From September 20 to 30, we held our first ever comedy festival right here in Laval. The festivities kicked off at the Opening Cocktail at Embassy Plaza on September 19. The event was hosted by The Beat 92.5’s morning show co-host, Cousin Vinny, and Rythme FM 105.7’s Francis Gilbert. The night was filled with laughs and excitement. Can you think of a better way to get started?

Quality Comedy Shows
On September 20, Théâtre Marcellin-Champagnat hosted the first comedy show of Festival Laval Laughs. Hosted by the talented Eddy King, the audience got to experience a real Laval-style show with Le Show de Chez Nous, on parle Lavallois. It was the perfect show to start the festivities thanks to performances by Martin Turgeon, Jacob Ospian-Echeverria, Kevin Raphaël, Etienne Dano and Olivier Martineau. “The audience was super welcoming,” Raphaël said. He also said the unique Laval audience was something truly special.

The second and third performances of the festival took place at Le Cabaret C. It was the perfect intimate atmosphere for shows about love, children and family life. Guide de survie...À l’amour et aux enfants and After “Yes to the Dress” Surviving Marriage and Divorce were both hits, filling the room with laughter. On the same stage, the audience got the chance to see James Mannella, Martin Turgeon, Nadine Massie, Marko Métivier, Simon Delisle and Mike Beaudoin, Franco Taddeo, Pino Pirillo, Chantal Desjardins, Jake Lawrence and the fabulous David Pryde.

On September 22, the local audience got to really connect with the comedians at the festival’s only bilingual show; Bonjour! Hi!. JC Surette, Erich Preach, Eddy King, James Mannella and Steven Levesque came together on stage, switching back and forth between English and French. The next day, we gathered at Espace Ephémère at Centropolis to attend a hilarious show featuring just the ladies. Hosted by Chantal Desjardins, You’d Be Prettier if You Smiled brought some of the funniest female comedians across the country onto one stage; Ottawa’s Jenn Labelle, Toronto’s Keesha Brownie, Halifax’s Kristen Finch and Sara Quinn from London. It was a hilarious night of scandalous humour.

The Festival Laval Laughs was also looking to support the next generation of comedians, to give them a chance to show off their skills. More than 20 young comedians were able to introduce themselves to the public at The Newbies Show and Mon 1er Festival. The Ethniquement Parlant and Ethnically Correct shows were also a big hit – showcasing the city of Laval’s well-known ethnic diversity.

Festival Laval Laughs was also an opportunity to give back to the community. On September 27, VIPs from the Montreal region performed a comedy act to raise funds for Le Centre de Bénévolat and Moisson Laval, the Laval food bank. At the Charity Comedy Gala, Cousin Vinny of The Beat 92.5, Laura Casella of Global News, comedian Chantal Desjardins, Pat Hickey of The Montreal Gazette, Dan Laxer of CJAD, Frank Cavallaro of CBC and Catherine Verdon-Diamond of Breakfast Television all came to the stage to entertain the crowd.

On September 26, Hollywood made its debut at the Festival Laval Laughs with comedian Pauly Shore. He absolutely amazed us with his incredible show, Pauly Shore is NOT Dead. The comedy show definitely proved Shore is not gone just yet – and is funnier than ever.

To close the festival, audience members were treated to the best of the best. Stéphane Fallu took the stage to animate the closing gala, Les Incontournables, during which the audience was charmed by Maude Landry, Étienne Dano, Mélanie Couture, Mehdi Bousaidan and the very talented, Mario Jean.

A True Reflection of Laval
Festival Laval Laughs was a real reflection of the City of Laval. “There are several reasons to take part in the Festival Laval Laughs,” says comedian Etienne Dano. “Parking is free, the venues are beautiful, and there are no other festivals in September. Montreal has its own festival, Quebec has its own festival, it was Laval’s turn!”

“Laval is on fire now. There’s the hockey team, there’s Place Bell – it’s the perfect place for a festival,” says comedian Neev before the Ethniquement parlant show. “This is a great opportunity for comedians,” adds Geoffrey Appelbaum in the lodge.

Festival Laval Laughs was bilingual, just like the Laval audience. It was important to be able to entertain Laval residents of all nationalities. “It’s normal that there are shows in French and English, everyone speaks English and French. It’s a great thing to be bilingual,” says Neev, who is of Moroccan and French origin.

