Laughs are sure to follow as the Brantford Comedy Festival hits the city on September 24 and 25. Some of Canada’s best comedians will be showcasing their talent during this first annual event.
The festival will feature two events: the Rising Star Showcase on Friday and the Gala Night performance.
“I’m really excited about the Rising Star Showcase,” says event organizer, Jamie Stephens. “To me, these are 12 comedians that are not amateurs. These are people who’ve had a minimum of 50 performances under their belt.”
Building it from the ground up, Stephens has ambitious goals for the festival.
“When you think comedy festivals, you think Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Halifax and Sudbury—I want to add Brantford to that list.”
The winner of Friday’s showcase will win a spot performing at the Gala Night on Saturday alongside comedic heavyweights Jon Dore and Debra DiGiovanni. Dore is known for his show on The Comedy Network “The Jon Dore Television Show” and CTV’s “Canadian Idol.”
DiGiovanni can be found on Much Music’s “Video on Trial” and she also holds two Canadian Comedy Awards for Best Female Comedian.
On Friday, comedians will have five minutes each to wow the crowd, followed by a special guest headliner who will close the show with a 25-minute set.
“Saturday you’re getting close to three hours of comedy. Most of the headliners are doing between 30 and 45 minutes,” says Stephens of the Gala Night.
Even with the great talents being showcased throughout this two-day event, ticket prices are reasonable.
“For the festival, we kept the prices low so that everyone can go. For $35, you can get five of Canada’s top comedians. For $15 more, you get two nights of comedy and a party at Jackhammers. I’m actually getting some people in the comedy industry telling me I’m nuts and saying I should be selling tickets for $75 apiece.”
Tickets can be purchased through the event website at www.brantfordcomedy.com. Tickets for the Saturday night show are $35. The $50 VIP package includes: tickets to the Rising Star Showcase, free entry to Jackhammers on Friday night and floor seating for the Gala Night on Saturday.
