Toronto's most popular alternative comedy

Alternative comedy

Alternative comedy is a term that originated in the 1980s for a style of comedy that makes a conscious break with the mainstream comedic style of an era, and typically avoids relying on a standardised structure of a sequence of jokes with punch lines. Patton Oswalt defines it as "comedy where the...

 show. It runs every Monday at The Rivoli

The Rivoli

The Rivoli is a bar, restaurant and performance space, established in 1982, on Queen Street West in Toronto, Ontario. The club originally earned a reputation as one of Canada's hippest music clubs, and many major Canadian comedy and musical performers have played on its stage, including The Kids in...

 (where The Kids in the Hall

The Kids in the Hall

The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...

 frequently performed, and began in the 1990s. In 2005 a Tuesday show, The Sketch Comedy Lounge, was added.

The show is produced by Morgan Flood and Lorne Perlmutar.

Comedians

• Carmen Albano
• Makesi Arthur
• Boyd Banks
  Boyd Banks
  Boyd Banks is a Canadian stand-up comedian known for doing edgy material, and actor.-Biography:Banks has appeared in such films as Bruiser , Wild Iris , Dawn of the Dead , Phil the Alien , Land of the Dead , Cinderella Man , Diary of The Dead and Pontypool...
  
  
• Brian Barlow
  Brian Barlow
  Brian Barlow is a Canadian comedian and actor, originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada but currently living in Toronto. He is best known for creating and hosting The Loner Show a monthly solo character comedy show where anything but stand-up is allowed. The Loner Show is part of Laugh Sabbath, a...
  
  
• Ryan Belleville
  Ryan Belleville
  Ryan Belleville is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor. He was born in Calgary, Alberta and moved to Toronto where he studied at the Humber School of Comedy, winning the Phil Hartman Award when he graduated. He was the youngest person to tape his own Comedy Now! special for CTV and also appeared...
  
  
• Lewis Black
  Lewis Black
  Lewis Niles Black is an American stand-up comedian, author, playwright, social critic and actor. He is known for his comedy style, which often includes simulating a mental breakdown, or an increasingly angry rant, ridiculing history, politics, religion, trends and cultural phenomena...
  
  
• Michael Black
  Michael Black
  Michael Black may refer to:*Michael Black , former English footballer*Michael Black , former Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia*Mike Black , American football player...
  
  
• Brent Butt
  Brent Butt
  Brent Butt is a Canadian stand-up comedian actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Brent Leroy on the CTV sitcom Corner Gas, which he also created. The series was an instant hit when it made its debut in 2004....
  
  
• Chuck Byrn
• Craig Campbell
  Craig Campbell
  Craig Campbell is a Canadian stand-up comedian, who now lives in Devon, England.He was the host of Ed's Late Night and From Wimps to Warriors...
  
  
• Martha Chaves
• Sean Collins
  Sean Collins
  Sean Collins may refer to:* Sean P. Collins , American ice hockey defenceman for the Washington Capitals* Sean Collins , retired American minor pro ice hockey forward* Sean Collins Sean Collins may refer to:* Sean P. Collins (born 1983), American ice hockey defenceman for the Washington Capitals*...
  
  
• Simon B. Cotter
• Sean Cullen
  Seán Cullen
  Seán Cullen is a Canadian comedian. He is known for combining improvisation with mimicry and music. Cullen has been described in Time as the "vanguard of comedy's next generation". He is best known for voicing Four, Five & Seven in Seven Little Monsters. -Career:Cullen entered into the public eye...
  
  
• Kate Davis (comedian)
• Gerry Dee
  Gerry Dee
  Gerry Dee is a Canadian stand-up comedian. Prior to his comic career, he was a physical education teacher and hockey coach at De La Salle College "Oaklands", a private co-ed high school in Toronto...
  
  
• Debra DiGiovanni
  Debra DiGiovanni
  Debra DiGiovanni is a Canadian stand-up comedian of Italian descent originally from Tillsonburg, Ontario.Her comedy career began with the help of Humber College's inaugural year of their Comedy Writing and Performance course, in 2000 and has since been nominated for the coveted Tim Sims Comedy...
  
  
• Gord Disley
• Jon Dore
  Jon Dore
  Jonathan David Dore is a Canadian comedian and actor.-Career:Dore spent three years co-hosting Rogers Television's Daytime. For his work, creativity and quick improv skills, he received the Impression Award for best on-air personality in 2001...
  
  
• Harry Doupe
  Harry Doupe
  Harry Doupe is a Canadian stand-up comedian and writer. He has opened shows for The Tragically Hip and "Weird Al" Yankovic at the Air Canada Centre, and delivers an annual "Statelessness of the Industry" Address as part of The Canadian Comedy Awards....
  
  
• Jo-Anna Downey
  Jo-Anna Downey
  Jo-Anna Downey is a multiple Canadian Comedy Award-nominated stand-up comedian. She is the host of 2 popular weekly Toronto, Ontario comedy shows Open Mike at Spirits and Standing on the Danforth.-References:...
  
  
• Derek Edwards
  Derek Edwards
  Derek Edwards is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor from Timmins, Ontario. He went to Timmins High and Vocational School.In 1995, he was the winner of the Vail National Comedy Invitational in Vail, Colorado. He is the only Canadian to date to have won this award. He won the 2004 Canadian...
  
  
• Laurie Elliot
• Chris Finn
  Chris Finn
  Chris Finn is a Canadian stand-up comedian and comedy writer.Finn was raised in Ottawa, Ontario. He has written for several television shows, including This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Talking to Americans, The Rick Mercer Report and Corner Gas. He has won three Gemini Awards and a 2001 Canadian Comedy...
  
  
• Arthur Simeon
  Arthur Simeon
  Arthur Simeon is a Ugandan stand-up comedian based in Toronto, Canada, but was born in Kampala, Uganda on November 14, 1984, Arthur Simeon moved to Canada as a teenager where he first tried his hand at stand-up comedy...
  
  
• Derek Flores
• Mark Forward
  Mark Forward
  Mark Forward Originally from Oakville Ontario. Is a Canadian comedian and winner of the 2005 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-up Newcomer. He also won the Homegrown Competition at the 2006 Just for Laughs festival. He has performed at the Halifax Comedy Festival, Hub Cap Comedy Festival and...
  
  
• Stewart Francis
  Stewart Francis
  Stewart Francis is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor and writer. In addition to his work in Canada and the USA, he frequently tours in the UK and appears on British television...
  
  
• Martina Gail
• Janeane Garofalo
  Janeane Garofalo
  Janeane Garofalo is an American stand-up comedian, actress, political activist and writer. She is the former co-host on the now defunct Air America Radio's The Majority Report. Garofalo continues to circulate regularly within New York City's local comedy and performance art scene.-Early...
  
  
• Tom Green
  Tom Green
  Michael Thomas "Tom" Green is a Canadian actor, rapper, writer, comedian, talk show host and media personality. Best known for his shock humour brand of comedy, Green found mainstream prominence via his MTV television show The Tom Green Show...
  
  
• Adam Growe
  Adam Growe
  Adam Growe , is a Canadian comedian, licensed Toronto cab driver, and the host of the Canadian version of Cash Cab.Born in New York, but raised in Vancouver, he has been performing professionally on radio, television and stage for almost 20 years. Once a full-time Morning DJ, Growe has since...
  
  
• Rich Hall
  Rich Hall
  Richard "Rich" Hall is an American comedian, writer and musician.-Early life and career:Hall was born in Alexandria, Virginia and grew up in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He is part Cherokee Indian...
  
  
• Mitch Hedberg
  Mitch Hedberg
  Mitchell Lee "Mitch" Hedberg was an American stand-up comedian known for his surreal humor and unconventional comedic delivery. His comedy typically featured short, sometimes one-line jokes, mixed with absurd elements and non sequiturs...
  
  
• Jessica Holmes
  Jessica Holmes
  Jessica Holmes is a Canadian comedian and actress. She is best known for her work with the Royal Canadian Air Farce, which she joined in 2003. She is married to actor Scott Yaphe....
  
  
• Bruce Hunter
  Bruce Hunter (actor)
  Bruce Hunter is a Canadian actor and comedian from Calgary, Alberta. He has appeared in television shows such as Puppets Who Kill and The Red Green Show. Hunter received a Canadian Comedy Awards nomination in 2002 for his work on the television series After Hours...
  
  
• Paul Irving
• Ron James
  Ron James (comedian)
  Ron James is a Canadian stand-up comedian.James was born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia; his family later moved to Halifax during his youth. He attended Acadia University, studying history and political science with the intention of becoming a history teacher...
  
  
• Tony Krolo
• Elvira Kurt
  Elvira Kurt
  Elvira Kurt is a Canadian comedian and was the host of the entertainment satire/talk show PopCultured with Elvira Kurt on The Comedy Network in Canada. The show's style was similar to The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and began in 2005, and was canceled due to poor ratings in early 2006...
  
  
• Craig Lauzon
  Craig Lauzon
  Craig Lauzon is a Canadian actor, writer, comedian, and member of the Royal Canadian Air Farce. His main caricatures on the Farce include George Stroumboulopoulos, John Baird, and Stephen Harper...
  
  
• Steve Levine
  Steve Levine
  Steve Levine is a British record producer, most famous for his work on Culture Club's studio albums.Levine also has produced work for John Howard, China Crisis, Motorhead, Ziggy Marley, Westworld, The Beach Boys, and Gary Moore....
  
  
• Chris Locke
• Gilson Lubin
  Gilson Lubin
  Gilson Lubin is a stand-up comedian originally from St.Lucia. Raised most his life in Canada, Gilson spent the past couple of years on the CTV programme MTV Live as one of its original seven hosts...
  
  
• Levi MacDougall
• Shaun Majumder
  Shaun Majumder
  -Life and career:Majumder was born in Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador to a European descended mother from Newfoundland and an Indian father. He started his entertainment career as an announcer for the YTV game show CLIPS, and soon was hosting the network's popular morning kids show Brain...
  
  
• Mike Moses
• Tim Nasiopoulos
• Alex Nussbaum
  Alex Nussbaum
  Alex Nussbaum is a comedian, actor and writer.He has been nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Standup.He has appeared on Just For Laughs, Comedy Now!, It's a Boy Girl Thing and is a regular judge on the MuchMusic show Video on Trial....
  
  
• Alan Park
  Alan Park
  Alan Park is a Canadian comedian and political satirist best known for his appearances on the Royal Canadian Air Farce. Alan gives humorous commentary on current events...
  
  
• Nikki Payne
  Nikki Payne
  Nikki Payne , is a Canadian comedian and actress, from Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, Canada. Born with a cleft palate, she is well known for incorporating her lisp into her comedy act. She has won three Canadian Comedy Awards for Best Stand-up Newcomer and Best Female Stand-up...
  
  
• Rodney Pentland
• Perry Perlmutar
  Perry Perlmutar
  Perry Perlmutar is a Canadian comedian from Toronto, Ontario.He has made many appearances on MuchMusic's Video On Trial.-External links:* at MySpace...
  
  
• Tim Polley
• Daryl Purvis
• Simon Rakoff
  Simon Rakoff
  Simon Rakoff is a Canadian comedian. He is the brother of humorist David Rakoff. He has appeared on numerous Canadian television shows and festivals, including the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and Just for Laughs...
  
  
• Dan Redican
  Dan Redican
  Dan Redican is a Canadian comedy writer and performer and puppeteer, best known for his work with the comedy troupe, The Frantics. As a founding member of the troupe he has worked since 1979 on numerous stage shows, the Frantic Times radio show, Four on the Floor TV show...
  
  
• Jennifer Robertson
  Jennifer Robertson
  Jennifer Robertson is an actress/writer who started her acting career in Canada, appearing on a number of Canadian television shows and films. In 2004 she was nominated for the Canadian Comedy Awards for her writing.-Career:...
  
  
• Kenny Robinson
  Kenny Robinson (comedian)
  Kenny Robinson is a stand-up comic, actor, and occasional DJ. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, he moved to Toronto in 1983 to pursue a career as a comedian.In 1998 he was chosen by Now Magazine as their Comic of the Year....
  
  
• Paul Schuck
• Ron Sparks
• Winston Spear
  Winston Spear
  Winston Spear is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actor from Toronto, Ontario. He is the winner of the 2003 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-up and is a member of the cast of the popular CTV sketch comedy show Comedy Inc.. He has been called "King Of Obscure".* Winston is known for...
  
  
• Eric Tunney
  Eric Tunney
  Eric Tunney was a Canadian writer, comedian and television host from Windsor, Ontario who hosted several television shows produced in both Canada and the U.S...
  
  
• Kristeen von Hagen
  Kristeen Von Hagen
  Kristeen Von Hagen is a comedian and actor best known for her appearances on such Canadian television shows She's so Funny, The Dish Show, Single's Court, Zero Avenue, The Green Room and Comedy Now!...
  
  
• Will Weldon
• Harland Williams
  Harland Williams
  Harland Williams is a Canadian actor, comedian, author, artist, musician and radio personality.-Personal life:Harland Reesor Williams was born on November 14, 1962, in Toronto, Ontario, to Lorraine , a social worker, and John Reesor Williams, who worked as a member of the Ontario Provincial...
  
  
• Robin Williams
  Robin Williams
  Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
  
  
• Mike Wilmot
  Mike Wilmot
  Mike Wilmot is a Canadian stand-up comedian. In 2005 he won two Canadian Comedy Awards for best male stand-up and best actor for his work in It's All Gone Pete Tong....
  
  
• Fraser Young
  Fraser Young
  Fraser Young is a stand-up comedian who started in Toronto, Ontario. He also headlines right across Canada, and as far away as Hong Kong.Young has won the prestigious Tim Sims Encouragement Fund, awarded to the best up and coming comic in Toronto that shows a creative and fresh approach to comedy...
  
  
• Pete Zedlacher
  Pete Zedlacher
  Pete Zedlacher is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor and television writer. He has appeared at Just For Laughs and the Halifax Comedy Festival, and won the 2006 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Stand-up...
  
  

Sketch Troupes

• Corky and the Juice Pigs
  Corky and the Juice Pigs
  -Filmography:* 1996 - A Little Off the Top* 1996 - MadTV * 26 October 1998 - SketchCom -References:**...
  
  
• Death Ensemble
• The Distractions
  The Distractions
  The Distractions are a British punk rock/new wave band from Manchester, England.-History:The band was originally formed in 1975 by college friends Mike Finney and Steve Perrin , alongside Lawrence Tickle and Tony Trap...
  
  
• The Doo-Wops
• Flossy and the Jube-Jubes
• The Frantics
  The Frantics
  The Frantics or Frantics is the name of:*The Frantics , a punk rock band.*The Frantics , a Canadian comedy troupe.*The Frantics , a Showtime network series....
  
   (aka Four on the Floor
  Four on the Floor
  Four on the Floor was a sketch comedy series which aired on CBC Television in 1986. Consisting of only 13 episodes, the series was a showcase for The Frantics, a comedy troupe consisting of Paul Chato, Rick Green, Dan Redican and Peter Wildman...
  
  )
• The Gazebo Pals
• The GTOs
  The GTOs
  The GTOs were a "groupie group" that consisted of Miss Pamela , Miss Sparky , Miss Lucy , Miss Christine , Miss Sandra , Miss Mercy and Miss Cynderella...
  
  
• The Gurg
• The Imponderables
  The Imponderables
  The Imponderables is a Canadian sketch comedy troupe based in Toronto. They are the winners of the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Sketch Troupe.The troupe originated in Hamilton, Ontario...
  
  
• The Minnesota Wrecking Crew
  The Minnesota Wrecking Crew
  The Minnesota Wrecking Crew is a Canadian sketch comedy troupe, featuring members John Catucci, Josh Glover, Mike 'Nug' Nahrgang and Ron Sparks. They all met as members of The Vanier Improv Company...
  
  
• Ms. Chickaburns
• The Polecats
  The Polecats
  -Career:The Polecats are a rockabilly band formed in 1977 in North London. The original line-up was Tim Worman , Martin "Boz" Boorer, , Phil Bloomberg, , and Chris Hawkes , who originally played under the name "Cult Heroes." Finding difficulty persuading promoters to book them on the rockabilly...
  
  
• The Rumoli Brothers
• The Sketchersons
  The Sketchersons
  The Sketchersons are a sketch comedy troupe based in Toronto, Ontario. They are winners of the 2007 Canadian Comedy Award for best Sketch Troupe, an award they had been nominated for each of the 3 years prior...
  
  
• Smells Like the 80s
• Todd's Lunch
• The Understudies

Sketch Comedy Lounge

In 2005 a second weekly night was added on Tuesdays, called the Sketch Comedy Lounge.

Link to ALTdot home page:
http://www.altcomedylounge.com