Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival 2009 Preview

Posted by Roger Cullman
Filed in City
November 9, 2009

Frankenmatt SketchFestThe Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival will feature Hot Thespian Action, Statutory Jape and other witty double entendres in this, its fifth annual celebration of sketch comedy.

The LOLs start Tuesday night at 9 p.m. with a big show and party at Theatre Passe Muraille. Over six nights and with 48 troupes from all over North America -- including five Canadian provinces -- it's hard to know just where to start. If last year's festival is any indication, you're in for a great variety of shows.

I've chosen some personal picks from the SketchFest this year that will likely make you ROTFL....

The line-up for SketchFest 2009 includes hilarious troupe names such as Deadpan Powerpoint, The Lusty Mannequins (both from Toronto) and the aforementioned Hot Thespian Action (from Winnipeg).

Some of the troupes I especially look forward to seeing include Toronto's own Falcon Powder and Smells Like the '80s. And then there's Frankenmatt (pictured in photo), a comedy duo made from Los Angeles, comprised of Second City Chicago Alumni Matt Craig and Frank Caeti, who also starred in MADtv.

Other locals sure to please are Approximately 3 Peters and The Boom.

Mike Clattenburg, the creator of Trailer Park Boys, is going to be a celebrity judge for "Some Conditions Apply: A Night of Commercial Parodies" on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m at The Comedy Bar.

And I just heard that Ben Mulroney is confirmed for the Sunday Night Live! show (featuring five-year SketchFest veterans, The Sketchersons) on Nov. 15 at The Comedy Bar.

To keep up with SketchFest updates this year, you can also follow them on Facebook or Twitter.

Tickets to all events are just $12, with a four-show SketchFest passes ($36... it's like getting a show for free) and full festival SketchFest passes available for $50, with limited quantities available at Theatre Passe Muraille and Comedy Bar or online.

Roger Cullman.

thanks on November 9, 2009 at 10:17 AM

Roger, sincerely, thank you for the preview rather than review. BlogTO is listening?

Derek on November 9, 2009 at 1:18 PM , replying to a comment from thanks

Thanks for the comment, and we are listening. We're always looking to strike the right balance between previews and reviews. For those shows that we plan to review (without a full scale preview), advance warning is provided via our Radar and Events section.

Jeremy on November 9, 2009 at 1:49 PM

I also appreciate the preview :) Too often I hear about something interesting the day after it happened. I'm sure the events themselves also benefit from the earlier notice.

Wade Vroom on November 9, 2009 at 8:56 PM

More previews of the sketch fest along with interviews over here at the Panic Manual

http://www.panicmanual.com/toronto-sketch-comedy-festival/

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