Kinda Sorta Maybe Like A Podcast

Matt Ardill sits with comedian John Mostyn to catch up on storytelling, comedy, and their shared love of Britpop bands. Having previously recorded his special The Scotsman (available on streaming services of your choice) at Comedy Bar, John returns to one of his favourite venues to record his second special, this time as part of 2025's Just for Laughs Toronto.

Stand-up comic, writer, and actress Chloe Radcliffe has been hitting milestone after milestone the last several years. The Minnesota native moved to New York City in 2018 after appearances at Oddblock Comedy Festival, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and a stand-out performance at the New York Comedy Festival, being named by TBS as a “Comic to Watch”. She’s also made up-and-coming comedian lists from Deadline and Vulture in recent years, while establishing herself as a writing force with a year on The Tonight Show and a Writers Guild of America nomination for the Steven Soderbergh-directed Command Z (which she also starred in alongside Roy Wood Jr. and Michael Cera). Appearing at Just for Laughs Toronto September 25 & 26 with a pair of headlining shows, Paul Little talked with Chloe over Zoom about her earlier years coming up to Canada for those Winnipeg-based festivals; the development of (and next stages for) her one-woman show, Cheat; and her incredible web series In Tandem, where she talks with other comics

James Adomian, if you don't already know him, is your favourite comedian's favourite comedian. He can also do an impression of your favourite comedian so accurate that you don’t realize he's not your favourite comedian. Then when you do realize, he will be your favourite comedian. It is one thing to do an impression, and it's another to actually be funny as the impression itself. He seamlessly jumps between a flow of improvisation and solidly-written material. Go see his most recent comedy special "Path of Most Resistance" on YouTube to find out for yourself. If you don't recognize him from comedy, you might recognize his voiceover work on some of the best animated shows of the past 20 years. He also recently worked with Mel Brooks on the History of the World, Part II miniseries. He’s hosting "The Alternative Show" September 18–20 as part of this year's Just for Laughs Toronto. Andrew Lizotte connected with James over Zoom about everything from where an impression comes from to the significance of voices

Matthew Ardill got the chance to connect over Zoom with actor and musican Jeremy Hoffman to discuss his time playing Marshall in the new Andrew Ahn-directed film The Wedding Banquet, which is in theatres now. Jeremy discusses the welcoming and natural experience working on a queer film, an unexpected setback right before his days on set, the film's music, and his dream project, a most unexpected horror movie. Photo credit: Charles Zuckerman

Matthew Ardill chatted over Zoom with Bobo Le, who plays Kendall in director Andrew Ahn's The Wedding Banquet, which released in theatres April 18. The Wedding Banquet is a movie about found family, and Bobo talks about the family feelings on the set, the great experience the film's director Andrew Ahn created making the movie, and the joy of showing the cast – which includes Emmy nominee Bowen Yang from Saturday Night Live, Kelly Marie Tran of Star Wars fame, and Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone – around her home town of Vancouver.

If you've been following Canadian comedy over the last 15 years, you've probably seen Evany Rosen on TV, and you've definitely seen her work. Originally breaking out as part of the Halifax sketch comedy troupe Picnicface, she's since worked on the brilliant Baroness Von Sketch Show (writing for it and also appearing in many sketches over its 5 seasons) and co-created and starred in the Crave comedy series New Eden alongside Kayla Lorette. She's now behind a brand new series, Davey & Jonesie's Locker, which is streaming on Prime Video in Canada and Hulu in the U.S. The hilarious show stars Veronika Slowikowska and Jaelynn Brooks as best friends thrust into a multiverse saga without ever leaving their high school, and besides showrunning, Evany also appears on screen as the school's principal. Paul Little got the chance to catch up with Evany -- 13 years after their last interview for ShowbizMonkeys.com! -- to chat about combining the teen comedy with campy sci-fi, writing female friendships, working with the

Hunter March is a host, actor, producer, and comedian. He was one of the early faces of AwesomenessTV's collection of digital shows, hosted the game show Emogenius, and was one of the host of E!'s late night show Nightly Pop. After a successful run hosting Netflix's Sugar Rush, the streamer has brought him on board to host the 4th season of the popular glass-blowing competition series, Blown Away, which films in Hamilton, Ontario. Matthew Ardill got a chance to talk with Hunter about his experience working on the show, how talented the glass-blowing artists competing are, his advice not just for contestants of Blown Away but for anyone entering new experiences, and some of the things he did with his spare time in the Toronto area. At the start of their chat, Hunter also gives Matt some celebrity lookalikes to ponder, while Matt throws in some others he's gotten before. Season 4 of Blown Away can be streamed now in its entirety on Netflix, along with all past seasons of the show. You can find Hunter on Ins

Many know Brandon T. Jackson from his film career starring in Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson, and the upcoming I'm Beginning to See the Light. But before that, he was a young stand-up comic. When I say young, I mean young -- starting at the age of 14, catching the comedy bug after watching his father minister to his congregation. Brandon's career started on the stages of Detroit, but eventually he worked his way west to Hollywood, and for many years spent much of his time on screen. But after recent events, Brandon decided to return to the stage with his "Still Detroit" tour. He launches his tour November 30 at the Comedy Loft in Washington, D.C., with more dates and cities to follow (tickets available at brandontjackson.love). Brandon recently took the time to sit with Matthew Ardill for a chat, and they discussed this tour, his inspirations, and the weirdest experience he's had performing comedy.

