Comedian takes laughs online with virtual open mic

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This article was published 30/03/2020 (2350 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sarah London is using whatever she can to bring some levity into a stressful situation. For the last week that has meant using shampoo bottles, dictionaries, remote controls and hand sanitizer bottles as imitation microphones while hosting open-mic comedy sets on her Instagram account.

The Winnipeg university student has been doing standup for the last two years and is a regular at open mic nights at Wee Johnny’s and the Handsome Daughter. When local comedy shows started cancelling in response to the coronavirus outbreak she thought it would be funny to take the format online.

“I made a video in my room hosting my own open mic,” London says.

Other comedians started playing along, using found objects as microphones and posting their own satirical standup sets from their bedrooms, basements and living rooms.

“It just kind of kept going,” she says.

Anyone who wants to participate — comedian or not — can record a video, post it to their Instagram story and tag London’s account. Submissions should be kept to one minute long.

“A lot of it is really funny,” she says. “I wasn’t sure what would happen, but I laugh out loud when I get these clips.”

London has posted five open mic shows to date and plans to continue as long as the content keeps flowing.

“As long as people keep sending them I will keep posting them because I’ve gotten nothing but good feedback,” she says.

London is a former theatre kid and got into standup as a way to get back onstage and do something creative.

“When I started university I wasn’t really doing any acting or performing and I was just kind of itching to do something like that again,” she says. “It’s a really personal and vulnerable craft.”

Over the past two years she’s developed her own comedy persona, one that she describes as “dark and quirky,” and has learned how to write her own style of jokes. London has also found a strong community in the local comedy scene that she hopes to continue fostering online.

“I feel like everyone’s feeling really anxious right now,” she says. “(It’s) really overwhelming to be stuck in your home and stuck in your head, so I think it’s really great that I get to bring this interactive entertainment that gives you a sense of community because it’s all these different people contributing.”

eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @evawasney