Is Victoria Canada’s funniest city?
Stand-up comedy is not for wimps. For the fledgling performer, the most intimidating arena in the performing arts is undoubtedly a barroom full of faces turned to you, in various stages of intoxication and expectancy, all wearing the same expression: make me laugh. Armed with only your wits and a notepad of jokes, the threat of crickets greeting your efforts must be terrifying. A great set of stand-up unites the room in laughter, a bad one unites it in embarrassment. It’s not a craft for the thin-skinned.
Victoria, as it turns out, is a thick-skinned city. You can find professionally run comedy shows around town virtually every night of the week, showcasing comedians at every level, from enthusiastic amateurs to headliners. We’re in the middle of a comedy boom—the stand-up scene here has built itself into a close-knit and self-sufficient industry, even through the derailing of live performance caused by the pandemic. Dan Duvall, a touring comic and Victoria native, attributes this growth to our mutually supportive community of comedians, as well as collaboration with the many local breweries who have started offering up their tasting rooms for shows.
The main stage for comedy in Victoria is Hecklers Bar & Grill on Gorge Road East, where Duvall, along with co-owner Aaron McGeough, books pro touring comics months in advance. As one of the top comedy venues in the country, shows routinely sell out. And despite the portentous warning of the club’s name (it’s a sports bar too, and was originally named for armchair quarterbacks), the regular crowds are supportive and respectful. “We have great comedy audiences in Victoria,” says Duvall. “They show up ready to laugh, and they’ll meet you halfway.”
