What's so funny? Your guide to comedy in Halifax

Behind the glimmer of the city that brings comedy to the national spotlight with the Ha!ifax ComedyFest and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Halifax is overflowing with local funny.

Bill Wood, of cult-classic sketch group Picnicface, recognizes the strength and absurdity that makes Halifax comics stand out. They're a "gang of mavericks", he says with a laugh.

Wood was active on the scene from the early 2000s, a time when he says comics had to forge out stage time because local gig options were few.

"We had to develop a way of being interesting" in order to capture the attention of the crowd, says Wood, since the majority of comedy shows were put on in bars. This tenacity became the cornerstone of Halifax comedians.

Wood is returning home to Halifax this spring and doesn't doubt the scene he left behind will continue to be as "diverse and cerebral" as when he left.

Let's meet some locals

The Halifax stand up scene is the powerhouse it is today because of all the love that the locals put into growing and cultivating young comics. Veterans share a comradery with those who embark on a similar tortured path, which turns into an asset on both sides. Here are a few show-runners keeping Halifax hilarious through the week:

Megacomedy Mondays at Gus' Pub just celebrated its fifth year running. Andrew Vaughan hosts this North End staple with Martin Edwards, and says watching comics move from their stage up to paid gigs is what makes his job worthwhile.

Having your experience shared and validated is powerful.- Chanel Friere

"The talent we have here is filled with amazing comics with different perspectives that travel all over to tell jokes but consider Halifax a home," says Vaughan.

Chanel Friere has been active as a Halifax comic since 2012 and is a champion of new comics with her weekly Tuesday open mic at the Oasis. "Having your experience shared and validated is powerful," she says.

"[Friere] is one of the best joke writers I know," says Bill Wood.

"We have to be the trolls that guard the bridges," says Friere, meaning they are wary of letting hyper-offensive or hurtful new comics take their stage. "Comedy can heal people," she says, and it's not about putting them down.

Wednesday night, Catherine Robertson hosts the Comedy Hour at Bearly's House of Blues and Ribs. This is a good place to catch out-of-town headliners preparing for their weekend at Yuk Yuks, along with Robertson's carefully curated lineup.

"We've grown a really exciting, diverse scene with quality independent shows," says 12-year veteran Robertson.

Open Smoke Comedy Show at High Life Social Club is a weekly Thursday night show in a cannabis-friendly room, hosted by Rick McGray. McGray is an inviting and hilarious host and the good vibes ensue.

Thursday is also the kick-off for every weekend at Yuk Yuks. Canada's largest chain of comedy clubs continues to thrive at its downtown Halifax location, inside the Westin Nova Scotian Hotel. In addition to offering a new-talent showcase on Wednesdays, it dominates the weekends with its consistent roster of touring headliners every Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

To finish off the weekend, Goofy Moose Comedy & Wings at Sniggily Wiggily's is hosted by local favourite Dan Hendricken.

Noteworthy non-weeklies

Along with her Tuesday show, Friere has also recently taken over hosting monthly comedy shows at Pro Skateboards, on Quinpool Road. The lineup is more curated, often composed of touring pros and local hits, but in a rented space in a skate shop like it was a proper millennial speakeasy.  

Their February 15 show included Sophie Buddle headlining and featured Mayce Galoni and Kevin Shustack.

Tuesday is also home to a brand-new show at the Good Robot Brewing Company, featuring the writers from 22 Minutes and guests in an open-format setting to test out new material.

Good Robot likes to laugh

Self-appointed comedy lover Joshua Counsil has taken it upon himself to help the Halifax comedy scene stay strong. "There's too much talent and not enough stages," says the co-founder of the Good Robot in the North End. So he built his own stage.

There's too much talent and not enough stages.- Joshua Counsil

The top floor of the Good Robot is now specifically renovated as a comedy venue. There is appropriate stage lighting and cozy cabaret-like seating, all accompanied by professional staff trained to remove unruly patrons. Only a few weeks in, they have already been host to a sold-out weekend featuring Jon Dore, and the seasonal but weekly This Tuesday Has 22 Minutes variety show.

The Good Robot hosts outdoor comedy shows in the summer, but they are now prepared to churn out the laughter year round. Counsil plans to book more weekly headliners with local hosts and openers after their recent success with Dore.

Big Gay Comedy Shows

Adam Myatt and Lindsay Dauphinee are best friends and comedians making their mark with their bi-monthly, queer-friendly stand-up shows. Just over one year in, the duo have been selling out shows in the Seahorse Tavern with lineups of both brand-new and seasoned comedians.

By offering stage time to newer comics in an LGBTQ+ atmosphere, they say it has not only cultivated fresh talent but opened up a whole new audience looking for like-minded comedy.

Myatt and Dauphinee's shows are much needed, says fellow comic Friere. "[They are] giving a voice to those who felt 'other' and showing we can all hold space for each other."

Adam and Lindsay Present is the production name to look out for.

Ha!ifax ComedyFest

Halifax is host to one of Canada's top annual comedy festivals, joining ranks with Just for Laughs and the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Every year in April, top talent from around the world flock to the Maritimes for four days of sold-out, televised hilarity.

Among those Canadians taking this year's prestigious spots will be Montreal's favourite ex-pat Eman El-Husseini, Juno-nominated Chanty Marostica, and Halifax's most recent comic-in-residence Nick Martinello. And it wouldn't be a Halifax comedy festival without Mark Critch and Trent McClellan making appearances.

This year, a submission based spot in the festival is open for the winner of CBC Comedy's NEXT UP contest.

Laugh-worthy Haligonian podcasts

The Sickboy Podcast

What started as three friends chatting about living with a chronic illness is now a multi-platform, laughter-therapy content machine. Their website has links to episodes as well as videos and a delightful blog from helpful contributors.

InTalksicated Podcast

This weekly podcast invites comedians to choose their drinks and have an unfiltered heart-to-heart with host Sarah MacLellan about comedy, sex, and life lessons. The podcast is about to celebrate 100 episodes.

Interested in improv?

Hello City Improv

This monthly improv show at the Bus Stop Theatre Co-op was voted the 2nd best comedy night in the Coast's Best of Halifax 2018 poll, bested only by Yuk Yuks. Local improvisers perform topical skits to loyal audiences, with rave reviews.

The Bus Stop Theatre is an independent not-for-profit venue, reflecting the grassroots efforts that local artists make to keep their scene vibrant.

Think you're funny?

Show us what you got — submit your funniest material to CBC Comedy's Next Up talent search until February 21, 2019. The winner will get a chance to perform at the 2019 Ha!ifax ComedyFest. Enter now and find more details at cbc.ca/nextup.