Who likes to laugh? This year marks the 10th anniversary of Bad Dog Theatre‘s raucous, animated, hilarious COMBUSTIONfestival, and we’re jumping on board as a media sponsor for the good times.

For those who haven’t yet discovered this AMAZING comedy extravaganza, here’s the skinny: this is a week-long comedy party (sold yet? we are!) that will bring together some of the most exciting, talented, boundary-pushing, genre-bending, industry-leading improvisers from across North America (and also Sweden!) for lolololololol improv shows, adventures and festival-exclusive projects. Yeah, you want in.

AND, what’s super cool about COMBUSTIONfestival is you can decide whether you want to participate or watch. WE DARE YOU TO DO BOTH.

WHEN: June 4-9, 2018

Drop-in workshops every night at 6 p.m. or 7 p.m. 

Shows at 8 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. throughout the week as well as 7 p.m. & 11 p.m. from Thursday to Saturday.

WHERE: Bad Dog Comedy Theatre – 875 Bloor St. W. (upstairs)

COST: $5-$15 (a limited number of full-night and full festival passes available)

Here are some of the comedy troupes that will be showing up: PREACH (Chicago), Magnet TourCo. (New York), Casually Dope (Baltimore), One Lions (Calgary), Little Mountain Improv (Vancouver), DJ Mama Cutsworth (Winnipeg), Andrew Phung (Calgary), Todd Houseman (Edmonton), Kristen Schier (Philadelphia), Ese Atawo (Vancouver), Martin Gustafsson (Gothenburg, Sweden), RobYn Slade (Winnipeg), the Bad Dog Repertory Players (Toronto), Skullz (Toronto), The Kweendom (Toronto) and more!

OTHER STIMULATING HIGHLIGHTS:

  • This is the first Toronto appearance of Chicago sensation PREACH (TJ Medel & Brooke Montoya), whose arresting blend of spoken-word poetry and unscripted scenes has been turning heads at festivals across the United States, recently garnering them a residency at the venerable iO Mission Theater and a rare spot opening for Bob Odenkirk.

  • Baltimore favourites Casually Dope (Rasheed Green, Ti Coleman, Harold Young & Blue Cavell-Allette) will bring their signature style of high-energy, audience-inspired comedy and unforgettable characters “fresh from the city that gave you charm and crabs” (to quote their bio).

  • Two-time Canadian Screen Award winner and star of CBC’s Kim’s Convenience Andrew Phung (Calgary) will be hosting a special guest-filled festival edition of Bad Dog’s flagship show Theatresports.

  • Calgary’s One Lions (Stephen Kent & Covy Holland will be performing Waiting for [Blank], an unscripted Samuel Beckett-inspired riff on the absurdist masterpiece Waiting for Godot and the Best of the Fest winner at the 2016 Vancouver International Improv Festival.

  • Powerhouse trio Elana Fishbein, Megan Gray and Bianca Casusol, three of the top improvisers at New York’s Magnet Theater, home to some of the best improvisational comedy in the country with shows that have been top picks by the New York Times, Time Out NY and “other critics that matter.”

  • Unmissable festival collaborations, including the immensely popular multimedia Doppelganger Video Project and COMBUSTIONfestival guest-studded editions of Bad Dog favourites like the Paul Bates-helmed sellout hit, HOOKUP; Nicole Passmore’s spontaneous theatrical experience, Premiere; and Zohaib Khan’s deliciously chaotic 60 in 60, a show featuring sixty improvisers in just sixty minutes.

  • A public festival workshop slate that includes Cree Oral History & Improv with Todd Houseman (Edmonton), Silence, Intentions & Desires with Martin Gustafsson (Gothenberg, Sweden) and THE SOUNDTRACK: Rethinking How Music Is Used in Improv Theatre with Sarah Michaelson a.k.a. DJ Mama Cutsworth (Winnipeg), an internationally renowned DJ & theatrical collaborator who will be underscoring a number of the COMBUSTIONfestival shows as well as providing the music for the festival’s opening night party.

WOW. This lineup is electric, magnetic, on F-I-R-E! No wonder it’s called COMBUSTION.

Get your ass down to Bad Dog and get ready to howl. All the info you need is right here.