The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival

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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.

5 Comedy Shows to See in October

Posted on: October 6th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

October is here and with it brings a wide variety of comedy shows in the city of Toronto from Halloween-themed epic events to stellar weekly offerings. We have picked some hilarious shows with a mix of comedy formats for your trick or treating pleasure.

Wigged: A Witchy Musical Experience – October 8 & 22

Singing drag queen extraordinaire Gila Münster welcomes you to a witchy evening of the hits from Broadway’s “Wicked.” See you in Oz!
6pm at Comedy Bar Bloor, Cabaret. Tickets and Info.

Come Here Often? – October 14 & 15

In the fast-paced darkly comedic one-woman rollercoaster show, created and performed by Shohana Sharmin and directed by Carly Heffernan, we catch Shohana at a speed dating night, traveling through her own memories to moments in her life when she split herself in two, and examining the ways in which she has tried to keep all the parts of her alive.
8pm at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Tickets and Info.

All of Our Parents Are Asian: Comedy Show! – October 19

Bad Dog Theatre and Mahjong Mafia present a comedy show featuring the best Asian comedy troupes in the city, including Tita Collective and Affirmative Action, highlighting the best of Asian culture at Superfresh Asian night market!
9:30pm at Superfresh. Tickets and Info.

A Night At The Bronze – A Buffy The Vampire Slayer Tribute – Oct 28

Calling all Buffy fans and theatre lovers alike! Join Cardboard Sword Collective as a cast of comedians and actors read and sing-through the entire episode of Once More With Feeling. Want to sing along? Absolutely! Want to dance the night away with to all the 90s classics? Of course!
7pm & 9pm at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Tickets and Info.

The Absolute Best Friggin’ Time of Your Life: Mondays and Saturdays

The world-famous Second City is ready to show you the time of your life! The Absolute Best Friggin’ Time of Your Life under-promises and over-delivers with a non-stop laughapallooza featuring the next generation of comedy superstars. Come laugh your friggin’ cares away…because haven’t you waited long enough to have the time of your life?
Mondays at 8pm and Saturdays at 4pm at Comedy Bar Danforth. Tickets and Info.

5 Sketch Comedy Shows to See in September

Posted on: September 8th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

The kids are back to school, TIFF is rolling out the red carpet, and the leaves are changing colour. September in Toronto is going strong, and with that is a stellar mix of comedy stylings across the city. We have hand picked a crop of crowd favourites and compelling new events for your comedy cravings this month!

What’s With Th’Hat: September 12

Toronto’s outrageous new comedy show featuring some hilarious people. Pop by for a night of improv, sketch comedy, and all around good vibes. Happening the second Monday of every month!
8pm at Comedy Bar Bloor, Cabaret. Tickets and Info.

Yaas & Vyle Present The Play We Just Wrote Just Now: Sept 14

A not to be missed one-time-only drag comedy event! Award winning drag comedians Hillary Yaas and Selena Vyle present an entirely improvised play, based on audience suggestions. Armed with nothing but a clothing rack full of fabulous outfits, they invent multiple outrageous characters through the magic of costume and wig changes live on stage!
8pm at Comedy Bar Bloor, Main Stage. Tickets and Info.

Sketch at Tallboys: September 20

The inaugural Sketch at Tallboys will premiere Tuesday, September 20 and take place the third Tuesday of every month. Produced by Alessandra Vite, there will be friends and laughs and many types of craft beers.
8pm at Tallboys Craft BeerHouse. Tickets and Info.

24 Hour Sketch Challenge: September 24

Six randomized teams of six comedians will be assigned a director at random on September 23. On September 24, they will each have prepared a 15 minute sketch revue. Watch them all in an amazing show that’s returning for the first time since 2019!
7:30pm at The Social Capital Theatre. Tickets and Info.

Just For Laughs Toronto: Sept 22-Oct 1

42 who? Montreal’s world famous comedy festival is returning to Toronto in a big way with club shows, headliners and a new street festival with music and drag performances. You’ll find TOsketchfest alum throughout the festival including Ajahnis Charley, Ben Sosa Wright, Toddy, Hisham Kelati, Kurt Braunohler, Mark Little, Ola Dada, and more.
Various Venues. Tickets and Info.

THE SKETCH COMEDY PROJECT FUND – 2022 RECIPIENTS

Posted on: August 4th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival is proud to announce the 2022 recipients of The Sketch Comedy Project Fund. This year four projects were awarded funding, each representing an important “next step” in the careers of their participants. The Sketch Comedy Project Fund is made possible through the generous support of The Pat and Tony Adams Freedom Fund for the Arts.

2022 SCPF RECIPIENT PROJECTS:

A group photo of 12 cast members, with a crudely draw stick figure with a photoshopped face on top. A arrow pointing at the face reads “Kevin”.

A Filmed Sketch Revue

Five troupes – Cheap Wine, His Shorts My Pants, Stupid Hot, Banana Room, and High Taste Buds – come together to create A Filmed Sketch Revue. The project will be a collection of sketches with a cohesive through-line.

“We are absolutely thrilled to have been chosen for this fund. It’s going to help us up our production game and support our distribution efforts. A Filmed Sketch Revue is a collaborative project which brings together comics and troupes from in and around Toronto to produce a cohesive sketch show, as a collective, which has a throughline that weaves throughout the film. It’s a dream project which we hope to expand on in the next iteration, bringing in more writers and performers from around the city (follow us and stay tuned for a Call for Scripts if you’d like to be a part of the next one!). “

Two Black Smith cast members against a blue background, all with a wavy digital filter. Text reads “Black Smith Sketch Comedy”.

