Tickets are already selling fast for the Newmarket Comedy Festival, returning to town this spring.
Newmarket’s Old Town Hall is set to welcome some of the country’s best comedians across two nights April 4 to 5. With last year’s spring festival selling out months in advance, the producer and host of the festival anticipates similar interest for this year’s larger-than-ever event.
“Due to overwhelming demand and ticket sales, we are going to do two shows this spring and we already have two more planned for the fall,” said Jesse Ralph.
“I honestly did not expect (such demand) the first time around. Tickets are selling as fast as Pokémon cards in the ‘90s and there has been unbelievable support from the community and the Town of Newmarket to be able to put together, honestly, one of the best standup comedy lineups in the country.”
This year’s festival, sponsored by Market Brewing Company, Hungry Brew Hops and Ontario Barbershops, will introduce a new two-night approach. April 4 will act as the opening night showcase where Ralph will host Craig Fay of Just For Laughs, CBC, Rebecca Reeds of Just For Laughs, SiriusXM, Jesse Singh of CBC Comedy Records, and Amy Bugg of Winnipeg’s Comedy Festival.
April 4 will feature a special date night theme, a first of the festival. That night will see Kyle Brownrigg, last year’s winner of the Juno Award for Comedy Album of the Year, Anjelica Scannura, the winner of Boston Comedy Fest, Jennifer Hsiung of Comedy Central Asia and Jeff Faulkner of the 705 Comedy Tour perform.
“(The two-night approach) is going to be fun because it gives people a choice of what they want their night to be. If you are in a relationship, it can be fun to hear other people complain about their relationships because we're all going through the same struggle,” Ralph said with a laugh.
“A lot of these comics can headline and do a killer 45 minutes, but when they come to do a show like the Newmarket Comedy Festival, it's just their best 20 minutes. Hopefully, everybody leaves the show having picked a different favourite comic that night.”
Ralph hopes that the showcase-style delivery of the event will allow newcomers to enjoy a night of diverse comedy without the fear of committing to an evening featuring only one performance.
“It gives you less time to get sick of someone if they aren’t your cup of tea,” the producer jokes. “It is going to be a great night and there is going to be something there for everyone.”
Tickets cost $35 and are currently available for purchase here.