A new venue for comedy in Guelph
On Oct. 3 and 4, a few dozen local comedians were dispersed around downtown Guelph. From first-timers to masters of improv, the comedy crawl had a very successful weekend.
The Making-Box Theatre hosted its very first comedy extravaganza on Friday, Oct. 3, on the second floor of 40 Baker Street. Guelph’s first comedy venue presented a wide variety of comedic personalities to a fantastic and responsive crowd. Friday night began with a number of first-time performers making their debuts within the venue. Many of the new comedians were University of Guelph students, and a few others were locals trying out their material. The audience chuckled respectfully for the most part, but some of the new performers really warmed up the crowd effectively for the next show.
The second show of the night consisted of the featured acts – experienced comic Daniel Woodrow, and the Bad Dog Theatre Company – a Toronto-based sketch comedy troupe. The two openers, Joseph Fargiorgio and Daniel Birnberg, were very funny and certainly catered to the younger crowd. Woodrow, whose performance followed, is an up-and-coming comedian on the scene in Toronto, and has made appearances on Much Music’s Video On Trial, as well as in a handful of commercials. Woodrow has worked with some other well-known comedians such as Sarah Silverman, and was the winner of the Brantford Comedy Festival. The Bad Dog Theatre Company performed afterwards, and put on a hilarious improv show later in the evening. They got the crowd involved by asking for suggestions, and playing a game where audience members would yell out “more dirty” or “less dirty,” to skew the scenes into more interesting and awkward scenarios. The three repertory players who entertained the crowd were excitingly diverse in their techniques, and the crowd was kept entertained late into the evening.
The hosting team, The Making-Box, hit all the right notes at creating a welcoming and non-judgmental atmosphere for the performers, as well as a comfortable and engaging venue for the attendees. Jay Reid, the founder of the new group, kept the energy in the room on high for the entire night, and cracked many jokes in-between acts. The Making-Box looks forward to a season full of excitement and a very prospective future.
Saturday night consisted of hopping from bar-to-bar to see different acts perform. The Sip Club, The Joint Café, ANAF 344, and The Making-Box Theatre, were all part of the madness, and opened their doors to all guests looking for a laugh. Jackie Pirico, Nick Reynoldson, Christina Walkinshaw, Lesley Carlberg, Todd Graham, Mark Debonis, and MCs Lars Classington, and Craig Norris, could be found at The Sip Club, or at The Joint Café in the evening. Sketch comedy acts Beatvox and The Making-Box crew took over ANAF 344, and the night came to an end back at The Making-Box theatre for the Sketch Comedy After Party, featuring The Boys Brave and Tony Ho.
Who wouldn’t love the opportunity to laugh for an entire evening? The Guelph comedy festival was very well received, and the Making-Box aims to host more events and festivals in the future.