BLACK SMITH

From the mind of two brothas, Emeka Agada and Lewis G, comes a digital sketch comedy series filled with real characters, raw jokes and a poke at everyday situations that we find ourselves saying “these motherf@#$%s” time and time again.

“A wise man once said: “I’ll be back”, that same person also said “EAUGH!”.

We at Black Smith are happy to be back for another season and can’t wait for fans to get down with what’s to come, eaugh!!

We would like to thank TOsketchfest for selecting us to be one of recipients of this years project fund. Last year we released our first season to a warm reception and couldn’t stop thinking about how we could extend things. As we head into our sophomore season, we are focused on creating more funny and not having our water cut off…at least until we finish shooting.

Smith’s Out”

A pink and purple circle with white text that reads Don Valley Girls.

Don Valley Girls: The Digital Series

Why stop at live sketch domination when we can be in households around the world? That’s right, Don Valley Girls are coming to the small screen soon! Or at least, that’s the plan: Shoot a two sketch proof-of-concept for our sketch comedy web series in two days in May 2023.

“We’re thrilled to be one of the recipients for the 2022 Sketch Comedy Project Fund! We’re excited to develop and shoot a proof-of-concept for DON VALLEY GIRLS: THE DIGITAL SERIES. This represents the next step for us because we all want to do it all: act, write, and create our own projects. We’ve seen how sketch shows like Baroness von Sketch, Kids in the Hall, and SCTV have launched careers into the stratosphere. We also want to be launched into the stratosphere (or at least to the moon).”

Một Tô Phở Hoàn Hảo, or: A Perfect Bowl of Pho

Currently spearheaded by a team of artists called Send Noods Productions, “A Perfect Bowl of Pho” is a 12-scene Vietnamese Canadian musical sketch show about food that cosplays as a Respectable Piece of Theatre, having ascended from its amateur origins at UofT to a presentation by fu-GEN Theatre Company and publication by Playwrights Canada Press. The Sketch Comedy Project Fund will be used to translate the text to Vietnamese, to use as surtitles on future performances of the existing English-language script, or for a future full-Vietnamese-or-mixed-language production outright.

“It’s been a long-time goal of the Pho team to make our show more accessible and appealing to the Viet community in Canada, and the Sketch Comedy Project Fund will help us make a huge step in doing so by translating the text to Vietnamese for use as surtitles in future productions. Sketch has an esteemed history in our diaspora – just ask your Viet friends about Paris by Night – and we’re really grateful for the opportunity to work in that same spirit.”

2023 Sketch Comedy Project Fund

The 2023 Sketch Comedy Project Fund opens once again in Spring 2023. If you’ve got an ensemble-based comedy project that represents the next step in your collective careers, consider making an application!

Program criteria, objectives and outline can be found here.

5 Sketch Comedy Shows to See in August

Posted on: August 2nd, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

Remember when you were a kid and summer seemed to stretch on and on into a beautiful, sticky, and endless oblivion? But now as an adult you are just trying to jam as many beach days, hasty vacations and patio hangs as you can into the few short weeks that are rapidly passing by? Well, let us help you plan this last full month of summer with a sweet list of sketch comedy happening in Toronto.

Gender? I Hardly Know Them: August 9-10

Gender? I Hardly Know Them returns to Toronto with a fast-paced, joyfully provocative queer sketch show straight from the heart of the God-fearing, gun-toting, beef-loving Alberta prairies. Created and performed by gay, short, and hot non-binary comedians Elena (or Eli) Belyea (they/she) and Syd Campbell (they/them), Gender? I Hardly Know Them is out to queer the world, one denim punchline at a time.

7:30pm nightly at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander Street. Get your tickets at: https://tickets.buddiesinbadtimes.com/TheatreManager/1/login?event=0

Frances by Laura Ramoso: August 11-13

2020 Best of the Fest Award winner Laura Ramoso will debut her second sketch special, Frances, in the city that started it all. Directed by Alastair Forbes, Laura Ramoso is taking physical comedy, satire, mime, and critically-acclaimed writing to the nth degree. Bigger, bolder, and riskier, Frances pushes the boundaries of the form to create sketch comedy magic.

8pm nightly (plus 10pm on Aug 12) at Alumnae Theatre Company, 70 Berkeley Street.
Get tickets and info at: https://www.lauraramoso.com/tour

“The” Sketch Show: August 14 and 28

“The” Sketch Show is a live, bi-weekly showcase where the cast creates new relevant, silly, and surreal takes on everything that’s going on in the world – including their very own Weekend Update. “The” Sketch Show stars Evan Dubois, Nate Friedman, Chris Johnson, Anna Luo, Ada Nicolle, Liz Rasiuk, Keith Richardson, Chrissy Sharma, Ian Stewart and Kristin Zakaib with writers Sebastian D. Chow, Joey Crewe, Madison Mayhew and Taryn Parrish.

