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| Brian Macquarrie of Picnicface will perform in the Gradhouse comedy show. (Josh Boyter Photo) |
Dalhousie is a funny place.
Not just “quirky” or “unique,” but often genuinely funny. Nearly all of the members of the infamous Picnicface comedy troupe came through Dal, and Rick Mercer found more than enough to jest about when he visited campus last year. It's where Shaun Majumder got his start in standup, while majoring in "general arts and Moosehead 101."
The jokes are about to start hitting even closer to home. Dalhousie’s Gradhouse will be hosting a new local comedy show that organizers hope will get students more invested in Halifax’s flourishing local comedy scene.
“We want to help make students more aware of all the insanely funny comics here in town,” explains Findlay Hilchie, a local comedy buff who is putting the show together. “We’re hoping for a more intimate and casual environment than what you might get at a traditional comedy club, which should allow for a lot more interaction with the audience.”
The first show, which starts Monday evening at 8 p.m., features some of Halifax’s best young comics doing stand-up: Mark Little and Brian Macquarrie of Picnicface, Andrew Hamm – a regular at the local “Stand and Deliver” show – and Comedy Dawgs veteran Ian Black serving as MC. Plus, there will be a mystery comedian who has worked with Just for Laughs, the Halifax Comedy Festival and This Hour has 22 Minutes. All will be doing longer sets than you’d traditionally get at a standard comedy club.
Best of all, each edition of the show – which organizers hope to host every two weeks – will have one slot set aside for an open mic comic from the university. They hope that the opportunity encourages more people to take the stage and give live comedy a shot.
“There’s no better feeling in the world than making a room full of people laugh,” says Mr. Black, who has toured throughout Canada. “It’s like making your friends laugh at a bar or in a living room, but extended to a giant room full of people. There’s nothing else like it.”