The Vancouver comedy scene
Upcoming events calendar for local comedians in Vancouver. Brought to you by the Comedy killers
By Amanda Punshon
[contributor]
Ever been to a live comedy show? If you haven’t, you should. If you have, you should go again. Vancouver has some seriously funny people, and you can see them for dirt cheap almost every day of the week. (Best of all, there’s always beer!)
This week, we’ve chosen a few hilarious happenings for you to check out.
Tuesday: Vancouver Improv Fight Club! This time, The Fictionals present the epic battle of UBCimprov vs. SFU Improv. It’s the first time in ten years the two troupes have gone head to head, so it promises to be a legendary night. The show will feature classic improv games (think Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and long-form scenes. Cafe Deux Soleils. Doors at 7p.m., show at 8.p.m. Tickets $5. facebook.com/event.
Wednesday: Wednesday’s hot ticket is the Ryan and Amy Show at Oasis on Davie. Ryan Steele and Amy Goodmurphy present an evening of weird, irreverent, absurd sketch comedy. Not for the faint of heart. (Repeating on Friday.) Oasis. Doors at 8p.m. Tickets $5. ryansteeleshow.com
Thursday: Catch some standup Thursday night at the Kingson. This is one of our favourite rooms – Johnny Scoop books some of the city’s best standup comics, and only charges $5 to get in (Show at 9 p.m.) If you live out in PoCo and want some improv, head to Second Story Theatre (Tickets $10, show at 8p.m.) And Simon King and Brett Martin are doing a really cool new thing at The Cove on 4th. They’re calling it New School Comedy, and it involves standup comics pushing their comfort zones and lots of audience participation. Shy people should probably give this one a pass. (Show at 9p.m., FREE – but donations encouraged.)
Friday: If you didn’t catch Ryan and Amy at the Oasis on Wednesday, you should definitely do it tonight. Barring that, Ryan Hamilton of Last Comic Standing fame is at the Comedy Mix. He’s been on Conan and Caroline Rhea and Friends (on Showtime in the U.S.) which means he’s probably worth seeing. The Comedy Mix is always a fun time, and they usually put on one of the best shows in town, so it’s worth your $15. And their buckets of beer are pretty cheap, which is always a bonus.
Saturday: Ryan Hamilton is at the Mix again Saturday, so if you didn’t catch him Friday, that’s worth doing. If you’d prefer improv, the Vancouver TheatreSports League has three shows featuring some of Vancouver’s best improvisers. Keep your eyes peeled for Comedy Killers faves Caitlin Howden, Devin Mackenzie, Taz VanRassel and Chris Casillan. They are guaranteed amazing (and the rest of the cast is great too.)
Sunday: Two amazing things on Sunday. The first, the finals of the Vancouver Story Slam. It’s not necessarily comedy, but contestants include amazing local standups Sean Emeny, Patrick Maliha and Johnny Scoop. Definitely worth checking out, and we hear the stories are always really good. (Cafe Deux Soliels. Tickets $8, show at 7:30p.m.) The second is the Sunday Service at the Kozmik Zoo (formerly the Hennessey.) The Sunday Service is Taz VanRassel, Kevin Lee and Ryan Beil (that guy from the A&W commercials,) and they are easily one of the best improv troupes in town. Plus, they know everyone who’s worth putting on a stage, so there’s always a chance of amazing guest stars. (Show at 9p.m., tickets $5.)
Monday: See one of Vancouver’s best weekly improv shows at the Oasis on Davie. The Bobbers have a huge, varied, multitalented cast and almost every show is blow-your-mind funny. (Show at 7 p.m. Admission by donation.) Or check out Blind Panther Comedy at the Prophouse on Venables. It’s a mix of professional and amateur talent, and it still has that new-show smell (it’s Vancouver’s newest standup room.) (Show at 9p.m. Tickets $5.)
Visit thecomedykillers.com for even more events, news, profiles and feature stories about Vancouver’s comedy scene.
