The Fifth Edition of Toronto’s Comedy Festival Returns from September 22 – October 1, 2016
The fifth annual JFL42 Festival, presented by Air Canada in association with SiriusXM, is returning to Toronto this fall from September 22 to October 1, featuring eight headliners performing at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts: Jim Gaffigan, Jim Jefferies, Trevor Noah,Roseanne Barr, Anthony Jeselnik, Tig Notaro, Demetri Martin, and Chris D’Elia. This year’s festival boasts the most headliner performances in JFL42’s history including comedy breakout stars, podcasts and- for the first time ever- daytime programming. Passes to JFL42 go on sale Friday, June 3 at 10:00 AM. Tickets go on sale June 10 at 10:00 AM.
JFL42 expands again in its fifth year, adding ComedyCon, a daytime programming series which will take place over five days of the 10-day festival (September 23-25 and September 30-October 1). The all newComedyCon will include cast panels, In Conversations with headliners Jim Jefferies, Trevor Noah, Anthony Jeselnik, Tig Notaro, Chris D’Elia and Margaret Cho, Craig Robinson, and Natasha Leggero. It will also feature podcasts, including The Todd Barry Podcast and The Dork Forest podcast with special guest, Maria Bamford. ComedyCon will give true comedy fans the chance to get up-close and personal with their favourite comedians at The Second City. These events are only available through theComedyCon or VIP Pass options. Stay tuned for many more announcements!
JFL42 is a ground-breaking comedy experience created by Just For Laughs, with eight different headliners, plus 42 great comedy acts, and a flexible pass and ticketing system that allows fans to see the best that stand-up comedy has to offer.
Headlining at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts:
Jim Gaffigan (September 29 at 7:00 PM and 9:45 PM): Gaffigan is an award-nominated comedian, New York Times best-selling author, top touring performer, and father of five! He recently wrapped the first season of his semi-fictitious television show, The Jim Gaffigan Show, which was picked up for a second season and premiered this summer. The series, lauded by The Los Angeles Times as “Fun and Funny,” revolves around one man’s struggle to balance fatherhood, stand-up comedy and an insatiable appetite.
Jim Jefferies (September 24 at 7:00 PM and 9:45 PM): Jefferies, who was nominated for the 2015 Comedy Tour of the Year by Pollstar, continues to sell out venues as he tours around the globe. His most recent comedy special, BARE, which premiered on Netflix this past winter, features Jefferies’ side-splitting stories of sex and drugs, as well as taking on the Second Amendment, having a relationship, and being a father.
Trevor Noah (September 23 at 9:45 PM): Noah has had a busy year becoming host of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning program, The Daily Show, on Comedy Central. Noah recently debuted his one-hour stand-up special, Trevor Noah: Lost in Translation, also for Comedy Central. Filmed at The Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D.C., Trevor Noah: Lost in Translation brings Noah’s unique world-view and global analysis of American culture to the forefront.
Roseanne Barr (September 23 at 7:00 PM): Comedy superstar, award-winning actress, best-selling author, recent presidential candidate and original domestic goddess Roseanne Barr continues to amaze. Her creation and stark portrayal of Roseanne Conner and the Conner family on ABC’s Roseanne has been hailed as “the most ground breaking kitchen-sink sitcom since All in the Family, (Entertainment Weekly)” adding, “she’s the funniest disturber of peace that we have.”
Demetri Martin (September 30 at 7:00 PM): New York Times Bestselling author, writer for Late Night with Conan O’Brien and regular performer from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is taking the stage in Toronto this fall. He created and starred in his own television series for Comedy Central called Important Things with Demetri Martin and his most recent stand-up comedy album for Netflix, Demetri Martin Live (at the time) showcases his trademark calm and wittily reflective delivery.