During 2023's JFL Toronto, Matthew Ardill got to chat over Zoom with Toronto stand-up comic and producer Jessie Olsen to discuss her long-running live show "Hot Babe Energy" (part of JFL Toronto), her podcast "Your Place or Mine", and the many other shows she hosts around the city. They touch on creating safe, sex-positive spaces, what makes a good sexy joke, and the more non-traditional comedy opportunities that have arisen over Jessie's meteoric rise in the Toronto comedy world. Catch Jessie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jessie__olsen Visit her website at https://jessieolsencomedy.com/ Listen to "Your Place or Mine" at https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/your-place-or-mine/id1536752936 or https://open.spotify.com/show/6O8R4JluNeGa9iPfqezxAf

Ottawa's Graham Kay, who has called New York City home for years, has built up quite the comedy résumé. He's toured clubs around North America, appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and featured in festivals like Just for Laughs in Montreal and the Halifax Comedy Festival. Recently, Graham has shifted his focus to a new one-man show called "Pete and Me: A Non-Depressing Look at Autism and Family", where he uses fuses storytelling with his incredible joke-writing to talk about his experiences growing up with an autistic brother, from childhood to today. The show, which was workshopped at small venues around NYC, tackles difficult subject matter head-on with plenty of levity, and has earned great reviews. Now he's bringing the show to Toronto for JFL to end off September, with more dates at the Under St Marks Theater in NYC to follow in October. Before coming to Toronto, he chatted with Andrew Lizotte about what went into the show, the lack of support for adult

Comedian and Second-in-Command at Howl & Roar Records caught up on Zoom with the charming and talented Sydnee Washington ahead of her appearance at the Toronto Just for Laughs Festival. You can catch Syndee's solo show "How to Start a Fire" at JFL Toronto every night at Comedy Bar from September 27-30. Find more info and get tickets at toronto.hahaha.com.

Among the first crop of winners at this year's Juno Awards was Jon Dore, who won the Comedy Album of the Year Juno for A Person Who is Gingerbread, the veteran Canadian comic's debut comedy album from Howl & Roar Records (headed by his sister, Allison Dore). The Ottawa native has had a long career working on both sides of the border, first becoming a household name as a correspondent for 3 seasons of CTV's Canadian Idol before hosting The Jon Dore Television Show on the Comedy Network for 2 seasons. Jon was the first stand-up comic to appear on TBS' Conan when it debuted on November 11, 2010 (his first of many appearances on the late night show), and he hosted multiple seasons of HBO Canada's Funny as Hell, an alternative comedy showcase shot each year during Just for Laughs in Montreal. He's appeared multiple times on the Comedy Central sketch shows Inside Amy Schumer and The Kroll Show, as well as CBC's Baroness von Sketch Show, and in 2021 created and starred in CBC's Humour Resources, shot during the ear

If you don't know who Vir Das is by this point, that's on you, because he's very busy. Most recently, the stand-up comic released an all-crowd work special which was recorded over Zoom -- two phrases that make him a comedy daredevil. This marks his 4th special for Netflix. He was also in the latest Judd Apatow film, The Bubble, shot in the heart of the pandemic that's also about a major motion picture being shot during the pandemic. In advance of his appearances this week at JFL Toronto, Andrew Lizotte chatted with Vir over Zoom about those two latest projects, and Vir spoke about how breaking into the North American market so successfully involved mostly happy accidents that forced him to be the most himself he could be.

Kurt Braunohler has been embracing the bananas since well before he had a podcast of the same name. A stand-up comedian, actor, and improviser, Kurt's material ranges from the conversational to the absurdist, and has always been willing to go to new places. Kurt has appeared at Just For Laughs in Montreal, hosted a comedy game show, Bunk, on IFC, and collaborated with Kristen Schaal on the long-running and critical favourite variety show "Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen" (coming to JFL Toronto). He most recently started an irreverent news podcast with writer and performer Scotty Landes, Bananas, on the Exactly Right Podcast Network. He'll be at Just for Laughs Toronto where he will be making multiple stand-up appearances as well as bringing "Hot Tub" to Toronto for the first time on September 24. Matt Ardill had an opportunity to sit down with Kurt before his Toronto dates to talk about "Hot Tub", Bananas, comedy, and Canadians' intrinsic love affair with the beaver.

