Battle of wits
Dave Jaffer
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The best of local laugh makers, like Jeff Schouela, take the spotlight at the Best of Montreal Stand-Up Special
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The Comedyworks' Best of Montreal Stand-Up Special gives Just For Laughs a little friendly competition
That the Just For Laughs festival was born and is based here in Montreal (despite its siblings in Toronto, Chicago and Nantes) suggests that Montreal is a comedy town par excellence. Somewhat paradoxically, however, it's precisely during the massive, career-making festival that many of this town's best comics get their spotlight usurped by out-of-towners. The obvious question is why.
"I guess because they see [locals] as just that: local. We're not exotic," says comic Dan Bingham, who performed at JFL last year and will be hosting/presenting Eat My Shorts at Comedia, the JFL film festival. "We're not from Australia or the U.K. or the U.S. - people from Montreal have probably seen us a lot already, so maybe [Just For Laughs doesn't] think people will spend the cash to come see Jeff Schouela or Dan Bingham."
"There used to be a show called The Montreal Experience that ran for at least 10 years, I think," says repatriated Montreal comic Jeff Schouela. "It got cancelled a few years ago."
With that in mind, on July 16, the Comedyworks hosts Bringham, Schouela and a bevy of other local stand-ups (including Mike Paterson, Ryan Wilner, Daniel Tirado, David Heti and Faisal Butt) for a show that revives The Montreal Experience, if only for a night.
Hosted by Joey Elias, The Best of Montreal is an all-star event that organizer Schouela hopes will benefit from people in town for Just For Laughs. "I think we're going to piggyback onto the Just For Laughs fest," he says.
"It's not an official show, but everyone was excited about putting it on during the festival." The show will also be recorded for a CD pressing.Fresh from a sojourn in Toronto, Schouela is excited to be back in Montreal and emboldened by the kind of comedy he sees here. "Everyone [there] is busy chasing the Toronto dream, which is a condo and an empty relationship," he says. "So that kind of drove me a little nuts."
Besides, he adds, "Montreal comedy is really good."
"I think the scene's good here. I was living in Toronto for five years, and just the style of comedy is different. I find it in Toronto to be [a] lot more blue. I find that Montrealers use wit a lot more in their comedy."
Best of Montreal Stand-Up Special
At the Comedyworks (1238 Bishop), July 16, 8:30 p.m.