8:30pm every other Sunday at The Social Capital Theatre, 154 Danforth Avenue.
Get tickets and info at: https://socap.ca/events/

Tony Ho & Bleak: August 16

Do you like sketch comedy but are so tired of it being boring and unfunny? Come watch this show where it is funny and cool and a little sad. This sketch show will include sets from TONY HO, BLEAK, and UBER & KLONK.

9:30pm at Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor Street West.
Get tickets and info at: https://comedybar.ca/shows/tony-ho–bleak?ev=2022-08-16T21%3A30%3A00

Mission Totally Possible: On now until November 1

Buckle up and prepare for The Second City’s wildest adventure in laughter ever! Mission Totally Possible is an interactive exploration of all things not just possible–but probable–in today’s upside-down world. From finally finding confidence to the joys of parenthood to bank heists, weddings, divorces, and even a giant giraffe, this show isn’t afraid to press the emergency Truth Button on life. Featuring Andy Assaf, Andy Hull, Phatt Al, Jillian Wlesh, Hannah Spear and Nkasi Ogbonnah.

Various times at Comedy Bar, 2800 Danforth Avenue.
Get tickets and info at: https://www.secondcity.com/shows/toronto/mission-totally-possible/?tickets=&date=

Sketch Comedy at Toronto Fringe 2022

Posted on: July 4th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

This year the Toronto Fringe is back in person presenting 100 shows at 11 venues across the city July 6-17, 2022. Toronto Fringe has a massive comedy contingent this year with over 50 comedy shows with musicals, improv, solo shows and, of course, sketch. Here are the sketch comedy shows to check out this year, plus exciting shows by TOSketchFest alum!

ALIA CENIZA RASUL: MORO GIRL

Alia grew up identifying as a “Moro”, a Filipina Muslim, all the while attending Sunday School. Now in her mid-thirties, grappling with her seemingly conflicting identities, she is looking to finally figure out who the heck she is, and why she likes charcuterie so darn much (her bank account also wants to know). Self-reflection isn’t enough (sorry Deepak Chopra) so she goes searching for answers through her family’s stories and history. Will she find what she’s looking for?
Tarragon Theatre, Solo Room. Tickets and Info

AN EVENING WITH DEVON & JACKIE

A dynamite evening of sketch comedy with a couple of swell broads! Modern world got you down? Devon Henderson (The Second City, Bad Dog Theatre) and Jackie Twomey (NOW Magazine Breakthrough Artist, Dead Parents Society) deliver a soirée of silliness with a touch of neuroses, “An Evening with Devon & Jackie” is a love letter to live comedy.
Robert Gill Theatre. Tickets and Info

A PERFECT BOWL OF PHO

Journey across the noodle of time and space as Nam Nguyen writes a musical history of the Vietnamese diaspora, told through its foods.
Ada Slaight Hall. Tickets and Info

ANESTI DANELIS: THIS SHOW WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE

After a sold-out run at 2019’s Fringe – and winning a TOsketchfest22 Audience Choice Award – musical comedian and viral internet songboy Anesti Danelis returns with a new comedy concert inspired by all of those silly self-help books.
Al Green Theatre. Tickets and Info

CARSON & TAYLOR PROMISE TO DO A BUNCH OF FLIPS

In a show that won a TOsketchfest20 Audience Choice Award, and that the National Post called “an ecstatic celebration of the art of physical comedy”, Carson Pinch & Taylor Davis return with their high-flying and death-defying sketch comedy spectacle. They PROMISE to do a bunch of flips.
Ada Slaight Hall. Tickets and Info

THE CHELS STANDS ALONE

TOsketchfest22 Best of the Fest nominee Chelsea Larkin guides you through a hilarious and relatable journey of characters, songs and wild true stories, inspired by her own real life mission to accept herself as she is (or at least pretend she does).
Tarragon Theatre, Solo Room. Tickets and Info

CLIP SHOW

Oh no! TOsketchfest21 Best of the Fest Award Winner Jon Blair got locked in the pantry on the day of his Fringe show, in a basement where the elevator is stuck! And the building got snowed in! Also, the security guard went home! And it’s Christmas still! Jon might not know how he’s going to get out, but he does know one thing: He’s sure had a lot of crazy memories over the years… years… years…
Factory Theatre, Studio. Tickets and Info

Don Valley Girls in front of at hot pink TTC station platform. The five people are dressed in fabulous, bright coloured clothing.

DON VALLEY GIRLS: A SKETCH COMEDY REVUE

The cast of Don Valley Girls has aged out of being the Main Character, and it kinda really sucks. So they wrote a sketch show about it because why cry when you can cry while you laugh! … on stage, in front of everyone. Come for the snarky blurb, stay for the weird (sometimes heartfelt) sketches, songs, and occasional video interlude. This is NOT your auntie’s sketch show. (Or maybe it is.)
Streetcar Crowsnest, Guloien Theatre. Tickets and Info

#NOTALLFEDORAS

From Star Wars to the Snyder Cut, this sketch comedy show dismantles some of the more harmful aspects of fan culture. Starring Eric Weiss and Miroki Tong, #NOTALLFEDORAS is told from the perspective of two lifelong geeks who want everyone to be able to share their enthusiasm for the things they love!
Streetcar Crowsnest, Guloien Theatre. Tickets and Info

SEX T-REX PRESENTS SKETCH T-REX

Sex T-Rex Comedy is back with a new full-length sketch comedy review! Join TOsketchfest19 Best of the Fest winners as they celebrate their triumphant return to the stage with an hour of high-octane laughs, puppets, and silly mouth noises.
Factory Theatre, Mainspace. Tickets and Info

WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?