Anthony Jeselnik (September 30 at 9:45 PM): Jeselnik is a critically acclaimed comedian and writer, and regular on late-night television. He has written for and appeared on several roasts for Comedy Central, most notably The Roast of Donald Trump and The Roast of Charlie Sheen. He starred in and created The Jeselnik Offensive, which ran two seasons on Comedy Central and his hour-long comedy special, Thoughts and Prayers, released by Netflix this past October received much praise.
Tig Notaro (September 25 at 7:00 PM): Tig Notaro is currently writing, producing and starring in the semi-autobiographical comedy series, One Mississippi for Amazon Studios. She can also be seen in her recurring role as “Barb,” on the Jill Soloway series Transparent. Her eagerly anticipated memoir, I’m Just A Person will come out in June followed by a book tour.
Chris D’Elia (October 1 at 7:00 PM): D’Elia most recently starred in NBC’s Undateable. His latest standup special, Incorrigible, debuted on Netflix in April 2015. Additionally, D’Elia appeared on the dais of Comedy Central’s Roast of Justin Bieber and starred opposite Whitney Cummings on NBC’s multi-camera comedy series Whitney.
THE 42
- Maria Bamford: After breaking records as the first female comic to have two half-hour Comedy Central Presents specials, Bamford went on to a highly praised recurring role in Netflix’s Arrested Developmentreboot. She continues to delight and entertain Netflix viewers with her brand new series Lady Dynamite.
- Craig Robinson: Robinson began capturing audience attention both as a regular on NBC’s The Office¸ and as a memorable stand-up comedian in the festival and late night circuits. He’s starred in Pineapple Express, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and Hot Tub Time Machine.
- Margaret Cho: Cho is a three-time Grammy and Emmy nominee. She was recently named a special co-host of E!’s Fashion Police, which will cover some of the biggest award shows of 2016. Her most recent comedy album, American Myth, has just been released.
- Jim Norton: Norton co-hosts Sirius XM’s Opie with Jim Norton, and regularly guest stars on The Tonight Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, Louie, and Inside Amy Schumer. The bestselling author also has 3 one-hour specials currently available on Hulu.
- Natasha Leggero: After her breakout appearance on the Comedy Central Roast of James Franco, she moved on to create, produce and star in Comedy Central’s Another Period. On the big screen, Leggero starred in Neighbors alongside Seth Rogen, as well as Let’s Be Cops with Jake Johnson and Damon Wayans, Jr.
- Harmontown: Self-destructive writer Dan Harmon (Community, Rick and Morty) claims he will one day found a colony of like-minded misfits. He’s appointed suit-clad gadabout Jeff Davis (Whose Line is it Anyway) as his Comptroller.
- SiriusXM Canada will be hosting the SiriusXM’s Top Comic finale at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre as part of JFL42. This is year seven and the grand prize is three Just for Laughs festival appearances (Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto), an appearance on The Comedy Network’s Just for Laughs All Access, $25,000, and the title of SiriusXM’s Top Comic.
- Neal Brennan: Co-creator and co-writer of Chappelle’s Show, Brennan has made many TV appearances of shows such as Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Conan O’Brien. He’s bringing his Off-Broadway show,3 Mics, directed by Drew Barr, to Toronto.
- Steve Rannazzisi: After being cast in Ashton Kutcher’s Punk’d, Rannazzisi moved on to write and star in FX’s critically acclaimed The League. He recently filmed his second, one-hour comedy special, Breaking Dad for Comedy Central, at the historic Wilbur Theatre in Boston.
- Ronny Chieng: Chieng has written and acted in Problems, Legally Brown, and It’s a Date. Chieng also created his own TV pilot titled International Student. He won the Director’s Choice Award at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2014 and is currently a correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
- Todd Barry: Barry is currently touring, Todd Barry: The Crowd Work Tour, which was released to rave reviews on Netflix in 2014. His popular podcast, The Todd Barry Podcast, which reached #1 on the iTunes Comedy Podcast charts, will be featured at JFL42’s very first ComedyCon.
