8 rising Toronto comedians and where you can see them
Looking for a way into the local comedy scene? Start here.
It’s no secret that live performance spaces were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. But in recent days Toronto comedian Rush Kazi has seen a major bounceback for the local comedy scene.
Kazi, who has been doing stand-up in the city since 2011, notes that some performances have reached pre-pandemic audience levels.
“One of my last shows at the Rivoli had wall-to-wall audience members,” she says, before adding wryly: “And that one dude who elbowed my martini — I’m not letting that go.”
The Rivoli is just one of many haunts where Torontonians can catch a comedy show, along with Second City Toronto, Comedy Bar, The Corner Comedy Club, Bad Dog Theatre, and SoCap Comedy (previously called The Social Capital) — just to name a few.
“We have so many options,” Kazi says. “Everyone can actually be happy regardless of which side of the comedy spectrum you fall under.”
With increasing variety in shows across the city, there are tons of performers to check out. Here’s a round-up of eight rising Toronto comedians, with a focus on how they stand out on stage and where you can catch their next act.
Leonard Chan
Since Leonard Chan got his start in Toronto in late 2012, he’s become one of the top comics and comedy writers in Canada.
Known for being multi-faceted, he has the ability to develop a comedic take on virtually any topic you throw at him. And his quick wit has led to him being featured on Just for Laughs, and at the Winnipeg and Halifax Comedy Festivals.
Based on its current trajectory of improvement, the only hope I have that AI won't take my job in the arts is that it becomes so good at replicating artists that it gets depression and refuses to do anything.
— Leonard Chan (@TheLeonardChan) April 12, 2023
You can catch him next on May 16 at the Jokers Theatre and Comedy Club in Richmond Hill.
Jessie Olsen
Most comics in the city and elsewhere have carved out a niche. For Jessie Olsen, that’s sex-positive comedy. Much of her material is spicy, as she brings an NSFW flair to the stage.
What’s more, she also works to raise the voices of women and the LGBTQ+ community in the Toronto comedy scene.
Olsen can next be seen hosting Your Place or Mine, an NSFW show in her signature sex-positive style, on May 12 at Comedy Bar (Bloor location).
Sebastiano Fazio
A leading roast comic in the city, Sebastiano Fazio has been characterized by fellow comics and audience members as punchy and quick-witted, often integrating pop culture into his comedy.
In addition to stand-up, Fazio produces shows in the vein of his signature style, including roast battles and roasts of popular movies and TV series.
His next show — May The Roast Be With You — is happening on Star Wars Day on May 4 at Comedy Bar (Danforth location).
Robert Watson
Much of Robert Watson’s comedic style draws upon his life as a queer Torontonian, and he integrates personal anecdotes into his material to hilarious effect.
Watson is also known to produce shows under the brand Gay AF Comedy, which also spotlights the voices of other queer comedians in the city.
Watson and Gay AF Comedy’s next show is on May 4 at Glad Day Bookshop.
Luke Lynndale
If you’ve ever attended a show at Comedy Bar, Free Times Cafe, or SoCap, you might have seen Luke Lynndale already. That’s because the Second City Toronto alumni has frequented almost every stage in Toronto.
Ryan Zeitz (see below) has called Lynndale “probably the hardest-working person in Toronto comedy right now” as he performs and hosts multiple shows a week. His style can be described as energetic as he rants about everyday frustrations and observations.
One of his many upcoming performances is on May 12 for the Best Damn Stand-Up Comedy Show at SoCap Comedy Theatre.
Al Val
Stand-up comedy has often been a platform for comics to get vulnerable — and Al Val has made full use of it. Since coming out as transgender, she has incorporated her transition into her material to produce a comedic style that is equal parts hilarious, empowering, and transparent.
If you want to see Val’s comedy first-hand, you have several upcoming opportunities to do so. She can be seen at No Boys Allowed, a show highlighting female comics, on April 28 at the Society Clubhouse, as well as at the International Women’s Comedy Night at Comedy Bar (Danforth location) on May 12 and 13.
Rush Kazi
Like many other Toronto-based comedians, Rush Kazi got her start at Second City Toronto. Her comedy can be described as raw and confessional as she draws upon her own life experiences in her material.
In response to audience demand for performances featuring comics from marginalized backgrounds, Kazi now produces a diversity — literally and figuratively — of shows, including Asian Comedy All-Stars, MuJew, and Gaysian Comedy All-Stars.
White people are saying "¡Hola!" to me on the street. I'm wondering if wearing crop tops is appropriative.
— Rush Kazi (@Rushzilla) April 14, 2023
Kazi’s next show is the four-year anniversary of Asian Comedy All-Stars on May 13 at The Rivoli.
Ryan Zeitz
A mental health advocate, Zeitz uses the stage to bring awareness to mental health issues. Since he started comedy in 2019, he has consistently brought an honest, vulnerable, and often self-deprecating style to the stage.
The combination of mental well-being and comedy even prompted Zeitz to start Mental HELLth, a comedy showcase that features other local comics performing material specific to mental health.
Being our best silly selves after raising > $1000 for the @camhfoundation
— Ryan Zeitz (@RyanZComedy) February 3, 2023
Had a blast organizing and MCing Mental HELLth Comedy Night at @RivoliToronto
Big thanks to @thischristophe @karigejohnson @Smashby17 and everyone who attended! We couldn't have done it without you! pic.twitter.com/yN7FEvvWJF
The next Mental HELLth show is scheduled for May 3 at The Rivoli. Proceeds from the show go towards CAMH.
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