Laugh Sabbath’s 10 Year Anniversary Show (TOsketchfest) – The Theatre Centre – March 12, 2016

By: Kat Harlton

http://www.torontosketchfest.com

http://laughsabbath.tumblr.com

This past Saturday night I had the pleasure of checking out Laugh Sabbath’s 10^th Anniversary Show as part of ToSketchFest’s headliner series presented by Steam Whistle. For those unfamiliar, Laugh Sabbath is a critically acclaimed comedy collective made up of Toronto’s most original and exciting comedic voices.

I have been attending Laugh Sabbath shows since it’s incarnation at The Rivoli 10 years ago, and have had the ability to see many of its current (and past) members excel at their work. Many have gone on to their own TV shows, films and headlining tours. Notable alumni included Levi MacDougall (CONAN), Kathleen Phillips-Locke (Sunnyside) and Katie Crown (Adventure Time, Bob’s Burgers).

The 10^th Anniversary show saw members back in their original comedy pairings, with a lot more music than I expected but really appreciated. I thought it was a great way of crossing art forms, thereby allowing the comedians to express themselves in a non-traditional way and allowing the audience to connect with comedy in a new way as well. Overall, I felt the whole evening was fresh, unpredictable, and even a little chaotic – the perfect combination for a successful night of laughter.

Standout performances included:  the evening’s host-James Hartnett (Canadian Comedy Award for Television / Best Performance by an Ensemble – Television), Tim Gilbert (Just for Laughs, MTV)  Sara Hennessey (Canadian Comedy Award for Live / Best Female Stand-Up) and Nathan Fielder (Nathan for You) who, along with help from some alums, created a video just for the event.

I highly suggest checking out a Laugh Sabbath show the next chance you get. You can catch the gang every Thursday night at Toronto’s Comedy Bar.