From Thursday, October 23 to Saturday, October 25, 2025 – The Theatre Centre presents its annual Comedy is Art. festival, with live comedy, plus a comedy symposium hosted by Bad Dog Theatre.

Three nights of can’t-miss comedy!

Welcome to year six of the Comedy is Art. festival, with three nights of comedy, showcasing over 20 comics from across Toronto and beyond! Featured shows and performers include Andrew Phung and Friends, Not Hamilton Improvised, Nkasi Ogbonnah’s Afronaut and more – plus a serious day of comedy with Bad Dog Theatre.

This year’s festival brings 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM shows, with estimated run times between 60 and 75 minutes each. All shows are intended for adult audiences (18+) unless otherwise noted.

• Thursday, October 23 @ 7:00 PM ET: Andrew Phung and Friends. Andrew Phung, Gavin Williams and Alexa MacKell are three best friends who have been doing comedy together for over a decade. Having met at the Loose Moose Theatre in Calgary, they are a powerhouse trio of laughs, love and pop culture jokes that only Andrew and Alexa get, but Gavin goes along with due to his fear of being ostracized from the group.
• Friday, October 24 @ 7:00 PM ET: Afronaut (Nkasi Ogbonnah). Get ready for intelligent, acerbic and weirdly gentle comedy! Tackling relevant social issues through the eyes of an angry Black woman who has every reason to be angry. You’ll probably be mentally hit with snapshots of historical figures, and outer space, presented by someone with the physicality of a former rhythmic gymnast (and we can’t stress the word “former” enough). If Kamala Harris did comedy, and was Canadian, this would be her show. And, as Kamala says, “Mr. Vice President, I’m speaking.”
• Friday, October 24 @ 9:00 PM ET: Hot Takes. Hosted by Toronto-based comic Tamara Shevon, this is a show full of comics whose hot takes will have you laughing all night. Featuring: Darren Leo, Raquel Maestre, Ben Sosa-Wright and Orly Zebak.
• Saturday, October 25 @ 7:00 PM ET: Made You Laugh. Headlined by Toronto favourite Nick Reynoldson, this lineup will bring the funny in ways you didn’t even know were possible. Featuring: Marcia Johnson, Daphney Joseph, Lou Laurence and Kě.
• Saturday, October 25 @ 9:00 PM ET: Not Hamilton Improvised. Co-Presented by Bad Dog Theatre – an improvised hip-hop and freestyle-rap musical inspired by a historical figure or character as chosen by the audience, fully scored by the backing tracks of Hamilton. Songs non-stop! Featuring: Lance Oribello, Katie Chin, Patrick Ronan, Tim Blair and Nicole Passmore.

“The Comedy is Art festival in 2024 was an absolute highlight of the year for me. The creative freedom, alongside the promotional and planning support allows us to put forward the best show possible. This festival is an absolute gem, and must be protected at all costs. In a time where we’re seeing our cultural festivals and gatherings underfunded and cancelled, the Comedy is Art festival is thriving and is making an impact on the community.”

– Andrew Phung, actor, improviser & comedian, on his return to Comedy is Art.

A symposium exploring inclusion & diversity in comedy

New this year, Comedy is Art is hosting a day of Our Cities on Our Stages, Bad Dog Theatre’s groundbreaking symposium on inclusion and diversity. This full day of activities (workshop, presentation, dialogue) on Saturday, October 25 will dovetail into an improv presentation as part of Comedy is Art. Our Cities is a chance to gather, to take stock and to really check in with each other, in the context of a world where inclusion initiatives are under attack.

Open to improv students, performers, instructors and/or arts administrators, the Our Cities on Our Stages Symposium seeks to create a dialogue about existing diversity and inclusion issues while looking forward to possible healthy futures.

Bad Dog Theatre Company is an artist-run charity that has produced Toronto’s best improvised comedy for over 40 years.

 

The 2025 selection committee

This year’s event of excellent comedy and good vibes has been curated by comedian, storyteller and The Theatre Centre’s Associate Artistic Director liza paul, with programming support from Tim Blair (TallBoyz) and Ellie Posadas (Tita Collective). Their curatorial mission: to present excellent shows that punch unapologetically up, through poignant and witty observations about the world, and a commitment to making you laugh.

