The Winnipeg Comedy Fest will see you now

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This article was published 12/03/2022 (1658 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In comedy, timing is everything.

Historically for the Winnipeg Comedy Fest, springtime has been festival time, but in 2020 and 2021, the iconic local event ran a smaller-than-usual program during the fall. The rescheduled shows were much appreciated, but when they happened, they still felt abnormal to artistic director Dean Jenkinson.

In 2022, Jenkinson says the time is right for the festival to return to its normal schedule, kicking off with several star-studded comedy showcases across the city from May 2-9, with locally and nationally renowned comics providing a much needed dose of laughter to anyone who buys a ticket.

“We’ve always been a springtime festival,” says Jenkinson, who became artistic director in the 2019, meaning this will be his first ‘regular’ festival at the helm. “And this year, we’re trying to get back to normal.”

But normal doesn’t mean routine. “We have tons of new show ideas, themes and comedians (slated),” says Jenkinson, who admitted he wasn’t the best promoter, but would try his best. “I’m very excited.”

Shows planned include Naughty Bits, where comics including host Sabrina Jalees, Dave Burke and Shannon Laverty “share their sultry secrets, mischievous moments and playful peccadillos.” In The Great Outdoors, comedians such as local Chad Anderson poke fun at “everything under the sun.” Hosted by Dave Merheje, Die Laughing is billed as a “life-affirming celebration of the ultimate punchline.” Jenkinson said it sounds horrifying, but will leave audiences pleasantly surprised and giggling.

Jenkinson himself will host the Red Carpet Comedy show, with performances by Winnipeg comic Rajat Kashyap and Martha Chaves, who Jenkinson describes is a Canadian comedy legend who never disappoints.

Two nights of CBC Radio’s The Debaters are planned, as is the ever-popular Rumor’s Comedy Club Series, plus Mom’s the Word, the mother of all shows, hosted by Stephanie Morin-Robert and featuring a lineup of comedian-moms in a celebration of Mother’s Day. “Do this instead of waiting in line for brunch,” advises Jenkinson.

Another new program is Laughing with the Stars, where six local celebrities from TV, radio, sports, politics and more perform standup for the first time ever, paired up with local comics Angie St. Mars, Kristen Einarson, Spencer Adamus, Tyler Penner, Abby Falvo, Emmanuel Lomuro and Mike Green. At the end of the night, one celebrity will be crowned the inaugural champion.

A full schedule and ticket information, along with COVID protocols, will be listed at winnipegcomedyfestival.com, with protocols varying depending on the venue.

However, in accordance with the province’s public health act, the festival is planning to sell each venue at capacity, which is particularly exciting for Jenkinson, who knows first-hand the type of boost that will give to comedians and audiences alike.

“(A room full of laughter) will sound like heaven,” Jenkinson says. “Comics breathe that kind of energy.

“The world is in a place where we’re isolated and divided, and I think there’s a lot of medicine and healing in strangers gathering to share an experience, especially when that experience involves laughter,” he says. “There are health benefits to laughing, and when I think about those, I feel really fortunate to do this for a living.”

ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com