Step right up and help The Well Well Wells solve the age old question “What Do We Have Here?” Follow a wonky one-hour trail into the minds of eight friends with a gift for finding humour in the mundane and the weird in our everyday.
Ada Slaight Hall. Tickets and Info.

TOSketchfest22 Best of the Fest Award Winners

Posted on: June 24th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

On Thursday, June 23, we presented a LIVE and IN PERSON the Best of the Fest Award Show at The Fox Theatre, celebrating the best of TOSketchFest22 – Screen Time Edition with $1500 in cash prizes.

Hosted by 2020 Best of the Fest winner Laura Ramoso, the Best of the Fest Award Show featured a screening of the nominated work, plus award presentations for The Outstanding Comedy Short Award presented by CBC, The Steam Whistle Producers’ Pick Award, The Audience Choice Awards, and The Best of the Fest Award, presented by Church + State.

And the Winners Are . . .

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SHORT – Presented by CBC

Habib – The First Arab Superhero by Wishful Genies

The Outstanding Comedy Short Award, presented by CBC, traditionally honours one standout festival entry from the TOSketchFest Film Festival. The 2022 Award honoured the standout selected work from TOSketchFest22 – Screen Time Edition.

Rob Michaels and Fady Ghali of Wishful Genies accept the Outstanding Comedy Short Award. Photo by Krissia Valiente.

While audiences were laughing from home during TOSketchFest’s online screenings, they were asked to smash the blue button to vote for their favourites for the Audience Choice Awards. With over 100 shorts from around the world, we were not going to make them choose just one, which is why we have two Audience Choice Awards: one for Comedy Short, and one for Featured or Long Form Work.

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD – COMEDY SHORT

Every Freelance Conversation by Anesti Danelis

Anesti Danelis is a Fringe Festival favourite, a viral sensation with over eight million likes on TikTok, and is also the reigning Sketchiest Sketch Troupe winner.

Anesti Danelis accepts the Audience Choice Award. Photo by Krissia Valiente.

AUDIENCE CHOICE WARD – LONG FORM

Everything But ChroFATica by Hillary Yaas

Hillary Yaas had originally applied to the festival with their full length musical drag show ChroFatica, but when the festival moved online they compiled a 10 minute digital feature full of drag, cute outfits, music parodies and truly unique fun!

Hillary Yaas accepts the Audience Choice Award. Photo by Krissia Valiente.

STEAM WHISTLE PRODUCERS’ PICK

Joy Provision

Joy Provision came together during the pandemic to produce digital work that embodied the spirit of live sketch comedy with that endearing DIY drive. They are fierce community supporters who have since made a splash on stage in Toronto and Montreal.

Rena Taylor accepts the Steam Whistle Producers’ Pick Award on behalf of Joy Provision. Photo by Krissia Valiente.

BEST OF THE FEST – Presented by Church + State

Only A Beer Can by Donny Crosswell

Congratulations to all of the nominees and winners of the 2022 Festival! We will see you all again IN PERSON in March 2023 for the 18th Annual Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival.

TOsketchfest22 Best of the Fest Award Show

Posted on: June 1st, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

On Thursday, June 23, the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival will present a LIVE and IN PERSON the Best of the Fest Award Show, celebrating the best of TOSketchFest22 – Screen Time Edition.

Hosted by 2020 Best of the Fest winner Laura Ramoso, the Best of the Fest Award Show will feature a screening of the nominated work, plus five award presentations on Thursday, June 23 at 7pm at The Fox Theatre. That’s right, we will finally get to watch these hilarious sketch comedy shorts on the big silver screen. Get your tickets today!

Throughout the show, we will announce the winners of the Festival’s five awards: The Outstanding Comedy Short Award presented by CBC, The Producers’ Pick Award, The Audience Choice Awards, and The Best of the Fest Award, presented by Church + State.

Today we are proud to announce the nominees for the The Outstanding Comedy Short Award, presented by CBC, and The Best of the Fest Award, presented by Church + State.

Comedy Short nominee laurels that read “Nominee. Outstanding Comedy Short. TOsketchfest’22 Screen Time Edition. CBC.”

2022 NOMINEES FOR OUTSTANDING COMEDY SHORT

The Outstanding Comedy Short Award, presented by CBC, traditionally honours one standout festival entry from the TOSketchFest Film Festival. The 2022 Award will honour the standout selected work from TOSketchFest22 – Screen Time Edition.

Buys Houses by Kyle Woolven (Belleville)

The housing market is at an all-time high! Need to sell your house? Don’t trust realtors? Looking for some fast cash? Don’t worry, someone or some people or some type of… something has got you covered. Kyle’s beat pumping, image popping, musical banger will tell you all you need to know about the housing crisis.

The Engagement Chicken by Diana Aydin (New York)

“The Engagement Chicken” is a mockumentary that follows Deirdre, a rom-com obsessed romantic, on a quest to find love by cooking a legendary roast chicken recipe—a recipe so good that it’s said to cause men to propose to their girlfriends. The only problem? Deirdre doesn’t have a boyfriend and doesn’t know how to cook chicken. Will she ever find love?