Festival Laval Laughs was synonymous with camaraderie. The comedians enjoyed sharing the stage and talking to each other in the dressing rooms before their numbers. “When we share the same stage, we help each other and respect each other,” says Acadian comedian JC Surette.

Audience members were beyond pleased throughout the festival and the feedback on all the shows was very positive. “It’s amazing how much they are able to interact with the audience and improvise from these interactions,” one guest at the Ethniquement parlant show said right after the performance. “They were not afraid to say what they thought,” said another of You’d Be Prettier if You Smiled. Plus, several comedians received standing ovations. “These are quality shows,” shared another guest.

A Focus on Inclusion
Festival Laval Laughs was a first in Canada when it comes to inclusion! Eight comedy shows were equipped with audio-description technology for the blind and four comedy shows provided hearing aid for the hearing impaired using Connec-T technology via the Sennheiser Connect mobile app. People with hearing impairments and the blind did not have to miss out on the fantastic shows at Festival Laval Laughs – they were accessible to all.

An Event for the Whole Family
From September 27 to 30, all families were invited to have free fun at Place Laval en Rires at Centropolis in Laval. It was really the perfect place to spend time with family. There were inflatable games, game kiosks, a clown, a small tennis court hosted by Tennis 13, and outdoor hockey hosted by the Rocket de Laval. Visitors could enjoy delicious food, take pictures with Cosmo, the Rocket de Laval mascot, and board an old fire truck.

The outdoor activities were filled with fun for the whole family. During the four-day event, several artists warmed the hearts of many with amazing musical performances. Alexandru Tutuianu, member of the Marc Dupré team at La Voix Junior 2017, was the first to perform on the outdoor stage. The audience was immediately captivated by his mature and powerful voice.

The event also showcased talent from the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board and the Laval School Board like Grace Ekagnon and many others. Students from the École de musique de Vimont like Bianka Rosa, had the chance to perform for the crowd.

September 29 started with a breathtaking performance by the EnK Danse dance troop. Vasso Kasdaglis from Tennis 13 then took to the stage to give a Bodyshred class. Participants were pre-pared with weights and yoga mats for training. The next day, it was Magalie Bourgeois who gave an action-packed Zumba course. It was nice to see people of all ages moving to the rhythm of the music. During the last two days of Festival Laval Laughs, visitors also got to enjoy Fredo’s magic tricks and singing performances performed by Andria Peperni, Miray Zahab, Vann Punnio, and Maïa Davies. We even had a surprise visit by comedian Rachid Badouri accompanied by his own family. The Beat 92.5 and Rythme FM 105.7 hosted the event and made it all the more entertaining for everyone. We are so thankful to all our partners, collaborators and friends who helped this first event achieve such success.

A Unique Experience
Attending and participating in the first edition of Festival Laval Laughs was an unforgettable experience. I had the chance to follow comedians before, during and after each show. I saw children having a blast at the inflatable games at Place Laval en Rires, and young people having fun on an outdoor stage to show the world their talents. I saw volunteers become friends, I saw comedians cheering each other on and celebrating their talents and I saw people working hard for months to make a dream come true. Festival Laval Laughs taught me that no matter what you want to accomplish, anything is possible with perseverance, work, integrity and a sense of community.

The idea for this massive event came about two years ago when Luigi Morabito, the founder and president of Laval Families Magazine, shared an idea with Franco Taddeo, the Festival’s programming director. “The first edition of Festival Laval Laughs was a success. I am very proud,” says Franco Taddeo.

“I found the experience of the first edition incredible. We learned a lot. It gave us the opportunity to get to know our audience better. We attracted people from all over; the North Shore, the South Shore, Laval, Montreal...There was really a need in the market and we are satisfied with our shows. There were a lot of [standing] ovations. The level of success of Festival Laval Laughs is comparable to other already established festivals,” explains Morabito. “Thank you to all the attendees, the partners and our sponsors! Thanks to the team that worked with passion and perseverance; Elisia Bargelletti, Emmie Wesline, Jean-Denis Boillat, our technical director Sid Khullar, our programming director Franco Taddeo and our operations director Melissa Mignacca. I am proud of you! I cannot wait to see what the 2019 edition will have in store!”

I guess the only thing left to say is; “See you next year!”

Translated by Maria Barillaro