Cape Breton Comedy Fest

Cape Breton’s funniest festival is back for the fourth straight summer from August 17 – 19. This year’s festival will have three unique shows with the gala finale, CBC Laugh Out Loud live taping, at Inverary Resort in Baddeck NS.

CBC Laugh Out Loud event will feature some of the Maritimes best comedians including Cape Breton’s own Nick Beaton and Clifton Cremo performing new material for national broadcast. The show will feature Gavin Crawford, an award winning actor/comedian known for his eight years with This Hour Has 22 Minutes and his recent podcast “Let’s Not Be Kidding”, and he is the current host of CBC’s news quiz “Because News”. Crawford spends his summers being bitten alive by various bugs in Big Intervale.

The Laugh Out Loud show will be hosted by the brilliant Ali Hassan. Ali is the host of CBC’s hit stand-up comedy show Laugh Out Loud, a frequent guest-host of CBC Radio’s national flagship arts and culture show “q”, and for the past six consecutive years, Ali has hosted Canada Reads – the annual battle of the books celebrating the best of Canadian literature. Hassan has appeared on the big screen in award-winning films – Breakaway, French Immersion, and as the memorable Lebanese ‘Uncle Stevie’ opposite Sean William Scott, Jay Baruchel, and Eugene Levy in the hockey hit Goon. His past television roles include Blood & Treasure (CBS), Designated Survivor (ABC), Cardinal (CTV), Holiday Calendar (Netflix), Fubar: Age of Computer (VICE), Odd Squad (PBS Kids), and Man Seeking Woman (FXX), among others. And in 2022 he was in the new season of Hudson & Rex (CityTV), Workin’ Moms, Murdoch Mysteries and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+).
The festival will open Monday August 17 at Savoy Theatre (Studio Space) with Goin’ On Improv. Goin’ On Improv is Cape Breton’s signature improv comedy troupe. Debuting last year at The Cape Breton Comedy Fest, they are back for another year. Come for a night of improvised comedy where no one knows what’s going to happen, not even the performers. No show is the same. You don’t want to miss this truly unique and hilarious comedy experience.

On Tuesday August 18 at Daniel’s Taphouse the festival will have a night focused solely on local talent in a Cape Breton Comedy Showcase. The show will be anchored by veteran Sydney-born comedian Nick Beaton and hosted by Don Munro. Nick Beaton has performed all over the world including London, Dubai, and Johannesburg. He has taken part in prestigious events such as the Just for Laughs, Edinburgh Fringe, Halifax Comedy, and Winnipeg comedy festivals. He has written for TV, including “Spun Out” starring Dave Foley. His mix of political and social commentary with hard hitting jokes has made him a favourite wherever he has performed.

Tickets for the shows can be purchased through
www.capebretoncomedyfest.com.