Comics battle noisy neighbours, rowdy crows to make audiences laugh during pandemic
CBC News | Posted: July 20, 2020 10:06 PM | Last Updated: July 20, 2020
Lawn Laughs was started by 3 Halifax-area comedians in June
Three Halifax-based comics are keeping audiences laughing in the middle of a pandemic by bringing standup to their backyards.
With tours cancelled and many comedy shows still not happening, Adrienne Gabrielle said she was feeling down and looking for a way to keep doing what she loves.
When she heard about a comic in Alberta hosting fire pit shows, she called him up to learn more, and thought of a few fellow comics to join her on her mission.
"I thought, 'Well, who would I get? Who are two people that would be reliable and super funny?' And they were busy so I got Kirsten and Travis," she said.
The trio's first Lawn Laughs show was in mid-June when the maximum number of people who could gather was 10. Now, as restrictions ease, they can entertain up to 50 people, provided physical distancing is practised.
But landing the perfect joke is more challenging now, and can mean dealing with heckling crows and the incessant sound of a neighbour mowing their lawn.
"One of our gigs we had a dog behind us that was really rambunctious," said Gabrielle. "I do parodies sometimes of songs and I was like singing the song and he got right excited and it totally threw me off."
Kirsten Finch said their outdoor sets have a very different vibe than a typical comedy show in a club.
"No. 1, it's usually light out, so comedy is always harder when there's light," she said. "People tend usually to be more sober. Comedy is harder when people are sober because people tend to be more self-conscious."
But it's all been worth it, Travis Lindsay added.
When Gabrielle asked him to join Lawn Laughs, he hadn't been on stage in months.
"The shows so far have been great. I realized how much I really miss doing this," he said. "Even though we were nervous, the audience themselves were all so excited to be able to see something live and some form of entertainment that's, like, not Netflix."
The comedians hope to continue making Nova Scotians laugh even as the weather gets colder.
That is, until something better comes along.
"Unless I'm booked somewhere else, then I'm going to ditch them," said Lindsay. "But until then, we're a team."
MORE TOP STORIES