There’s something funny going on in Peterborough and you’re invited.
The city’s comedy scene continues to blossom and that’s great news for those who love a good laugh. Of course, big acts like Red Green, Gerry Dee, and Mary Walsh continue to roll through town, but there’s a truly local grassroots comedy movement that’s developing in Peterborough.
Sean Quinlan, local amateur comedian and member of Stand Up Club Peterborough, has been hard at work reconfiguring local stand-up nights. When Johnny Eh’s (beside Galaxy Theatre) closed last year, the search was on to replace the weekly comedy nights that were a fixture there.
During the summer, Sean set up a series of shows at The Spill (414 George St. N., Peterborough) on the first Monday of each month.
“My goal with this was to provide a place for other local people who wanted to try stand up and to give my Toronto comic friends another spot to come and work out their material,” Sean explains.
Sean’s currently working on booking another regular series at The Spill in the fall. He sees the importance of developing local comedic talent, but he also acknowledges the homegrown talent we do have.
“I don’t think Peterborough realizes the comedy scene it has,” Sean says. “We’ve produced some very good comics: Sean Cullen, Michelle Shaughnessy, Todd Graham, Dave Patterson, and Hannah Hogan.”
Sean points out that many would-be comedians have had to move away from Peterborough to make a go of it — simply because of the limited scene. That’s starting to change.
While stand-up comedy is building in the area, it’s certainly not the only comedic form in the city.
The Three Martinis
The Three Martinis, fronted by Dan Fewings (yes, he’s my dad) and piano player and Second City alumni Rob Phillips, is a musical improv act fusing never-before-written songs with titles made up by the audience.
Ganza
Ganza is a sketch comedy web series created by Rob Swales and a team of actors and writers, and is now into its second season.
Jobless
Jobless — a web series created by filmmaker Mike Moring — is a satirical look at Peterborough’s unemployment problem.
The Citiots
Perhaps the most well-established regular comedy act in Peterborough is live improv group The Citiots (formerly known as Impros Vs. Joes).
Ray Henderson has been a catalyst for improv comedy in Peterborough for some time now. Impros Vs. Joes began back in 2008, when Ray was working with the late Second City alumni Paul O’Sullivan at 4th Line Theatre.
“Paul and I began a friendship and a respect for each other and had talked about an idea for a new improv show, blending professional artists with newbies,” Ray recalls. “The show became a hit.”
In 2011, the group changed its name to The Citiots and continue performing their popular monthly shows at the Gordon Best Theatre. Ray believes that people connect with improv in a special way.
“Improv is very interactive, and the fact that the audience dictates how the night will shape is a very unique aspect of the art,” he says.
Ray suggests that Peterborough’s comedy scene is indeed on the rise, adding more entertainment to a city with an already great music and arts scene.
“People are starting to realize that you don’t need to go to Toronto to see some real quality comedy,” Ray says. “That makes it exciting for us and the audience — we’re all sharing its growth and its fun.”
You can see The Citiots at their next regular monthly show on Saturday, September 21th at the Gordon Best (216 Hunter St. W., Peterborough), or take in the laughs when The Citiots perform — alongside The Three Martinis — as part of a fundraiser on Wednesday, September 18th at the Nexicom Studio (formerly the Showplace Lounge) at Showplace Performance Centre (290 George St. N., Peterborough).
