Who's the funniest woman in B.C.?
Turn out to the House of Comedy B.C. in New Westminster this week as an array of up-and-coming female comics vie for the title of B.C.'s Funniest New Female Comic 2021.
Laughter Zone 101 is bringing the competition back after a one-year hiatus – and Laughter Zone founder Janice Bannister couldn't be happier.
“There are a lot of excited comics waiting to get on the stage to share their talent," she said in a press release.
Bannister said that when she announced the competition, she received a "flood of entries" from people around the province – including financial workers, actors, hairdressers, mothers, musicians, a mental health advocate, a lapsed youth pastor and more. All the entrants have fewer than six years of comedy experience.
All types of comedy – including stand-up, improv, musical and story – are welcome in the competition. It takes place over two days at the Attic at House of Comedy, with preliminary rounds happening in two shows on Thursday, Nov. 6 (7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.).
That night, audience members get to vote for their favourites, and audience votes will be tabulated along with judges' votes to determine who moves to the finals.
The finale takes place on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 8 p.m.
Winners receive prize money and weekend gigs at the House of Comedy. The first-place winner also gets a feature spot in an International Women's Day show in 2022 and a showcase spot with Laughter Zone 101.
“The event started out as a chance to give woman more comedy stage time, so I feel incredibly honoured to be producing this event again. This is a friendly competition as most of the comics don’t know each other, so it is a chance for them to meet and network with other female comics," Bannister said. "The lineup of comics we have signed up for the preliminary rounds is guaranteed to provide a wonderful evening filled with laughter. I think this is the most diverse group of comics that we have ever had hit the stage.”
Tickets are $16 and $20, available online through House of Comedy B.C. The comedy club is at 530 Columbia St., in downtown New West.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
Email Julie, [email protected].
