Comedians of Montreal: The Rising Standup Talent You Need to See

Montreal is one of the best comedy cities in the world, and most people only know it for one festival.

Every summer, Just For Laughs puts the city in the spotlight. But the real story of the comedians of Montreal happens the other eleven months of the year, in bars, basements and back rooms across the island. Montreal is a young city full of up and coming comics working every night to make a name for themselves in one of the most competitive art forms there is.

Here's who to know, what makes this scene different, and why right now is the perfect time to catch them.

The Challenges Facing Comedians of Montreal

Doing standup in Montreal comes with obstacles you won't find in most cities.

The biggest one is language. Quebec has one of the most developed French comedy industries on the planet. It has its own school, the École nationale de l'humour, its own awards show, the Gala Les Olivier, and its own TV, radio and touring circuit. Francophone comics can build real careers here, with theatre tours, television work and pay that English comics in the same city rarely see.

English comedians face a smaller market at home and serious competition next door. Toronto has a bigger English comedy industry, and New York, the comedy capital of the world, is a short drive away. Plenty of talented English comics eventually pack up and leave. Andrew Searles, named one of Montreal's top 10 standups four years straight by the Montreal Mirror, moved to Los Angeles in 2016 after feeling he'd hit a glass ceiling in Canadian comedy.

That pressure creates something special. The comics who stay are hungry, versatile and often bilingual. Many perform in both languages, which pushes them to write jokes built on ideas instead of wordplay. The result is a scene with a sharp, original voice.

Popular Montreal Comedians

Before we get to the rising stars, here are a few names that proved a Montreal comic can go all the way.

Sugar Sammy is the city's biggest crossover star. His show You're Gonna Rire, performed in both English and French for the same audience, sold more than 60,000 tickets in the Montreal area. He performs in English, French, Hindi and Punjabi, has hosted his own gala at Just For Laughs and has toured across France, Belgium and Switzerland.

Mike Ward grew up in Quebec and performs in both French and English. Known for his dark humour, he also hosts the long running podcast Sous Écoute, a staple for Quebec comedy fans.

Derek Seguin has performed at Just For Laughs ten times, appeared on CBC's The Debaters more than 30 times and won SiriusXM Canada's Top Comic competition in 2015.

Up and Coming Montreal Comedians

These are the names to watch. Catch them now in small rooms before they're playing theatres.

Quinn Lague recently performed at Sugar Sammy's All Star Gala, a showcase Sammy curates himself to spotlight the next generation of Montreal comedy. Quinn stands out for his unique storytelling delivery and out of the box perspectives that take his jokes somewhere you never see coming.

John Cotrocois has performed at Just For Laughs and hosts shows regularly around the city. He's Greek, he's quick, and he's hilarious. If you've been to a comedy night in Montreal lately, there's a good chance he was holding the mic.

Elspeth Wright is a Just For Laughs recording artist and a regular at the Comedy Nest. She helps produce the weekly show Stand Up St. Henri and created Battle of Wits, a comedy game show that started live and moved online during the pandemic. She has also performed at the Halifax Comedy Festival.

Amer Rez was raised in Montreal after moving from Lebanon and left a path in aerospace engineering for the stage. Named an Artist to Watch by the Montreal Gazette, he has opened for Sugar Sammy and performed across Canada, the US and Europe. His material dives into dating, immigrant family life and everyday awkwardness. He runs his own room and hosts The Good Night Podcast, a weekly show featuring comedians from across the scene.

Olivier Foy is a bilingual comic who works both sides of the language line. He has talked about how translating his jokes between French and English made him a stronger writer, forcing him to drop wordplay and focus on ideas everyone can relate to.

Mathieu Bouillon is as strong behind the scenes as he is on stage, with writing credits on SNL Québec and the series Agence Brainsto.

JC Surette is an Acadian comic who grew up a shy kid observing everyone around him, which still shows in his material. He competed on Noovo's standup competition series and has hosted an episode of Trait d'humour on Unis TV.

A few more worth seeing:

Vance Michel came from New York and became a permanent fixture in Montreal. He produces a weekly show at Hurley's and released his recording Just Blaze on YouTube.

Mariam Khan is a native Montrealer who performs almost every night of the week and has been selected for ZooFest and Just For Laughs.

CJ Monias left his Cree community of Chisasibi in Northern Quebec to chase comedy and music in Montreal, and brings a perspective you won't hear anywhere else.

An Untapped Market for Audiences and Bookers

Here's what most people miss: Montreal has festival level talent performing in intimate rooms every single night.

For audiences, that means you can see comics who have played Just For Laughs and major galas from a few feet away, often for less than the price of a movie ticket. No arena seats. No screens. Just jokes, a drink and a crowd that's in on it.

For anyone booking a private comedy show, the opportunity is even bigger. Corporate events, office parties, birthdays, fundraisers and bachelor parties all get better with live standup, and Montreal offers something few cities can: lineups in English, French or both. You can build a show that fits your crowd exactly, with professional comics who know how to work a room.

The talent is here. The market is still wide open. That's rare in comedy.

See the Comedians of Montreal Live

Laugh It Off MTL is an independent bilingual standup production company running English and French shows at nearly 10 bars and restaurants across the city, from Griffintown to Old Montreal to NDG. Our stages feature many of the comics on this list, alongside new voices we can't wait for you to discover.

Check out our upcoming shows, or get in touch to book a private comedy show for your next event. The next big name in Montreal comedy is probably performing this week. Come see them first.