- Nick Thune: Thune has his own Comedy Central Special and popular Comedy Central Records album,Thick Noon. His film credits include Mike Judge’s Extract, Spring Breakdown and Unaccompanied Minors. He has two web series for Comedy Central; iThunes and NicksBigShow.com. His 2014 Netflix special,Folk Hero was well-received by fans and critics. He’s bringing his current tour, American Babe to Toronto.
- Hasan Minhaj: Minhaj frequently appears as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and will be bringing his one-man show Homecoming King, which recently returned Off-Broadway after a sold out run in 2015 with rave reviews, to JFL42.
- Ron Funches: Funches starred on NBC’s Undateable. He is also the undisputed champ of Comedy Central’s @midnight and was a regular on The Kroll Show. He also performed on both Conan and The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.
- Andy Kindler: Festival favourite, Kindler returns to JFL42 for a fifth year in a row! Andy currently has a recurring role on IFC’s Maron, Fox’s hit animation, Bob’s Burgers and Comedy Central’s Tosh.0.
- Emo Philips: Referred to as “the best joke teller in America” by Jay Leno, Philips has had award-winning comedy albums, numerous cable specials, and many appearances on network television. Having performed live over 6,000 times, Philips is considered by many, including “Weird Al” Yankovic, as one of the funniest people on the planet.
- Big Jay Oakerson: Oakerson has been praised as “Master of the Dirty Joke” by The New York Times and excels at the art of crowd work and storytelling. He recently co-hosted SiriusXM’s The Bonfire with Dan Soder. He has been a standout at comedy and music festivals around the world, including Just For Laughs in Montreal, Toronto and Australia. He’s bringing his all-crowd-work-show, What’s Your Fucking Deal?!, which airs on SeeSo, to JFL42.
- Cameron Esposito: Put Your Hands Together, Esposito’s weekly standup podcast which was recently included in Rolling Stone’s “Best of Comedy Podcasts,” comes to JFL42 in addition to her stand-up performance.
- Nate Bargatze: Bargatze has written for Spike TV’s Video Game Awards and received critical acclaim at the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival multiple years. He has performed at Bonnaroo, SXSW, and Oddball Comedy Festival, and has toured with Jimmy Fallon’s Clean Cut Comedy Tour. His debut comedy albumYelled at by a Clown reached #1 on the iTunes comedy charts.
- Beth Stelling: Stelling is a rising comedy star! She was named one of Time Out Magazine’s Comics To Watch in 2016.” She most recently appeared on Conan and The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail.
- Jackie Kashian: Kashian’s critically acclaimed podcast, The Dork Forest, is in its 10th year, and will be featured at ComedyCon, in addition to her JFL42 stand-up show. She has appeared on Conan, Comedy Central’s @midnight, and has recorded This American Life with Ira Glass for NPR.
- Ian Edwards: Edwards is a Just For Laughs veteran and a regular on the major comedy festival circuit. Ian’s writing credits include both NBC’s The Carmichael Show and SNL as well as CBS’ 2 Broke Girls. Edwards released his debut stand-up album 100% Half Assed on Conan O’Brien’s record label. He hosts podcast, Soccer Comic Rant which you can catch live at JFL42 in addition to his stand-up show.
- Jak Knight: Knight is an LA based stand-up comic, writer, and actor. He was featured as a Just For Laughs New Face in 2015. He is currently working on both writing and voicing a character for an upcoming Netflix series, BIG MOUTH.
- Langston Kerman: Kerman was chosen as a New Face at Just For Laughs Montreal in 2015 and will soon be seen on the upcoming HBO series Insecure.
- Matt Bellassai: Bellassai was most recently the writer, producer, and star of BuzzFeed’s Whine About It. He is a social media star who got his start from Facebook and uses pop-culture as his comedic muse. Additionally, Matt is the recipient of the 2016 People’s Choice Award for Favorite Social Media Star.
