After five seasons of producing live improv comedy shows and providing improv training for adults, Peterborough’s klusterfork entertainment will be shutting down as of May 30.
According to a media release, partners Linda Kash, Pat Maitland, and Ian Burns have “mutually and amicably agreed” to call it quits after the current session of klusterfork workshops is done — although Kash will continue to offer adult classes under the umbrella of Peterborough Academy of Performing Arts (PAPA).
“The whole thing started as a brainstorm with Linda about a one-off show idea,” recalls Maitland, an improviser herself who also makes a living as a freelance writer, editor, and television producer. “That it turned into a six-year partnership was more than I could have imagined. I feel like I ran away with the circus for six years — it’s been that much fun.”
The trio launched klusterfork in November 2019 with “klusterfork, It’s Christmas!”, a sold-out debut improv show at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre in downtown Peterborough.
The show saw Kash and fellow Second City alumni Paul Constable, Patrick McKenna, Deborah Kimmett, and Ed Sahely join Maitland and other Peterborough performers including Megan Murphy, Dianne Latchford, and Paul Crough. A portion of proceeds from ticket sales was donated to Five Counties Children’s Centre.
After the success of that first show, klusterfork booked seven more live shows over the next two years at Market Hall and staged “klusterfork, It’s Winter! Still.” on February 21, 2020, with a portion of proceeds donated to YES Shelter for Youth and Families. Three weeks later, the pandemic hit, performance venues were closed, and klusterfork’s plan for more live shows was thrown into disarray.
VIDEO: “We are klusterfork!” (2021)
By June of that year, when it became clear the pandemic was not ending anytime soon and a return to live shows was not in the cards, klusterfork began offering weekly improv sessions online to offer socialization, play, and laughter as antidotes for the isolation and fear created by the pandemic.
Some of Canada’s best talent in acting, singing, voicework, audition, and pitching skills participated in the workshops, and klusterfork even brought in some of the country’s top casting agents to give feedback on students’ work.
The following fall, klusterfork returned to live performance with a show at the Gordon Best Theatre to give improv students some much-needed stage time in front of a live audience. Although that show was a success, scheduling regular live shows remained a challenge because of the ongoing pandemic.
With the pandemic waning in early 2022, klusterfork returned to the Market Hall with the improv show “April Fools’ Gold – The Joke’s On Us” in April and resurrected the popular improv comedy series “Impros vs Joes” — where improv professionals mixed with improv students — at the Gordon Best Theatre in May.
After the pandemic was officially declared over in May 2023, klusterfork returned to the Market Hall a month later with the improv comedy show “School’s Out!”.
“Mounting productions in Peterborough, at venues big and small, gave us the chance to engage with fantastic people who worked hard to help us succeed,” Burns says. “And so many local businesses opened their wallets when we asked for sponsorship and advertising dollars.”
Also in 2023, building on the success of its online classes, klusterfork began offering a series of in-person classes. Since June 2020, klusterfork has delivered 57 workshops and engaged with over 250 adult students, many of whom began with the online classes and remained loyal students, taking courses including physical comedy, musical theatre, guitar lessons, sketch-writing, and stand-up comedy.
“klusterfork’s success is Peterborough’s success,” Kash says. “When we started promoting our first show, when no one knew what to expect from us, we received incredible support from the community, from media partnership and promotion, to local improvisors and musicians bringing so much to our list of headliners, and finally to selling out tickets even before opening night. The Peterborough spirit raised us from day one.”
For her part, Maitland says closing klusterfork “wasn’t an easy decision,” but knowing that classes will continue with Kash at PAPA provides some relief.
“PAPA has been offering Peterborough classes for over 18 years, and it’s a delight to welcome back adults and continue the offerings that klusterfork established with so much success,” Kash adds.
klusterfork is planning to host a celebratory send-off called “May the Fork be With You” from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on for Friday, May 2 at The Only Café in downtown Peterborough.
Kash, Maitland, and Burns are inviting well-wishers — including students, performers, and current and former instructors — to join them at the casual drop-in event and to raise a glass to celebrate the success of klusterfork.
“We have many people to thank, and we will, both personally and over social media, in the coming weeks,” Burns says.
