In this edition, we spend some time reflecting on Mark Forward's ballsy performance at Just For Laughs. Follow me as I walk you through This Week In Comedy.

MON MAR 11 / ALTdot COMEDY LOUNGE / RIVOLI / 332 QUEEN W / 9PM / $5

When it comes to finding yourself on stage, many people will tell you about the importance of taking risks. They'll boast about moving beyond their comfort zone, but a closer examination finds them taking chances on the small stage, thereby minimizing the chance of true loss. Not Mark Forward. Case in point, take a look at his recent performance on Canadian comedy's biggest stage, Just For Laughs. First of all, I think he did a masterful job with his Chipmunk story.

Second of all, I congratulate him on having the balls to take a managed risk like that in front of a huge audience. Many comedians will only take risks like that on home turf, playing it safe when they're on away games. Finally, and most importantly, I think we saw the comedian that Mark Forward wants to be. But heck, what do I know? I guess what I'm trying to say is give the guy a standing ovation at this show.

WED MAR 13 - SUN MAR 17 / MIKE WILMOT / YUK YUK'S / 224 RICHMOND W / 8PM / $11-20

The first time that I saw Mike, I didn't even know his name. I was at Jo-Anna Downey's Standing on the Danforth show, and had just bombed my ass off on stage. We were at the back of the room, and I was trying to weave my way into the conversation. A comic on stage made a joke about having to focus on her orgasm, and I immediately saw Mike stop what he was doing and laugh.

When he got on stage, he took the idea and started a killer 15-minute set, ten of which seemed completely improvised based on the previous comic's set about the focused orgasm. That pretty much sums up why I love Mike - he's brash, confident, and isn't afraid to go off the top of his dome when he sees gold.

SAT MAR 16 / COMEDY UNCOVERED SHOWCASE / THE LOT / 100 OSSINGTON / 10PM / $12

Taylor Erwin's Comedy Uncovered presents their fourth showcase, which features Christi Olson, Emma Hunter, and Egg Zeppelin. Now, other than Christi who absolutely rocked it in her winning performances at last year's Cream of Comedy, I can't say that I've seen the other acts in living colour. However, Taylor has been a comedy journalist for a lot longer than I have. What that means is that I trust Taylor to book only the best when he himself produces a show. Long story short, in Erwin I trust.

About the Author: This is Michael Jagdeo, and I refuse to write about myself in the third-person. My blog, Diary of a Stand-up Comedian, walks you through the up's and down's (they're mostly down's, really) in my quest to become a killer comic in Toronto.