2nd Grindstone Comedy Festival launches in Edmonton with all-Canadian lineup

For Edmontonians looking to laughter and get a sensation of immoderate of Canada’s champion comedy, this week is looking up.

The 2nd yearly Grindstone Comedy Festival has kicked disconnected successful the Ritchie neighbourhood, astatine the group’s small indie theatre conscionable southbound of Whyte Avenue.

“We booked a afloat Canadian lineup,” said Kathleen McGee, the manager of the festival. “We’re not bringing successful a large sanction headliner from America … we’ve got our ain Canadian stars. It’s truly exciting.”

The Grindstone Theatre launched the festival past summertime successful the midst of the pandemic, inspired by different indie festivals successful Canada similar the Oddblock Festival successful Winnipeg.

Last year’s festival took spot with immoderate restrictions similar assemblage limits and masking, but the 2nd instalment of the lawsuit volition spot a instrumentality to normalcy as cases successful Alberta stay comparatively low.

“We consciousness precise fortunate and excited to get backmost to it,” Byron Martin, the creator manager of Grindstone Theatre, said.

The Grindstone Theatre opened successful 2018 aft the improv radical behind it ran a crowdfunding campaign.

This year’s lineup features immoderate Canadian names successful drama similar Jon Dore (The Jon Dore Television Show, Baroness von Sketch Show), Chris Locke (Baroness von Sketch Show), Adrienne Fish, Andrea Jin and Ryan Williams.

Edmonton-based comedians and improvisers volition besides beryllium featured alongside the visiting performers.

“What happens truthful overmuch is Canadians person to spell to the States to get celebrated oregon to get recognition,” McGee said. “We privation to admit these comedians here. We privation you to cognize their names.

The theatre has besides constructed a caller outdoor signifier to grow the festival.

The lawsuit kicked disconnected Wednesday and runs until Sunday, July 25. Tickets are disposable online.