Waterloo black comedians tour showcasing comedy 'from us, but for all'

Black comedians from across Ontario are part of a new comedy tour that will stop in Waterloo Thursday night.

Kris Bonaparte is a comedian from Montreal and organizer of the Great Black North comedy tour. He said the show is an opportunity to laugh about shared experiences.

"We wanted to show some black entertainment from us, but for all," he told CBC Kitchener-Waterloo.

Bonaparte said he pulled together a lineup of comedians he has known and worked with across Ontario, one of them being Matt Henry, who is from Durham region. He has performed across the province, but is visiting the region for the first time.

"For me, it's just [being] as unique as possible," Henry said. 

And even though bringing his own unique experience to these shows is key, Henry says he still tries to make his sets as resonant as possible.

"I think it's critical to write something about stuff that we can all relate to," he said.

Bonaparte echoes that sentiment. He said he and the other performers will be focusing on themes and ideas that will resonate with everyone: topics like work, relationships, the government and parenthood. 

"We're black performers, but we're not aliens," he said. "We deal with the same issues everybody else does."

The Great Black North comedy tour kicks off Thursday at the Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre.