Local Funnypeople Audition for National Comedy Title

Local Funnypeople Audition for National Comedy Title

By Lauren Power

Three local comedians are one step closer to a big payday, courtesy of national broadcasting company SiriusXM, who brought their national stand-up talent search to Mark Breslin’s Yuk Yuk’s this week.

SiriusXM’s fifth annual national comedy contest, SiriusXM’s Top Comic, has seen comedians from across the country jockey for one of eight spots in the lineup at the Just For Laughs’JFL42 Comedy Festival in Toronto, where the top performer will win a grand prize of $15,000 and the title of SiriusXM’s Top Comic.

Three local comedians are going on to the next round: Nicole Downton (@DropOfDownton), Matt Wright (@mattwrightjokes, mattwrightcomedy.com), and Steve Coombs (www.stevecoombs.ca).

Also competing on Wednesday night were Jason Card (@thejasoncard), Jessica Clowe, Adam Benson, Erica Kean (@durksownds), Greg King (@thegregking), Gary Lamkin (@GaryLamkin), Luke Lawrence (@LukeLawrence709), Christopher Pearce, and Sarah Walsh (@KiddoWalsh).

Comedians on comedy

“My favorite thing to talk about on stage so far would definitely have to be my dating history. It’s been … interesting to say the least. From my experiences with a seemingly homeless fella, a virtual mute, and a passive-aggressive stalker, I’ve had plenty of time to fantasize about one day being an actual crazy cat lady/spinster.” – Nicole Downton

“People often ask where we get our material from; what makes us laugh. As comedians, we tend to write about what we know and often what’s important to us. I basically borrow from my every day life and what’s around me,; take it, twist it, and try to present it in a humourous light and a relatable manner. It can be born out of humour (something that simply makes me giggle) or something that perplexes me. That’s why the majority of my material revolves around married life and my family. I spend 95% of my time with them. They make me happy, and sometimes they perplex me … especially the toddler.” – Steve Coombs

“I like to look at regular things from a different perspective to find humor in it. On my album [Vasectomy Baby], I talked a lot about being an accident and the job search. Lately I’ve been doing goofier stuff. My favorite joke I’m working on now is about crumbled goat cheese.” – Matt Wright

Stuff that ballot box

Now that Steve, Nicole, and Matt have made it past the live audience and panel of judges, the competition moves online, with voting open to the public on July 9th at www.siriusxm.ca/topcomic.

“This country has some of the world’s most amazing comedy talent and that doesn’t always get noticed,” says Ben Miner, Canadian comic and host of SiriusXM’s Canada Laughs channel. “We’re really proud to support and help develop emerging and more established talent through competitions like this.”

Auditions from the tour are recorded for broadcast across North America on SiriusXM Canada’s uncensored comedy channel, Canada Laughs (channel 168).