Feature Story
Interview: David Zucker, legendary spoof comedy writer/director
Posted by: Matthew Ardill • November 10, 2025 @ 3:22pm
David Zucker has written and directed some of the biggest comedies of all time, including Airplane! and The Naked Gun.
Tonight I had the absolute joy of seeing Ava Val and Patti Harrison share a stage, and it was so good the only adjective I have left after leaving the theatre is bananas. It was bananas good. A great big hand o' bananas.
It used to be Ava was a Toronto treat, but in the last couple of years she's been spreading her wings and playing across the country and around the world.
If there is a black belt in comedy, or better yet a Nobel Peace Prize, give it to Chloe Radcliffe.
I know in comedy there's that cliché of "never blame the audience", but wow what a terrible audience. This was especially weird for a festival.
One thing certain about the newly-returned Just for Laughs Toronto is they've branched out into a variety of venues that we would have never seen before, including the Randolph Theatre in the Randolph Centre for the Arts, a Methodist church turned into a community arts space and education centre.
First of all, I want to continue my trend of pointing out under-appreciated Canadian treasures. Nour Hadidi absolutely crushed it as Hari's opener. She was so good that Hari was able to get laughs off of callbacks to her jokes. I've never seen that before.
Order Up! - Jason Chatfield - What heaven is made of
Posted by: Matthew Ardill • September 21, 2025 @ 2:16pm
Kelly and Cari sit down with writer, cartoonist, and comedian Jason Chat field, and of course the day Matt can't make it they chat with an artist who worked in Mad magazine. He is in no way angry at himself for not being there and is certainly not sitting in a corner rocking back and forth cursing the universe. What, me worry?
JFL Toronto Interview: Stand-up, writer, and actress Chloe Radcliffe
Posted by: Paul Little • September 21, 2025 @ 2:05pm
Stand-up comic, writer, and actress Chloe Radcliffe has been hitting milestone after milestone the last several years.
JFL Toronto Review: Sarah Millican - "Late Bloomer"
Posted by: Matthew Ardill • September 21, 2025 @ 9:10am
When I heard Sarah Millican's Late Bloomer tour was going to make a stop in Toronto as part of the revived Just for Laughs Toronto, I was delighted. When I heard it would be literally a five minute walk from my house, I knew there was no way I could miss that.
On my way out to my first show of Just For Laughs Toronto 2025, I was starting in a familiar space made unfamiliar. Comedy Bar is easily my favourite space for comedy in the city and the cabaret space my favourite room, and it couldn't have started in a more pleasant way.
JFL Toronto Review: The Alternative Show with James Adomian
Posted by: Andrew Lizotte • September 19, 2025 @ 12:15pm
I have been reviewing this festival for a long time now, and one thing remains as true as ever: The Alternative Show is the best show of the fest.
The new producers of JFL Toronto are doing a lot of things right this year. First of all, The Alternative Show is back at the original Comedy Bar location.
JFL Toronto Interview: Comic and impressionist James Adomian
Posted by: Andrew Lizotte • September 16, 2025 @ 6:05pm
James Adomian, if you don't already know him, is your favourite comedian's favourite comedian. He can also do an impression of your favourite comedian so accurate that you don't realize he's not your favourite comedian. Then when you do realize, he will be your favourite comedian.
I put him in the category of the Jonathan Winters of our generation.
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