Fraser Valley Comedy will be hosting three evenings of laughs for the month of May.
On Friday, May 12 it’s Kevin Banner. The first comedian signed to 604 Records, Banner has quickly established himself as a rising talent in Canadian comedy, performing with such notable comedians as Colin Quinn, Bill Burr and Norm MacDonald.
A regular at The Comedy Mix, who has also appeared at The Northwest Comedy Fest, Just For Laughs Northwest, Pemberton Music Festival and Bumbershoot, Banner’s self-professed “dark” sense of humour tackles some tough topics while his personable storytelling and self-effacing charm leave you laughing at everything from the mundane to the grotesque.
Featuring Ryan Williams and hosted by Kody Audette. Takes place at 8 p.m. at the Rosedale Roadhouse Bar &Grill. Tickets $10 at the door. Call 604-794-3389 for table reservations.
On Saturday, May 13 the headliner is the one and only Byron Bertram.
Like bird flu on an international flight, Bertram’s comedy travels well. His innate talent for voices and accents mixed with a uniquely confident vulnerability have taken him across the world and established him internationally as one of the Top Canadian Comics working today.
Bertram has worked on stage with the likes of Zach Galifianakis, Flight of the Concords, and Eddie Izzard, received rave reviews for his one-man show Guilt Ridden Sociopath and can be seen on ABC’s Once Upon a Time, CBC’s Romeo Section, Tim Burton’s Big Eyes, and heard regularly on XM Sirus Radio, and his weekly comedy based political, current events podcast The Dry Shave Show.
Bertram performs at 8 p.m. at Major League 2 Taphouse and Sports Pub. Free event. Call 604-858-4088 for table reservations.
Then on Friday, May 26 Jan Bannister will be headlining the event.
Bannister has been working the stand-up comedy circuit all across Canada, the U.S., and Costa Rica. She is also an actor, producer, director, writer, and storyteller.
She tells about her crazy mom life, and now her new grandma life. With comedy stories about her transition from a psychiatric nurse, single mom, to a stand-up comic, she will get you laughing about your own life challenges.
Bannister owns Laughter Zone 101, a comedy school that teaches stand-up comedy and storytelling classes. She also teaches comedy for the SFU 55+ Liberal Arts program, and other community centres.
She has produced more than 250 comedy shows and is the producer of BC’s Funniest Female, Done is Better than Perfect, Laughs from the Past (a Carol Burnett, Lucy, and Phyllis Diller tribute show), and The Mother of All Comedy shows. She also co-wrote and directed Aunt Biddy’s Wake, an interactive play.
She is always a bit weird and wacky, and she loves to share the benefits of laughter.
The night will also feature Melanie Rose — truly a rose thriving on the thorny side of life.
For close to a decade she has made light of the heaviest of issues in the Vancouver comedy scene and in comedy venues across Canada. Whether in a club, festival or on television Rose wows audiences with raw, honest insights on love, marriage, addiction, mental illness and trials of middle-class single mother’s life.
She was featured on the critically acclaimed APTN show She Kills Me, performed at I Am Woman! Hear Me Laff!, Victoria’s Funny Women’s Festival and Victoria International Buskers Festival.
In addition to her stand-up comedy, Rose is dedicated sharing her journey with others to help remove the stigmas attached to addiction and mental health. In 2015 Rose envisioned and produced Medicated, a crazy night of comedy in Victoria to raise funds for Victoria Cool Aid Society. She has also been invited to perform for Public Health Association of BC, Pacific Blue Cross, Correctional Services and numerous medical health professional associations.
The May 26 show takes starts at 8 p.m. at the Rosedale Roadhouse Bar &Grill. Tickets $10 at the door. Call 604-794-3389 for table reservations.