Habib – The First Arab Superhero by Wishful Genies (Toronto)

It’s time for an Arab Superhero in the MCU, with obstacles no hero has faced before. Wishful Genies is composed of Arab comedy duo Rob Michaels and Fady Ghali.

I Don’t Want Him Either by Heather Hawthorn Doyle (New Westminister)

This Comedy/Action micro short “I Don’t Want Him Either” directed by Heather Hawthorn Doyle was filmed in only 2 hours in a volume studio (all LED screens) and features a 360 degree shot in our 3 walled studio.

Mawiiage Story by The Institute Sketch Comedy (Lincoln)

As an homage and parody to praised feature film Marriage Story, a couple engages in a heated debate regarding the well-being of their prized possession: a shared gaming console.

Best of the Fest nominee laurels that read “Nominee. Best of the Fest. TOsketchfest’22 Screen Time Edition. Church + State.”

2022 NOMINEES FOR BEST OF THE FEST AWARD

This juried award is the most prestigious accolade at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival.

Chelsea Larkin, The Chels Stands Alone (Toronto)

The Chels Stands Alone was Chelsea Larkin’s solo sketch debut at TOSketchfest. You wanted kooky characters? You got it. You wanted parodies? There you go. You wanted music? Sure thing. You want wigs? YOU’RE WELCOME!

Folk Lordz, Lost in the Woods and The Mooch (Edmonton)

Political, absurd, and darkly hilarious, Folk Lordz reflect urban-Indigenous, immigrant, and activist perspectives through the lens of biting satire. Co-created by Todd Houseman & Ben Gorodetsky, Lost in the Woods and The Mooch were features in season 2 of their digital sketch series.

Donny Crosswell, Only A Beer Can (Toronto)

This is a music video for Donny’s hit country music single Only a Beer Can. It is about how much beer rocks. The song was written by Donny, and produced by Oliver Wickham. The video was written and directed by Donny. Evan Leonard provided the beautiful cinematography work and the rest is history.

Potato Potato, ASMR, This Land, Political Sleepover, and Extinctifun (Toronto)

A political sketch revue for the digital age. Combining sketches about politics, social issues and the Climate Crisis, Potato Potato were there to make you laugh at the things that make you angry-cry, with bad impressions of your favourite politicians, annoyingly-catchy songs, and just a touch of lockdown angst.

Scott Paterson, Inside the Actors Cult, 6ix Side Customs, and Beacons of Gondor (Toronto)

Scott Paterson is an Award Winning Director, Producer and Writer. TOsketchfest22 featured three of his award winning shorts with hilarious stories about intense acting classes, when reality shows go wrong, and the adventures of the Rangers of Gondor.

Send Noods, Grocery Boy, Facebook Marketplace Ads (Toronto)

Send Noods is a pan-Asian collective of theatre and musical artists, who abruptly pivoted into sketch comedy with the online show “Orange Chicken” at the 2021 Toronto Fringe Festival. TOsketchfest22 featured their epic silent film about a weak boy’s desperate efforts to carry too many bags of groceries, and their series of TV ads for the absurd secondhand items that people try to sell you on Facebook Marketplace.

THE BEST OF THE FEST AWARDS SHOW
Thursday, June 23, 2022 – 7PM
The Fox Theatre – 2236 Queen Street East
Tickets: $20 (+HST and fees)

Sketch Shows You Should See This June

Posted on: June 1st, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

Live sketch comedy is back in the city of Toronto! In addition to celebrating the best of the best at TOsketchfest22 – Screen Time Edition in person on the big screen, we cannot wait to check out all of the live and in your face showcases and revues throughout the month of June.

The Disaster on June 7, 14, 18 and 21

Image Description: A dark grey mage with bright green text that reads “Disaster. Alt Comedy” and “Our new venue is Wenona, We will run wild shows every Tuesday.”

Disaster is “a monthly alt comedy show that has been around too long” produced by Alex Kolanko (Public Works, Bleak, Sketchersons), and this June you can experience it weekly! Now at Wenona Lodge on Bloor, Disaster will present Goof Parade with Uber & Klonk on June 7; The Disaster Show, a legendary alt comedy spectacular now in its 9th year, on June 14; and Corporate Pride with Ajahnis Charley on June 28.

8:30pm at Wenona Craft Beer Lodge, 1069 Bloor Street West. More info at: https://www.instagram.com/thedisastershow/

Gag Reflex: A Comedy Variety Show on June 14

Image Description: An illustrated disco ball hovering over a digital grid surrounded by stars. The text reads “Gag Reflex a comedy variety show”.

Gag Reflex is a monthly variety show that ends with an evening of karaoke! In this ridiculously funny Pride edition show you’ll see musical comedy, sketch, and more with performances by Party Room, Joy Provision, Nose Bros, Lou Currie, Rachel Manson, and Clownprov – all hosted by Jordan Shore, Taylor Hreljac and Peter Cheema.

8pm at El Mocambo, 464 Spadina Avenue. Get your tickets at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/gag-reflex-a-variety-comedy-show-pride-edition-tickets-332089297027

4-Sum: A Comedy Show on June 17

Image Description: Photos of Tom Hearn, Tricia Black, Ajahnis Charley, and Selena Vyle with colourful overlays and a duplication filter. Text in white reads: “4-Sum A Comedy Show”

Powerhouse comedians Tricia Black, Ajahnis Charley, Tom Hearn, and Selena Vyle serve up some of their hottest solo work… and they do group stuff, too! These four headliners didn’t come to play – you’ve seen them at TOsketchfest, Just For Laughs, The Second City, Toronto Fringe, and they’ve lit up your screen on CBC, HBO, and CTV. Get into this 4-Sum while you still can.

