On Wednesday night (October 17th), I had the honour of hosting the Guelph Comedy Festival Fest Timers night. It was a great night, and congratulations to all the first-time performers, who did an amazing job.
Eight Amateur Comedians
The Fest Timers show was held at The Making-Box, in downtown Guelph. There were eight brave people who did their first ever stand-up routines in public. It wasn’t that long ago for me, so I could relate to the nerves they must have felt!
Here are the performer names, in alphabetical order.
- David Stein
- Garreth Arenburg-Duchesne
- Jason McNutt
- Kyle Humber
- Sarah Bennett
- Simone Dorie
- Steven John
The order in which they performed was selected live on stage – that makes it even more exciting! And stomach churning!
One Awesome Host
Yes, I was the host of Fest Timers at Guelph Comedy Festival 2018. The official program doesn’t say “Awesome”, but I’m sure they meant to add that. You can see my profile on the Performers page, in the Local Favorites section.
Jason is a comedian at the Guelph Comedy Festival. He is also a comedian because of the Guelph Comedy Festival. That’s right! Jason attended a standup workshop that was part of the 2016 GCF, and finally decided to give it a try.
As a member of The Making-Box Brigade, and regular host and stand-up at The Making-Box, Jason tells tales ranging from his childhood, to his child, and all that happened in between. Jason’s life has provided plenty of material. A problem shared, is a problem halved, so let his problems make you laugh.
Getting Ready to Host
Before the show, I found out who was in the lineup, and tried to learn a bit about them. Not in an internet stalking kind of way – just in an official duties as a host kind of way.
I’ve been in comedy shows before, but this was my first hosting gig, so I was a bit nervous too. Nerves are good though – they help you bet energized for the show.
Fest Timers Promotion
The promo for the Fest Timers show was funny, and did a good job of lowering the audience expectations.
Come for a pleasant surprise, stay for a train wreck.
The series where newbie comics take the leap together!
You don’t want people coming in and expecting professional, polished performances.
With that promo, the audience knew that things might get a bit bumpy at times. Maybe some of the audience members were even hoping for that train wreck!
Guelph Comedy Festival 2018
The Guelph Comedy Festival started in October 2012, and is an annual event, run by volunteers, who believe that comedy is great for Guelph.
Laughter is a shared experience that creates strong bonds. Comedy is a vehicle to create community, challenge the status quo and reflect on adversity through a positive lens.
See this year’s schedule on the official website. Get out to some of the shows, if you can, and maybe I’ll see you there!
Hosting Guelph Comedy Festival Fest Timers Show
A great night hosting the Guelph Comedy Festival Fest Timers.
________________________