The seventh annual Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival kicked off last night. With over 40 troupes from across the country, there’s a whole lot of funny to be had in not a whole lot of time (six nights, to be exact). We asked performer, writer and Sketch Fest regular Norm Sousa for his top five troupes that are worth checking out.
The Williamson Playboys
Why you should check them out: “They’re recently back from the U.S., so they haven’t done [Sketch Fest] in a long time. They call themselves the ‘oldest living father-son Cajun music duo,’ which is cool, and they’re billed with Falcon Powder, which is my honourable mention.”
When and where: Friday November 11 @ 8pm, Lower Ossington Theatre, 100 Ossington Avenue.
Vest of Friends
Why you should check them out: “They’re all really young and all really good. They’re smart and have well-constructed sketches for people so young. They’re the next big sketch troupe.”
When and where: Thursday November 10 @ 10pm, Lower Ossington Theatre, 100 Ossington Avenue.
PunchDRYSDALE
Why you should check them out: “A selfless plug. Cole [Osborne] and I haven’t performed since last year’s fest and this could be our last show ever. But then, we’re always on the verge of self-destruction.”
When and where: Saturday November 12 @ 7pm, Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor Street West.
This is That
Why you should check them out: “This is the sketch live version of their podcast, which is one of the top podcasts on iTunes. If you haven’t checked out their podcast, you really, really should.”
When and where: Saturday November 12 @3pm and 8pm, Lower Ossington Theatre, 100 Ossington Avenue.
Picnicface
Why you should check them out: “This year, they’ve just crushed it. They had a movie, Roller Town, they have the series on The Comedy Network, they also have a book. This is just another notch on their belt for them.”
When and where: Friday November 11 @ 11pm, Second City, 51 Mercer Street.