CBC RADIO'S LAUGH OUT LOUD GALA
Saturday, January 27. The 10th annual Icebreakers Comedy Festival returns with a LIVE comedy show being recorded for CBC Radio's Laugh Out Loud in the historic Court House Theatre. Host of LOL himself, Ali Hassan MCs this amazing lineup of some of Canada's top comedians, including: Lianne Mauladin, Gavin Stephens, Tom Henry, Allie Pearse, Keith Pedro & Matt Wright!
*This venue is fully accessible*
MC
ALI HASSAN
Ali Hassan is a Stand-up Comic, Actor and Radio & Television personality.
Ali is the host of stand-up comedy show Laugh Out Loud on CBC Radio and SiriusXM, a frequent guest-host on q and As It Happens - which air on CBC Radio and NPR - and the host of Canada Reads - the annual book-battle celebrating the best of Canadian literature. CBC host Tom Power has referred to him as the "Vince McMahon of books". He'll take it.
Ali has toured Canada with his solo show Muslim Interrupted, and as part of the Just for Laughs cross-country tour, hosted by Rick Mercer. Among his Film & TV credits, he was recently in the films Mafia Inc., MySpy and Tammy’s Always Dying and appeared in recent seasons of Workin' Moms, Murdoch Mysteries and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. TV audiences can also see Ali right now as a recurring guest star in two new shows: Sort Of on CBC and HBO Max, and on the new hit sitcom Run The Burbs on CBC TV & GEM.
His comedic memoir 'Is There Bacon In Heaven?' is out now with Simon & Schuster
Featuring
lianne
mauladin
The very Canadian, Lianne Mauladin, is known for her comfortable, straight shooting, style of comedy and unique perspective on life.
She’s performed live on ABC's The View and her comedy has been recorded and or televised on ABC, Bite TV, iChannel, Sirius XM, CBC and Rogers TV.
Her festival appearances include, the Hubcap Comedy Festival in Moncton NB, LOL Comedy festival in Sudbury, the Frigid Festival in NYC, the Out of Bounds Festival in Austin, Texas, the Women in Comedy Festival in Boston, NXNE in Toronto, the SheDot Comedy Festival in Toronto and more.
In 2021 she released her first album "Late for the Party" produced by Cottage Comedy Digital. Mauladin hosts and produces the monthly Merry-Janes of Comedy Show, the longest running all female stand-up showcase in Canada. The "Merry-Janes of Comedy" road show performs in clubs, halls and theatres around Ontario, including a regular spot and Bare Oaks Family Naturist Resort!
She is a faculty member at the Second City Training Centre in Toronto.
Featuring
GAVIN STEPHENS
Gavin Stephens is a stand-up comedian who skillfully balances playful irony and morbid silliness; he is known for his (really) quick wit and stream of consciousness comedic style. Gavin has been featured in Montreal’s Just For Laughs and Austin’s SXSW, alongside comedy legends Margaret Cho, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Kindler, Reggie Watts, Hannibal Buress and Marc Maron. He has been named one of the “10 Funniest Canadians” by StarTV and chosen as “Best Local Stand-up Comic” in NOW Magazine’s Readers Choice poll. Gavin has been recently nominated for a JUNO award, for his latest Album “All Inclusive Coma” available Howl & Roar records.
Featuring
tom henry
Tom Henry is a comedian, actor and writer from Toronto. His acclaimed hour long Stand Up Special, 66 Jokes can be found on Crave TV. He's appeared on The Comedy Network, and at festivals such as Just For Laughs, San Francisco Sketchfest and Bridgetown Comedy Festival. He's opened for comics such as Tim Meadows, Nikki Glaser and Moshe Kasher and has been a regular on Andy Kindler's Alternative Show. Kindler also chose him as "The Next Big Thing" stating "Tom Henry is a comic who you could say he’s a little bit like Mitch Hedberg, a little bit Steven Wright, but he’s in a category by himself" He was named as one of LA Riot Fest's Comics to Watch in 2017 and was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Stand-Up Newcomer in 2012. His album, ‘Tom Henry Kills’ reached number one on the iTunes comedy charts. He’s written for CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes and has acted in shows such as Netflix’s The Umbrella Academy, and Amazon Prime’s The Boys.
Featuring
allie pearse
Allie Pearse is a standup comedian and writer on the award-winning TV shows Letterkenny and Shoresy. In 2023 performed at Just For Laughs on the Russell Peters Gala, in 2022 she was a 'New Faces' performer at the Just For Laughs festival and is the winner of JFL’s 2021 Standup & Pitch competition. She has performed for tapings at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, JFL’s New Wave of Comedy and CBC’s The Debaters. Allie was a staff writer on the 2022 JFL Galas where she wrote for Chelsea Handler, Jo Koy, Patton Oswalt and Russell Peters and a staff writer/performer on Roast Battle Canada Season 3 & 4. She has performed at the Sled Island Comedy Festival, Hubcap Comedy Festival and Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Allie has been featured on SiriusXM radio, has recorded for JFL Originals and OFF-JFL and was a co-headlining act at the 2022 Just For Laughs in Toronto. She has opened for Meg Stalter, Hannah Berner, Giggly Squad, Kurtis Connor and Matteo Lane.
Featuring
keith pedro
As one of the new stars of Roast Battle Canada on CTV, Keith Pedro is emerging as a breakout comedian in Canada and North America. His Comedy Special for Amazon will be out soon and his JUNO Nominated Comedy Album “Trillipino” is being featured on Kevin Hart’s new Laugh Out Loud network. Keith tours all across the globe spreading his hilarious wit to many different audiences. From Montreal’s Just For Laughs comedy festival the Blaisdale theatre in Honolulu. Keith is known for his improvisational crowd work skills displaying his in-your-face persona and fast talking, smart-ass swagger.
Featuring
matt wright
Matt Wright is a two time JUNO Award losing Canadian stand-up comedian, writer, and actor who has appeared on televised galas for Just For Laughs, CBC, and CTV. He played The Weatherman on Season 2 of Son of a Critch. He opened for Jerry Seinfeld at the 2023 Great Outdoors Comedy Festival.
Matt has written for six seasons of This Hour Has 22 Minutes where he was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award, as well as two episodes of Still Standing. As a filmmaker, his short "Snowstorm Roulette" was nominated for Best International Short at the Austin Comedy Festival.
