Just for Laughs Preview: 3 must-see shows as the comedy festival gets underway

Filed under: Festivals

Every year, the Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal hosts the best mix of comedic talent from around the world. This year is no different, as both veterans of the stand-up world and younger comics who are just getting more widely known are well-represented.

ShowbizMonkeys.com was lucky enough to speak with a lot of great talent performing at this year's festival, and you can find those interviews (and previews for their shows) on our main Just for Laughs Festival hub, but there are also some great performers and shows that we thought you should know about, even though we didn't get the opportunity to talk to the comics involved.

So here are three shows that start up this week which you don't want to miss, should you be lucky enough to be in Montreal this week!

The Ethnic Show

Running two shows a night until Sunday, July 24th, The Ethnic Show: Ethnical Difficulties features a line-up of comics who are known to look at the world through the lens of their own ethnic heritage. Hosted by the incredibly funny Maz Jobrani, the show also features Sebastian Maniscalco, Angelo Tsarouchas, Modi, and Wil Sylvince. This show is always a big part of the Just for Laughs festival because of its consistency to make the diverse Montreal audience laugh. So if you're a fan of laughing (and really, why are you reading a Just for Laughs article if you're not?!) then get your tickets and head on down to Club Soda for some great fun.

More Info / Buy Tickets

Danny Bhoy

Have you ever had the opportunity to see Danny Bhoy live? If not, find a way to make that happen. The Scottish comic is a frequent Just for Laughs performer, also headlining a couple Just for Laughs cross-Canada tours. He's just starting to break out in the United States, appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman amongst other shows, but the rest of the world is already well aware of how funny Danny Bhoy is on stage. Effortlessly jumping between thoughts on stage, Danny's sets are always high-energy. They also seem far more improvisational than they are, just because of how loose and personable he comes off while running through punchlines in the middle of his stories. He's a favourite of Montreal, and is doing a daily show at Gesù straight through until July 31st.

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Jimmy Carr

Jimmy Carr offends people. It's just something that happens when your style of comedy is as brass and unfiltered as Carr's is. However, unlike other comics who might be identified by the same adjectives, Carr is also incredibly dry, understated, and sarcastic in his delivery -- not to mention incredibly bright and witty. Sometimes it might take you a bit of time to actually realize the crassness of his jokes, because they're meticulously-crafted and require you to have your brain turned on. But if you can handle some salty material, there aren't very many funnier comedians out there than Britain's Jimmy Carr. Be prepared for a barrage of one-liners, quick quips, and the occasional story if you venture to one of Carr's "Laughter Therapy" shows, running daily until July 30th.

Carr will also be a part of several other shows at the festival, including Russell Peters: Best Night Ever, Talk of the Fest, and Eugene Mirman and Pretty Good Friends.

More Info / Buy Tickets

Check back on Monday for a preview of three more shows taking place next week. And of course, keep coming back as we post up all our interviews with Just for Laughs performers.

Tags: Just for Laughs, The Ethnic Show, Danny Bhoy, Jimmy Carr, Maz Jobrani, Sebastian Maniscalco, Angelo Tsarouchas, Modi, Wil Sylvince, JFL2011

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Paul Little is the founder and Managing Editor of ShowbizMonkeys.com. When not interviewing his favourite musicians and comedians, he can also be found putting on and promoting music and comedy events with The Purple Room in Winnipeg, or co-producing the live comedy game shows Pants on Fire and The Great Patio Showdown. (@comedygeek)

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