- Thomas Dale: Thomas Dale is a former Just For Laughs Montreal New Face. He also landed a coveted role on Comedy Central’s Adam Devine’s House Party and HBO’s Funny as Hell.
- Derek Seguin: Seguin is the winner of Sirius XM’s Top Comic 2015 competition and is a Just For Laughs veteran. He has appeared on CBC Radio’s The Debaters over 25 times and twice on the televised show.
- Matt Billon / Jordan Welwood (2015 SiriusXM Top Comic runners up): Matt Billon has appeared on CBC’s Madly Off in All Directions and The Debaters and has written for This Hour Has 22 Minutes. He has performed on XM Satellite Radio’s Laugh Attack and has his own one-hour special on The Comedy Network. Jordan Welwood has appeared at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, the Oddblock Comedy Festival and was recently featured on CBC Radio’s Laugh Out Loud.
- K Trevor Wilson: Also known as Squirrely Dan on Crave TV’s Letterkenny, K Trevor Wilson’s debut album Sexcop Firepenis was the most downloaded album on iTunes Canadian Comedy Charts and was named the Best Taped Live Performance at the Canadian Comedy Awards. He has won numerous awards including his recent 2015 title as CCA’s Canada’s Best Male Stand-Up.
- DeAnne Smith: Smith has performed at many festivals around the world including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, and Just For Laughs Montreal and Chicago. Among her many TV appearances are NBC’s Last Comic Standing and The Late Late Show on CBS.
- Amanda Brooke Perrin: Perrin has appeared at Just For Laughs and The Women In Comedy Festival. She also won Best Female Stand Up in NOW magazine’s Best Of T.O. Reader’s Choice Awards. Her podcast We’re Doing It has been nominated in multiple categories at The Canadian Comedy Awards. She can also be seen on The Comedy Network’s Match Game.
- Mark Forward: Forward is known for his weekly hit podcast The Mark Forward Podcast and his critically acclaimed comedy album Things I Thought Of (both available on iTunes). He was a writer and cast member on The Jon Dore Television Show on The Comedy Network/IFC, and can currently be seen in the upcoming season of Letterkenny on CraveTV as well as the History Channel’s Join or Die with Craig Ferguson.
- Sabrina Jalees: Toronto Native Sabrina Jalees hosts YTV’s In Real Life and has written for The Toronto Star and Canada’s Got Talent. Dubbed “hilarious” by the New York Times, she has written and performed for many popular TV shows, including CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Much Music’s Video on Trial, Comedy Network’s Match Game, and VH1’s Best Week Ever.
- The Flirty Boys: Toronto-based The Flirty Boys is a comedy sketch group composed of Allison Hogg, Alessandra Vite, Ann Pornel, and Alexandra Wylie. The hilarious group is known for their raunchy sex jokes and their addition of dance and song to their sketches.
Plus more of the 42 to be announced!
TICKET DETAILS
Passes to JFL42 go on sale Friday, June 3 at 10:00 AM. Tickets go on sale June 10 at 10:00 AM. Buy online at jfl42.com. Festival passes range from $54.50 to $299 (excluding service charges). Single tickets range from $32.50 to $65.50 (excluding service charges).
ABOUT JFL42
Established in 2012 and now in its fifth year, JFL42 is a pass-based interactive comedy Festival in Toronto created by Group Just For Laughs. Developed with a mandate to celebrate the most hilarious, innovative, riveting and relevant comedy experiences in the world with Toronto audiences, JFL42’s unique interactive pass-based ticketing and reservation system makes it the first comedy festival of its kind. In addition to JFL42, Just For Laughs has produced the world’s most prestigious comedy festival in Montreal for the past 34 years and in recent years has launched festivals in Sydney, Vancouver, and London, England.
For more information visit: www.jfl42.com | Social media links: Twitter: @JFL42
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JFL42 Instagram: @JFL42