Laurie Kilmartin has been making people laugh for a long time. She's been working as a stand-up for most of her adult life, putting out 3 albums (including 2021's Corset) and appearing on late night shows like CONAN, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. She spent 11 years writing on CONAN on TBS, and in 2012 wrote the New York Times bestseller, "Sh*tty Mom: The Parenting Guide for the Rest of Us". Since CONAN ended last year, she's been hitting the road for stand-up more often, including Just for Laughs in Montreal this past July, and several upcoming dates at JFL Toronto at the end of September. Paul Little got the chance to chat with her before her Toronto dates to talk about her time at CONAN, getting back on the road, and why she likes talking about just about anything on stage. For JFL Toronto show info and tickets, visit toronto.hahaha.com.

Fresh off a spring West Coast tour opening for Molly Burch, a couple cool UK festivals, and several very fun music video releases, genre-bending singer-songwriter JayWood is starting an exciting summer. It began with his first-ever appearance at the Winnipeg Folk Festival last weekend -- where he brought his mix of jazz, pop, folk, and funk music to huge hometown crowds -- and then kicks into high gear with the release of a new full-length album, Slingshot, on July 15. Paul Little caught up with JayWood on the final day of the Winnipeg Folk Fest to chat about his festival experience, his successful tour windows when many acts have had to cancel gigs worldwide, writing and recording the new record, and why he made sure it's a complete front-to-back package rather than just a collection of songs. If you're in Winnipeg, you can head to the Tallest Poppy on Thursday, July 14 at 8:00 PM for a Slingshot album listening party. Otherwise, be sure to keep your eyes peeled to JayWood's Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter

Fred Penner has been bringing music to the ears of children worldwide for over 40 years. He's a multiple JUNO Award Winner, a Member of the Order of Canada, and helped teach a generation of Canadians about everything from folk music to curiosity and creativity through his long-running CBC show, Fred Penner's Place. In short and without hyperbole, he's a universally beloved Canadian icon. Now, after a pandemic-enduced touring hiatus, the family entertainer is hitting the road again, including appearances at his hometown Winnipeg International Children's Festival -- a festival he's performed at more than any other. Leading up to the new shows, Paul Little got a chance to speak with Fred over Zoom to talk about his relationship with Winnipeg Kidsfest, his experience working with contemporary Canadian musicians on 2017's Hear the Music, the importance of childhood music education, and why he signed on to highlight Winnipeg musicians through the new TV series Route 90 Sessions.

Andy Kindler has been a stand-up comic for over 30 years; toured endlessly all over North America; co-starred in hit TV shows like "Everybody Loves Raymond", "Bob's Burgers", and "Maron"; spent years doing regular field pieces on Letterman; and delivers the "State of the Industry" address at the Just for Laughs festival in Montreal ever year. Yet somehow, he only released his debut comedy album *this year*. In a way, it's fitting that a comic known for deconstructing the craft would wait until a global pandemic to release "Hence the Humor" via digital download and streaming. Less than a week after delivering this year's JFL "State of the Industry" address via Zoom for the first time with the festival moving online due to COVID-19, our own Andrew Lizotte joined Kindler on Zoom for a long conversation covering the 7 year process putting out the new album, what goes into making the address at JFL every year (and what was different about this year), Kindler's thoughts on "cancel culture", and a deep dive into ea

With COVID-19 cancelling the main Just for Laughs festivals in both Montreal and Toronto, JFL is putting on a weekend of free comedy programming on YouTube and other media. Writer/performer Jenny Hagel (Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Amber Ruffin Show) will be joining her frequent collaborator Amber Ruffin for a chat as part of the "Conversations with Funny People" series on October 10 at 8:30 PM ET. The Second City alumn and mainstay of the hilarious "Jokes Seth Can't Tell" segment on Late Night joined our own Andrew Lizotte for their own conversation, where they discussed Jenny's experiences writing for The Amber Ruffin Show, the differences between writing for Seth and Amber, the way the pandemic has affected the work-home balance, and how to even find the funny in these bizarre times.

Due to COVID-19 and the many travel and performance restrictions in place, Just for Laughs is putting on a weekend of free comedy programming on various online platforms. The hilarious DeAnne Smith (Netflix's Gentleman Elf) is taking part in the "Conversations with Funny People" series, where they'll be speaking with longtime friend, Hannah Gadsby on October 10 at 10 PM ET. Chatting with our own Andrew Lizotte ahead of this weekend's online JFL, DeAnne spoke about their new monthly Zoom shows (DeAnne Smith & Acquaintances), staying in one location for the first time since starting comedy, the progression of their joke-writing and performance style over the last few years, and what this weekend's conversation with Hannah Gadsby will entail.