7pm at The Cabaret at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander Street. Get your tickets at: https://buddiesinbadtimes.com/show/4sum-a-comedy-show/

TOsketchfest22 Best of the Fest on June 23

Six, stacked retro TV sets projecting the words “The Best of the Fest Award Show” across the top three screens. The bottom three show the host Laura Ramoso and five award categories.

Good News Toronto on June 24

SMPTE television colour bars with “Good News Toronto” repeated in a colourful pattern.

Good News Toronto is made by Toronto for Toronto, and features the city’s most talented comics with a dash of chaotic idiocy. This month they will be talking about the electoral results, a corpse giving a concert, and so much more silliness. Good News Toronto will star Ally Medeiros, Brie Watson, Emily Ferrier, Gerald Yeung, Jasmine Irwin, Jeremy Friedmann, Linda Julia Paolucci, Korri Birch, and Quentin Matheson with special guest Marc Hallworth.

8:30pm at Comedy Bar Cabaret, 945 Bloor Street West. Get Your Tickets at: https://comedybar.ca/shows/good-news-toronto?ev=2022-06-24

2022 Sketch Comedy Project Fund

Posted on: March 29th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

TOsketchfest is once again proud to partner with The Pat & Tony Adams Freedom Fund for the Arts to announce the 8th Annual Sketch Comedy Project Fund – Applications are now open!

The Sketch Comedy Project Fund is Canada’s only funding program cultivating the development of Canadian comedic voices. It’s a comedy grant… on its own terms. Since 2015 The Sketch Comedy Project Fund has provided funding to 23 sketch comedy projects in Toronto.

The Fund will invest in ensemble-based, scripted projects by Canadian comedians working primarily in Toronto.

What does the fund support?

Anything really – just make a case for how your project represents the next step in the comedy careers of your ensemble!

In the past The Fund has supported: touring opportunities, development of live shows, recording comedy albums, working with directors, developing pitch packages… just make the case it’s your next big step!

Get all the details right here:

The Sketch Comedy Project Fund

TOsketchfest22 ON-DEMAND

Posted on: March 27th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

From now ’til March 31st, YOU can enjoy all of TOsketchfest22 – Screen Time Edition ON-DEMAND. We certainly had a blast sharing these curated collections of comedy shorts, TikToks, animations, musical bits and long-form gems with you live, and in-the-moment. But we also know you’re gonna want to watch (and re-watch) at your leisure. So please DO!

Tickets for ON-DEMAND viewing are still available, and if you already have a ticket or pass, even better. Your confirmation email ticket links get you access to ON-DEMAND viewing already. Just revisit your confirmation email, click the link and enjoy.

Limits for ON-DEMAND viewing

Your access to ON-DEMAND programming is valid for either: 72 hours from your first viewing – or – until midnight on March 31st (which ever comes first).

ONE. LIVE. SHOW.

Posted on: March 15th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

To close out our (fingers crossed) last fully-online festival, TOsketchfest is presenting ONE. LIVE. SHOW. In person. IRL. In a theatre. Can you believe it!?

Join us at Comedy Bar’s new Danforth location on Sunday March 27 to celebrate all things sketch comedy with a line up of ten of Toronto’s hottest acts. Reconnect with old favourites and get acquainted with some of the next generation of Toronto sketch.

Fast-paced. Lots of laughs. The sketch party we’ve been waiting two years for!

But there’s a catch… we are releasing tickets for this show exclusively to TOsketchfest Digital Festival passholders as a free perk. Buy your festival pass and enjoy four nights of very hot sketches from troupes and creators from around the world. Then join us on Sunday March 27 for ONE. LIVE. SHOW. It’s all included in your $80 pass.

ONE. LIVE. SHOW.
Sunday March 27, 9:30 pm
Comedy Bar Danforth, 2800 Danforth Avenue

(Tickets no longer available)

Also available with your

Learning and Fun Professional Development Program 2022

Posted on: March 11th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

The Learning and Fun Professional Development program is back online! We will gather some of the comedy tastemakers and industry leaders for skill building workshops and community building panels March 23-27, 2022. Learning and Fun is packed with stimulating, comfortable and informative professional development opportunities.

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’s Learning & Fun program is presented by:

WEDNESDAY

March 23 at 11amET
Meet the CBC Comedy Team

Meet the CBC Comedy Team panel: Ben Sosa Wright, Sarah Quan, and Sandra Picheca.

Host: Ben Sosa Wright
Panelists:
Sarah Quan, Executive in Charge of Development, Comedy
Sandra Picheca, Director of Production, Comedy

Join Sarah Quan (Executive in Charge of Development, Comedy) and Sandra Picheca (Director of Production, Comedy), as they outline the current vision for comedy at CBC, and how you can pitch your work across various platforms.

