloween candy and head out to watch some sketch comedy! Solo sketch? Yep. Remounts? You got it. Ongoing showcases? Well, of course!

Vermin Melville presents Wide Variety – November 8

Each month, Vermin Melville (Matthew Seely, Taylor Gray, and Omer Shamir) bring together funny people from the worlds of improv, sketch, stand-up, storytelling, musical comedy and more! If you’re looking for a show that exposes you to a wide variety of comedic styles, this is the show for you.
Comedy Bar West. Tickets and Info.

Sketch T-Rex – November 11-13 and 18-20

As part of the first annual LOL!2022 by Sawitri Theatre Group, Sex T-Rex Comedy is remounting their full-length sketch comedy revue that premiered to rave reviews and sold out audiences at Toronto Fringe 2022. In Sketch T-Rex, Toronto’s beloved multi-award-winning physical comedy company will present an hour of high-octane laughs, puppets, and silly mouth noises.
Alumnae Theatre. Tickets and Info.

Uncle Mothers – November 13

A new monthly comedy show with sketch and video with a rotating cast of Toronto’s best. Also, the world’s best. The inaugural show in October included heavy hitters such as Roger Bainbridge, Jon Blair, Alessandra Vite, Miguel Rivas, Gwynne Phillips, and Alex Tindal – so expect a frightfully funny family affair.
Comedy Bar Bloor. Tickets and Info.

Crunchy Tigers Comedy – November 18

An all-new show of hilarious Asian-infused sketches with twitsed takes on diversity and current events featuring Katie Chin, Philippe Koo, Tony Kim, Jasmina Emmanuel, Suzy Sin Park and Gerald Yeung, with special guest comics Silvi Santoso and Peter Saran.
Social Capital Theatre. Tickets and Info.

Solo Power Hour – November 29

This deftly named comedy showcase, produced by Ajahnis Charley, will highlight the beat, the pulse, the power of the solo sketch scene in Toronto. There’s even an early bird discount until November 11 – use promo code “thots” for $5 off!
Comedy Bar Danforth. Tickets and Info.

Tickets

Single tickets & Passes

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival

SUBSCRIBE

You have Successfully Subscribed!