Comedian and promoter Rob Mailloux at the Dark Comedy Festival
Toronto’s own Dark Comedy Festivalis back for a new edition this spring, giving you plenty of comedic material to indulge in. The festival has been curating stand up comedy shows for over 10 years in Toronto, highlighting some of the best talent in the city — and it’s a hilarious trip into the most traumatic human experiences.
Created by comedian and promoter Rob Mailloux, the Dark Comedy Festival was founded in 2011 with a mission of making the controversial humorous. Inspired by his own experience with an eating disorder, Mailloux created the festival to bring a bit of goodness out of the bad. He says:
“We’re trying to flip it on its . . . where the most painful thing you can think of becomes the funniest thing you can think of. We’re making light of the worst human tragedies.”
Comedian Mike Willmot at the Dark Comedy Festival – Photo by Ed Rode
Year after year, Mailloux and the Dark Comedy Festival feature some ofthe most talented comedians in the Toronto scene, giving them a way to process their own experience — on stage. Veteran artists like Mike Willmot and Brian Posehn have graced the stage of the festival, but the experience is also open to up-and-coming comedians in the city.
Dark Comedy Festival
The Dark Comedy Festival hosts two types of shows in different venues:
The headliner is centered around one comedian and takes place twice a night, at 7:30pm and 9:30pm respectively. They will be hosted at the Royal Comedy Theatre, one of Toronto’s most iconic comedy venues.
The showcase focuses on rising comedians. The crème de la crème of the Toronto scene will show off their darkest jokes, and nothing is off limits. This show takes place at 11pm at the acclaimed Comedy Bar Danforth.