March 23 at 1pmET
How to Pitch Comedy at Bell Media: Crave, CTV and CTV Comedy

Ennis Esmer, Alison Korogyi

Panelist: Alison Korogyi, Development Executive, Original Programming, Scripted & Unscripted
Host: Ennis Esmer

Join Alison Korogyi, Development Executive, Original Programming, Scripted & Unscripted, for an intimate info session about how to pitch your comedy work across various Bell Media platforms. This informative chat hosted by Ennis Esmer will introduce best practices and tips for pitching your ideas, and what the current opportunities are at this major broadcast hub for comedy content.

THURSDAY

March 24 at 11amET
TikTok Masterclass for Comedians

TikTok Masterclass for Comedians: Photo grid featuring Margarita Brighton, Lindsay Lynch, Blair McGregor, and Emily Richardson.

Host: Margarita Brighton
Panelists:
Blair McGregor – Public Figures, Content Partnerships
Lindsay Lynch – Director, Creator Partnerships & Community
Emily Richardson – Comedian, Content Creator

Hosted by Margarita Brighton, join Blair McGregor and Lindsay Lynch from TikTok Canada, with comedian Emily Richardson, as they discuss achieving success on TikTok and how comedians can use the platform to amplify their content. Whether you’re just starting on TikTok or working to grow your existing audience, you will leave this panel with a deeper understanding of the platform and the opportunities it presents for comedians – plus some tips and best practices!

March 24 at 1pmET
Welcome ABROAD: Filipino Sketch Comedy Series Panel with Isabel Kanaan

Isabel Kanaan

ABROAD is an all-new satirical sketch comedy series produced by Longhope Media and slated to air in Spring 2022 on OMNI Television. TOsketchfest is proud to present this special sneak peek event with co-creator and star Isabel Kanaan. Join Isabel, and select cast and creative crew (to insert names when confirmed) of ABROAD, as they discuss the creation, execution, and importance of this groundbreaking sketch comedy show based on Isabel’s experience as an immigrant, driven by her comedic perspective.

FRIDAY

March 25 at 1pmET
Hot Off The Press: Comedy Journalism Panel

Hot Off The Press: Clare Martin, Glenn Sumi, Jourdain Searles, Jason Zinoman, and Vish Khanna.

Panelists:
Clare Martin, Assistant Comedy Editor, Paste Magazine
Jourdain Searles, Freelance, Thrillist, Hollywood Reporter and more
Glenn Sumi, Acting Managing Editor, NOW Magazine
Jason Zinoman, Comedy Columnist, New York Times
Vish Khanna, Comedy Editor, Exclaim! Magazine

Musicians and actors hope for a five star review, or a perfect 10 from Pitchfork. But who is criticizing the comics?

A panel of journalists discuss the role that media coverage and criticism plays in the development of the comedy scene. Join Glenn Sumi, Clare Martin, Jourdain Searles, Jason Zinoman, and Vish Khanna to hear about the current landscape of comedy in news media, and why comedy does not hold the same space as other art forms. Attendees will learn what kind of stories journalists are looking for, and the benefits of publicity beyond social media.

March 25 at 5pmET
What if Grant Was One of Us? – An Intro to Grant Writing for Comedians

Tom Hill

Instructor: Tom Hill

In recent decades, while the comedy community has generally flourished in Canada, comedians have rarely been the recipients of significant government funding. Comedians were left to wonder–to misquote Joan Osborne–what if grants was one of us?

Thankfully, the landscape is beginning to change, in part thanks to advocacy from organizations like CANCOM, CASC, and TOSketchFest. Some grants allow comedy-forward projects to apply, and some comedians have even received funding to create new work. It remains an uphill battle, but it is time for the comedy community to level up its grant literacy now that these career-altering doors are cracking open.

Tom Hill is one half of Hip.Bang! and Artistic Director of Blind Tiger Comedy, two groups that have managed to receive funding for comedy-first projects. In this workshop, you will learn about the fundamentals of the grant opportunities in Canada, and some of the approaches and skills Tom uses in planning and writing grants. This workshop is suitable for comedians brand new to grant writing or mid-way through an application. The workshop will start with a presentation by Tom and then follow with a Q&A section for participants.

SATURDAY

March 26 at 3pmET
Comedy Road Trip

Comedy Road Trip: host Alia Rasul, and panelists Veronica Dang, Ronald Dario, Curt Riedy, Kyle Romero, Deirdre Trudeau, and Lauren Vernea.

Host: Alia Rasul
Panelists:
Veronica Dang, New York
Ronald Dario, Vancouver
Curt Riedy, Philadelphia
Kyle Romero, Austin
Deirdre Trudeau, Montreal
Lauren Vernea, Los Angeles

Comedy Road Trip is a virtual meet-up with comedians and festival producers from across North America discussing the current landscape of sketch comedy, with a glimpse into their local scenes. Attendees will get a sense of what is going on in various comedy communities across North America, as we all consider traveling for performance opportunities again.

SUNDAY

March 27 at 3pmET
Shoot-At-Home Production Kit workshop with Darrell Faria

Darrell Faria looks at the camera. He wears a black hooded shirt under his jean jacket and he is pulling his hood up using his left hand.

Instructor: Darrell Faria

Calling all sketch comedians in the GTHA! Do you have hilarious content in these not-so hilarious times LOL (but LOL?). Then the TOsketchfest Shoot-At-Home Production Kit is for you! We’ve brought on comedy director Darrell Faria (Dir. Bit Playas, Tallboyz, etc.) to create a series of digital shorts using our shiny new TOsketchfest Shoot-At-Home Production Kit, which is a camera/lighting/sound essentials set that we created with the intention of loaning out to you, the Toronto comedy community, to make your own digital films!

