Published by Leonardo Calcagno
From May 4th to 13th Montréal Sketchfest will bring together over 200 artists from Vancouver, New York, Philadelphia, Ottawa, Halifax, Chicago, Washington DC, Toronto and of course Montreal for a jammed packed party and celebration of the art of sketch comedy! The festival will feature a hilarious assortment of shows in both English and French.
Our festival home base is Theatre Sainte-Catherine (264 rue Sainte-Catherine est) and in 2017 we will also have shows at Montreal Improv Theatre, Mainline Theatre, and ComedyWorks. The stellar lineup features almost 80 troupes, special events including collaborations with Montréal Ladyfest, The Sketch Republic, Sunday Night Improv, Sketchworks, Art Machine, and Les Lundis d’impro. Two of Canada’s greatest sketch talents Kirsten Rasmussen and Peter Stevens will be hosting workshops plus MUCH MORE!
In order to keep with our mandate of assuring accessibility, our tickets prices are kept low at $12 per show or $20 for a day pass.
Full lineup and ticket information available at montrealsketchfest.com
Festival highlights include:
The Incredible shrinking Matt & Jacquie (Philadelphia)
Opening Night: Thursday, May 4th, 8 PM @ Theatre Sainte-Catherine
The Incredible Shrinking Matt & Jacquie is a best friend sketch comedy duo from Philadelphia that consists of Matthew Schmid and Jacquie Baker. Matt & Jacquie’s dark, absurd, and surprisingly genuine sketches feature doomed idiots who are just doing the best they can. They are three-time winners of the “Dirtiest Sketch In Philadelphia” contest (2013-2015), and were nominated for “Comedy Act of The Year” at the 2015 Philebrity Awards.
Rapp Battlez! (Toronto)
Saturday, May 6th, 11 PM @ Theatre Sainte-Catherine
Hosted by Freddie & Miguel Rivas (Comedy Network’s The Beaverton) Rapp Battlez! is a hilarious, off-the-wall mix of rapping, comedy, and spectacle; think 8-mile meets WWE, only it’s the funniest thing you’ve ever seen. Hosted by brothers Miguel and Freddie Rivas keep the jokes coming in this fast-paced show as big characters throw down even bigger rhymes. The excitement is real, the stakes are high and the entertainment is undeniable. This show features some of Canada’s most talented sketch comedians squaring off against each other for rap battle supremacy!
HOT RAW FIRE (Montreal)
Friday, May 12th, 10 PM +
Hosts – Opening night Thursday, May 4 @ Theatre Sainte-Catherine
Known for their use of live video on stage and PG-13 body horror mime-cycles, these five total hotties have written and performed WELL OVER 18 MINUTES AND 55 SECONDS OF PURE COMEDY. Montreal Sketchfest Best Local Troupe 2015 & 2016.
Jacob Greco, Danny Belair, Lise Vigneault, Paul Naiman and Deirdre Trudeau.
The Templeton Philharmonic (Toronto)
Saturday, May 6th, 9 PM @ Theatre Sainte-Catherine
The Templeton Philharmonic are a Canadian Comedy Award nominated sketch comedy duo. Gwynne Phillips (HBO’s Sensitive Skin, PBS’s Odd Squad) and Briana Templeton (SyFy’s The Expanse, CTV’s The Beaverton) are known for their darkly surreal sketches, comedic period pieces, and manic dance sequences. They’ve picked up numerous awards for their work, including “Best Comedy Duo” at L.A. Comedy Festival, and “Producer’s Pick” at Toronto Sketchfest.
Tallboyz II Men (Toronto)
The Sketch Republic: Wednesday, May 10th, 8 PM @ Theatre Sainte-Catherine
Tallboyz II Men is a diverse group of comedians being diverse diversely. The members met each other performing in the Toronto stand-up comedy scene and agreed to combine forces for the greater good. Tallboyz II Men are winners of the 2017 Toronto Sketchfest Producers’ Pick. Tim Blair, Vance Banzo, Franco Nguyen and Guled Abdi.