“For our sixth year, I wanted to take what we’ve learned from all our years past and deliver a festival that speaks to what artists and audiences want: a curated, boutique experience where excellent comics can deliver hilarious shows. We are interested in re-framing expectations around what comedy can be, both in terms of programming as well as the overall experience for the comedians and the people who love to see them.”

– liza paul, Comedy is Art Curator & Theatre Centre Associate Artistic Director

The Theatre Centre Café/Bar will stay open late all throughout the festival, serving Lost Craft drinks and specialty cocktails. A select menu of delicious baked goods and treats will also be available, designed by Baker-in Residence Akash Swar and Café/Bar Manager Margaret Legere.

 

About the Comedy is Art. festival

The Comedy is Art. festival is an annual comedy and performance festival hosted by The Theatre Centre, featuring stand-up and sketch comedy, improv, music and more. The Theatre Centre recognizes comedy as a distinct artform and, through its annual festival, offers artists the space, time, resources and platform that comedy deserves. The festival features some of the best comedians in Toronto and sends a clear message: comedy should be taken seriously! The Theatre Centre also dedicates at least one Residency spot to a comedian. Read more about the festival here.

 

About The Theatre Centre

The Theatre Centre is a nationally recognized live-arts incubator and community hub. Their mission is to offer a home for creative, cultural and social interactions to invent the future. They make work that spans disciplines and genres; work that pushes the boundaries of what is considered “art”. Their programming and their role as a community space are inextricably linked. Art is not made in a silo: it is connected to the world around it.

(Photo credits: The Theatre Centre. Comedy is Art. 2025.)

 

Event details

Presented by: The Theatre Centre

Type of event: comedy festival

Curated by: liza paul, with programming support from Tim Blair and Ellie Posadas. Read about the 2025 selection committee by scrolling down here.

Featured performers: Andrew Phung, Gavin Williams, Alexa MacKell, Nkasi Ogbonnah, Tamara Shevon, Darren Leo, Raquel Maestre, Ben Sosa-Wright, Orly Zebak, Nick Reynoldson, Marcia Johnson, Daphney Joseph, Lou Laurence, Kě, Lance Oribello, Katie Chin, Patrick Ronan, Tim Blair, Nicole Passmore & liza paul

Festival dates & times: The festival runs from Thursday, October 23 – Saturday, October 25, 2025 and includes programming at 7:00 PM ET and 9:00 PM ET. Please refer to the Schedule (or see above) for specific performance dates & times.

Our Cities on Our Stages Symposium: Saturday, October 25 from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET. Free registration. Contact the Box Office (see Contact Details below) to register.

Duration: Approximately 60-75 minutes for each performance. The symposium is a full day (see timing above).

Cost:

• Early Bird Passes, available until October 1 only: C$100.00 – Exclusive pass holder benefits include: one ticket to each of the festival’s five performances; three free drink tickets redeemable for Lost Craft products; 50% discount on Comedy is Art merch while supplies last; and access to unlock additional discounts during the Festival. Please note that passes are non-transferable.
• Single tickets: C$30.00 – Discounts are available for anyone (students, seniors, artists, etc.) who can benefit from financial accessibility. Reach out to boxoffice@theatrecentre.org to receive some options.
• Our Cities on Our Stages symposium – Free registration. Contact the Box Office to register.

Location: The Theatre Centre, Franco Boni Theatre, 1115 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1J1

Booking links:

• Early bird pass: Book your passes here.
• Single tickets: Book your tickets here by scrolling down to the event you want to attend.

Contact Details: The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON, M6J 1J1, Canada; (416) 538-0988, boxoffice@theatrecentre.org, theatrecentre.org

 

Content warning: Comedy is Art. festival programs feature mature content and alcohol will be sold (age recommendation 18+).

Accessibility: The venue (Franco Boni Theatre) is on the second floor, where there is a lift available for mobility device users. There is a washroom on the second floor that is also wheelchair-accessible. General: The Theatre Centre is physically accessible to audiences and artists alike. Each level has a barrier-free washroom and there’s a lift available for public use. If you have questions or need specific accommodations, please email or call the Box Office at (416) 538-0988 and they’ll do their best to help you out. While the box office staff is working from home there will not be anyone on site to answer the phone. Leave a message and they will endeavour to return your call within 24 hours. More info here.