This workshop will begin with a screening of one of the digital shorts Darrell made with the Shoot-At-Home Production Kit. He’ll then walk you through his process, in detail, from-concept-to-production-to-post and provide a useful take-away document for when it’s your turn to make your own content. You will leave the workshop with a solid understanding of the tools and resources available to you, with a real-life case study of how they were used!

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.

TOsketchfest22 Line-Up Is Here!

Posted on: March 3rd, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

From March 23-27, 2022 get ready for TOsketchfest22 – Screen Time Edition. Our 17th Annual Festival will once again take place completely online with live and on-demand screenings full of all of the trusted sketch comedy goodness you expect from us. Tickets and passes are on sale now!

We are so proud to reveal the line-up and schedule for TOsketchfest22, which will feature over 100 hilarious titles with a wide variety of comedy from around the world including Toronto, Vancouver, New York, London UK, Mexico City in English, ASL, and Spanish. Captions will also be available for all sketches through each showcase.

Top: Mayumi Yoshida in “I Don’t Want Him Either”, Sam Roulston in “Cringe”, and Fatuma Adar. Bottom: Emily Richardson, Whyte Wyne and Young Riesling, and Dalmar Abuzeid in “The Beacons of Gondor”.

💙 YOUR 2022 LINE-UP

10-Piece Nuggets, Accountable Comedy (New York), Alia DeSantis, Ally Medeiros, Alma Amorim (Milton), Anders Yates, Anesti Danelis, Avan Neo (Ottawa), Bad Machine, Big Apartment (Vancouver), Bleak, Boy Girl Party, Brainwrap Comedy (London, UK), Canadian Satire, Carson & Taylor, Cheap Wine, Chelsea Larkin, CoFlemedy, The Comedy Club, Conrad Osei-Bonsu, Cookie Biscuits, The Sketchlings (Maryland), Darrin Schultz (Seattle), The Debutantes (Edmonton), Diana Aydin (New York), The Diddlin’ Bibbles, Donny Crosswell, Dublin Comedy TV (New York), Emily Richardson, Fatuma Adar, and Folk Lordz (Edmonton).

Whooooa

Gabriel Meacher & Alex Oliver, Good Daughter, Good Ideas, Grapefruit Bubbly (Wisconsin), Heather Hawthorn Doyle (New Westminster), Herbeaver, Hillary Yaas, The Institute Sketch Comedy (Massachusetts), Joel Edmiston and Ben Stager, Jon Blair, Jordan Moeller (Virginia), Joy Provision, Juan Jaramillo (Milton), Katrina Westin, Kirsten Rasmussen, Kyle Woolven (Belleville), Laura Lee, Lisa Cheong (New York), Looners Comedy (Indiana), Luba Magnus, Margarita Brighton (Halifax), Mike A Simms (New York), MK Morris, Model Majority (New York), Mom’s Girls (Newfoundland), NYTEShift (Philadelphia), Potato Potato, Public Works, Old School Sketch Show (New York), Re:Current Theatre (Vancouver), Roderick B Shephard (North Carolina), Ronald Dario (Vancouver), Sam Roulston (London, UK), and Scott Paterson.

And there’s more?! Whaaaa

Second City Chicago Youth Ensemble, Send Noods, Sensitive Athletes, Shannon DeVido (Philadelphia), Shannon Rayne (Vancouver), Short Attention Spa (Picton), Sidetrack Bandits (Manitoba), Skinny Kookoo (Manitoba), The S&M Experience, Smooth Comedy (Hamilton), Success 5000 (Edmonton), The Templeton Philharmonic, Tom Hearn, Tommy Marshall, Toronto Sketch Comedy, Triple Yeah Productions (Massachusetts), Uber & Klonk, Vermin Melville, Vincent Price Check, Whyte Wyne and Young Riesling, The Walking Sketch (Mexico), Wishful Genies, Young Douglas (New York), and Your Friends Comedy (California).

Can’t make it to the live showcase premiere with your favourite sketch comedian? No worries, TOsketchfest22 – Screen Time Edition now includes on-demand viewing! Plus, the 2022 Festival does not have any geo-restrictions, so you can watch from anywhere March 23-27, 2022!

Screen Time PASS

Posted on: February 25th, 2022 by TOsketchfest Staff

TOsketchfest22 – Screen Time Edition returns March 23-27, 2022.

We don’t know about you, but WE’RE ready for some VHS (Very Hot Sketches) and some Learning & Fun!

This is THE pass that gets you ALL of TOsketchfest22 – Screen Time Edition. That’s 10 shows jam-packed with curated digital shorts, TikToks, character performances, musical comedy, and long form gems – all from the funniest comedy talent across the globe. You get all the appointment-viewing, livestream Debut Screenings, PLUS access on-demand ’til March 31st. AND IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH… exclusive access to seeeecret passholder perks (stay tuned)!

Here are just a few things that YOU’LL get for $80:

A complaint from Mrs. Claus
A little blue present ;)
A therapy session at your local Ikea
A lesson with Tony from Tony’s Driving School

All of this delicious fun – OR – maybe not-quite a tank of gas?

Click the blue button below to go get your Screen Time PASS today!

Tickets

Single tickets & Passes

The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival

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