The second wave of artist and show announcements for the 40th anniversary edition of the Just For Laughs festival, which runs from July 13 to 31, has been recently unveiled, and it’s another impressive list of festival favorites and up-and-coming comics.
For starters, another gala has been added that is the perfect touch to celebrate this festival milestone. The 40th Anniversary Gala (July 30) will celebrate four decades of great comedy with a line-up that includes longtime festival favorites and special guests.
And a decade after her Just For Laughs debut, superstar comic Amy Schumer will bring her Whore Tour to Salle Wilfrid Pelletier of Place des Arts as part of its concert show series on July 30; edgy deadpan British comic Jimmy Carr will also return as part of this series, as he is prepared to entertain his multitude of Montreal fans with his Terribly Funny 2.0 Tour at Place des Arts; actor/comedian Jimmy O. Yang, best known for his role on the HBO series Silicon Valley, will be starring in his own solo concert show on July 27 at the L’Olympia theatre; also at the L’Olympia is the return of Comedy Night in Canada on July 29, which will be hosted by legendary comic and TV personality Rick Mercer, as he presents an impressive line-up of the best comedy talent north of the 49th Parallel; and speaking of Canadian comics, Toronto’s own Debra DiGiovanni (a longtime Just For Laughs veteran), returns with a new solo show on July 27 at the Maison Theatre; British comic and popular BBC TV host Dara O Briain will present his solo show Voice of Reason – which has been a hit across Europe, the UK, Australia and the Middle East – on July 29 at the Maison Theatre; longtime Edinburgh Fringe Festival favorite James Acaster will be seen onstage at the Maison Theatre on July 28 and 30 with a solo show that has a title that is more like an invitation to mayhem: Hecklers Welcome; great ready to be shocked and entertained at the same time with acclaimed comic Jacqueline Novak, as the Maison Theatre will be the stage for her triumphant solo show Get On Your Knees on July 27 and 28; Canadian comic Katherine Ryan will present her take on life, love and what it’s like to be married with her new show Missus, which is scheduled for July 29 and 30 at the Maison Theatre; longtime Just For Laughs veteran Maria Bamford, who is known for her brutally honest and deeply personal style of comedy that deal with mental illness, will have plenty of that sbject matter to share with her solo show on July 27 at Club Soda; and festival success story Fortune Feimster, who is making a name for herself as a prolific writer and actor, takes the stage at Club Soda on July 30 to mark her triumphant return to Just For Laughs.
There are also new developments regarding two of the festival’s Club Show presentations. The Nasty Show (July 20-24, 26-28) has unveiled its complete line-up, which is helmed by host Big Jay Oakerson; he will be joined onstage by Liza Treyger, Robert Kelly, Sophie Buddle, Josh Adam Meyers and Yamaneika Saunders. The Brit(ish) series of shows from July 27-30 at Le Studio TD will feature host Tom Allen, along with Fern Brady, Nish Kumar, Phil Wang, Sindhu Vee and special guest Dara O Briain.
As part of the annual ComedyPro industry conference, the important New Faces series of shows, which is now in its 26th year and is regarded as a vital showcase for up-and-coming comedians, will offer five thematic shows to showcase these future faces of comedy, which will all take place at the Ludger Duvernay room of the historical Monument National Theatre on St. Laurent Boulevard. These include New Faces (July 27), New Faces: Characters (July 28), New Faces: Unrepped (July 28), New Faces: Canada (July 29) and New Faces: International (July 29).
Another series of shows that are a major hit with die-hard comedy fans are the ones that are part of the OFF-JFL series. With over 100 shows in its schedule, OFF JFL has a variety of offerings for those who like a whole variety of live comedy that’s performed in an intimate venue. A sampling of what to expect at OFF JFL include Rhys Nicholson: Rhys! Rhys! Rhys! (July 21-27, 29), Randy Feltface: Alien of Extraordinary Ability (July 21-28), Matteo Lane (July 28 and 29), Mark Forward: A Very Mark Forward (July 26, 28 and 30), DeAnne Smith (July 26-28 and 30), and the must-see hot ticket Midnight Surprise shows (July 21-24 and 26).
…And if that wasn’t enough to satisfy your summer comedy fix, Just For Laughs will have a third wave of programming announcements to come in the very near future.
Tickets for this second wave of Just For Laughs goes on sale as of May 27th. For more information about the 40th anniversary line-up, or to purchase show tickets or festival passes, go to www.hahaha.com.
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