Every seasoned comedian starts somewhere and Cowtown’s stage is set for aspiring comics.
If you’ve got five minutes of material and an itch to make audiences laugh, there are plenty of microphones and stages to sharpen your comedic craft across the city.
Calgary may not be the first place that comes to mind when considering stand-up comedy. Still, its local indie scene is flourishing from grassroots open mics to massive comedy festivals, offering a unique blend of opportunities for comedians and audiences.
Our local indie stand-up comedy scene has no shortage of opportunities to test material and connect with the community, says Calgary stand-up comedian Victoria Banner, co-creator of Laugh Loft at the Attic.
“Calgary’s comedy scene has always been very strong for a city that isn’t Vancouver or Toronto. We’ve produced a lot of talent and we’ve produced a lot of stars,” Banner says, adding that a lot of successful comedians got their start in Calgary.
She points to Calgary’s very own Brittany Lysing, who just won the 44th Seattle International Comedy Competition, and Malik Elassal, who claimed a spot on Vulture’s “Comedians You Should and Will Know” listing in 2024.
“A lot of those people started at the kind of bar shows that have been around and upheld by the Calgary comedy scene, and that’s where they cut their teeth,” Banner says.
A COMEDY SHOW ALMOST EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK
Ratboy Comedy hosts Zac Wiggins and Maxwell Xavier Land say the city’s level of talent is often underrated. “I think most people don’t realize that Calgary’s independent comedy scene is honestly fantastic,” Wiggins says. “We have some of the best comics in the country that are located here. Pretty much every night of the week, there is at least one show going on, sometimes two or three.
“The scene just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Even from when I started three years ago, it feels like the number of comics has doubled in size. I’m constantly meeting new comics [whom] I have never seen before.”
Land agrees, adding that professional comics are still part of the city’s local scene. Brittany Lysing, for example, often drops in to events like Ratboy to rock a quick five-minute set.
“You can catch them on TV or at a festival one night, and the next night, still working hard and hashing out new jokes at an open mic. It’s great for comedy fans and comics, alike, to get exposed to the process and craft of stand-up,” Land says.
“I started comedy a couple of years ago, and it’s been cool to see my peers from that time starting to find their voice and make their mark in the community. New comics pop up all the time now, as well, and it’s a pleasure to see them grow.”
BREAKING INTO CALGARY’S INDIE COMEDY SCENE, ONE OPEN MIC AT A TIME
Calgary’s open mic nights are the perfect starting point for those looking to dive into the comedy world. Comedy Monday Night, held every week at Modern Love – formerly Broken City – is Western Canada’s longest-running open-mic show. This event has been a staple since 2005, offering newcomers and seasoned performers a platform.
Another popular open-mic option is Ratboy Comedy, hosted by Wiggins and Land every Wednesday at Vern’s. The duo has been hosting Ratboy at Vern’s on Wednesday nights for the past year since they took over from its founder, Erin Wood, who moved to Toronto.
The name Ratboy pays homage to a show Wood used to do in Victoria called Ratfish, and is also a nod to a Simpsons episode in which Homer envisions Bart as a rat and calls him “Ratboy.”
Banner says open mic nights are a cornerstone for emerging comedians, providing a stage for them to test material, gain confidence, and receive immediate feedback.
Calgary’s comedy scene is celebrated for its inclusivity and diversity. Shows like Ratboy Comedy and Laugh Loft are known for amplifying voices from various communities. Supporting these performers enriches the local culture and promotes a more inclusive and representative comedy scene.
“It also elevates a lot of trans voices, a lot of queer voices, a lot of femme voices,” Banner says, adding it’s important to break through the usual noise and create diversity.
Aspiring comedians can carve their path by taking advantage of open-mic nights, performing at established venues, and exploring alternative spaces.
“Every show has a different vibe. It’s nice to have the variety in the scene,” Land adds.
TIPS FOR ASPIRING STAND-UP COMEDIANS
According to Banner, the best thing a comedian can do if they want to get involved is to support the shows they want to participate in.
“Watch the show a couple of times and see the comedy culture before just deciding to get up there and try it,” she says. “Everyone always puts it in their head that they want to be a stand- up comic, and then they put too much effort just rehearsing alone in their room. They don’t observe the culture, and they don’t observe what other people are doing.”
Another tip: practise with a live audience. “You never know if something’s going to work until it works live, so stage time is quite the commodity,” Banner adds. “The only way you can generate stand-up is live in front of an audience.”
Banner also says it’s important to carry a note- book around to jot down ideas when they pop up.
“If you decide that you want to be a stand-up comedian, you don’t just sit down and try to write everything all in one chunk,” she says.
Wiggins recommends that new comics get as much stage time as possible during their first couple of years.
“Try and write at least a little bit every day — and write what you think is funny, not what you think will make the audience laugh,” he says, adding it’s also beneficial to attend shows and learn from veteran comics.
Land says aspiring comedians should write as much material as they can.
“I’m a big quantity-over-quality guy. When you first start trying to write material, there’s a good chance you will find large swaths of it ending up being garbage. You may have to write 30 minutes of jokes before you get a solid five minutes of jokes that do not make you feel queasy,” he says.
“Writing a lot also forces you to try as many things as possible, which will give you insight into how to fix your bad jokes. You can always return to the garbage you’ve tossed aside once you’re older, wiser, and have stepped on many more blades of grass.”
Check out our listing of great comedy nights around town here.
