The 5th annual Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival has come and gone. There is something about entering a dark theatre with a bucket of beer in your hand that tells you that you are in the right place for the evening.

The thing I love about the sketch festival is its accessibility to the audience and the fans who turn out. When you pay your ticket and wait for the show to start, you are surrounded by performers, their parents and other fans of comedy. Everybody around you is on the same level and has the same goal in mind…lets get together, make ourselves laugh, then do it all again tomorrow night. The festival even provided a drop in class on “how to write sketch comedy” for fans who saw a show, became inspired, and wanted to try it out for themselves.

Unlike other music, film, or theatre festivals that happen in the city, there isn’t a strong industry or monetary side to the sketch fest. Sure, other performance opportunities and exposure can come out of being seen at the sketch fest, but nobody is getting rich by performing or putting on the festival. Because of this, everybody you see is approachable, cool, and is there for a good time, just like you. It is that supportive, community feel that really separates this festival from others. Oh, and you can buy buckets of beer at the shows. Did I mention that already?

Now here are some quick reviews of some of the acts I saw last week.

THE SKINNY – They had some flow problems with their set. The process of undressing and then getting dressed again at the top of their set took any momentum or anticipation out of the audience that they had starting the show. It really slowed things down. I really liked the lip-syncing to classic pop references as transitions between sketches (He-Man and Metallica).
Best Sketch: Dizzy Superman

LUSTY MANNEQUINS – Well written sketches with strong premises. They truly understand that less is often more. Ashley has a great presence and energy on stage. Connor is the unofficial winner of the 2009 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival Adorable Award. He’s a cutie.
Best Sketch: The Orgasm Song and A Date With Rosa Parks

THE SERIOUS – If these guys were a band, they would be Nickleback. Your little sister would probably think they were funny, but really, there wasn’t too much that I hadn’t seen before.
Best Sketch: I appreciated their scab scene for its sudden unpredictable status shift and structure.

BIG TEASE! – Where to start with these guys. After they introduced themselves to the audience my first thought was “This is going to suck”. These three kids broke every unwritten sketch, theatre and comedy rule out there. Their sketches seemed like they were written the night before and their props looked like they were the result of a last minute trip to Value Village. Typically costume changes take place back stage, but Big Tease simply dumped all their props at the back of the stage and changed into them when appropriate. I was totally surprised when I found myself almost pissing my pants laughing two minutes into their set. Why? They were committed and believed in what they were doing. There was never a moment of hesitation from any of them and that is what sold it to me. They were goofy, silly, and at times made little sense, but shit, it struck a chord in me and I couldn’t get enough. Big Tease was a pleasant surprise.
Best Sketch: Math Attack and the Mortal Kombat Movie Summary.

FULLY INSURED- Is there only one sketch troupe in London? Fully Insured are three (sometimes 4?) loud dudes on speed. I caught them a few months ago when they opened for Show Game at the Rivoli. Their set at the Comedy Bar seemed a lot funnier and tighter than the first time I saw them.
best Sketch: Jesus Vs. The Money Changer, and Immovable Force

DEADPAN POWERPOINT – Three new Powerpoint presentations delivered as only Mike and Ted can. They gave us The Wardrobe And Artifice Of The Modern Hipster, Verbal Interjection For The Purposes Of Influencing The Course Of Sporting Events, and Ultimate Sandwich. Here’s a quote from Verbal Interjection For The Purposes Of Influencing The Course Of Sporting Events:

“We suggest you cut your teeth on some kids first. Kids play all kinds of sports, and play them very poorly. As a bonus, their parents have likely made them terrified of failure. The short of it is: kid’s cry. And there’s no better indication of a successful heckle.”

Nice. They were able to maintain consistent laughs throughout their entire set.
Best Sketch: The one where they heckle hipsters while eating a sandwich.

100 & 50- It’s not often that you see sketch with puppets. Puppets are funny when they have sex. When not fooling around with the puppets, the duo of Megan Fraser and Kristen McGregor seemed to draw on a strong clown background, evident by their breathing, and the more obvious, wearing of a red nose. Little things like staging and waving a ‘full’ cup of coffee around stood out, but I got over it quickly.
Best Sketch: Sick Kids Clown

STATUTORY JAPE – I can’t get past their name. You know, I’ve always wanted to start my own sketch troupe called Bubble Mastectomy? Mastectomies are funny, you know, just like rape, right?
Best Sketch: Nickel Ear Nephew

DEATH RAY CABARET- From Toronto these two guys had great energy and stage presence combined with some great video clips. What I liked best was that these guys were having a crap load of fun onstage with each other and that is infectious.
Best Sketch: Have to pick top three: Twilight video spoof, Worst Prank Phone Call Ever and I’ve Been Shot.

FREE LOVE FORUM– These guys have their shit together. When you can couple good acting with good writing you can get away with a lot on stage. Also, when you go to a sketch festival and then chat up Rachel McAdams after your set, you gotta be doing something right. She snuck in the back and watched the show beside us. After the show some people lost their shit at the sight of her. Apparently Rachel is quite popular.
Best Sketch:Rattlesnake Heart

FRENZY – I didn’t get it. They had a long sketch, then what felt like 30 black outs, then another long sketch, then they poped a couple of balloons, then they pimped their own encore from a friend in the audience. They could use a director.
Best Sketch: – Dual Rules. Hiding behind the tree-broccoli was funny.

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