GUELPH COMEDY FESTIVAL PERFORMERS 2026

Community Showcase - Thurs. Oct 15

*DAN LATNER*

Dan Latner is a Guelph-based singer-songwriter, fiddler, and recovering international tour guide. He has released two albums of original material: *No Fun Intended*, a comedy breakup album, and *Not for Kids Really*, an album of kids’ songs for grownups. His comedy songs explore the important questions in life, along with several extremely unimportant ones.

*GCVI IMPROV TEAM*

The GCVI improv teams are a battalion of rapscallions from GCVI in Guelph - they’ve been working in their current iteration for over 3 years, and have been growing with more teams every year! They are a group of students from Grade 9 to Grade 12+, and for the Guelph Comedy Fest, they’ll be featuring some members from all of their teams playing a few games - we hope you enjoy, and come out to enjoy their shows!
*Follow the team @gcviimprov on Instagram*

*COMMUNITY OF HEARTS IMPROV CLUB*

The Community of Hearts Improv Club is made up of passionate singers, dancers, actors and artists of all kinds. Members of the club are dedicated to independent living and love getting involved with their community. Led by Hayley Kellett, the COHIC have performed at fundraisers and showcases for friends and family since 2019. They are excited to charm you with their talent and share in the laughter at GCF 2026.

*BUILD-A-TROUPE*

We’re bringing together 12 brave community members to create a brand-new comedy troupe in just 5 weeks!

BITFEST - Fri. Oct 16

*Could be you?*

Applications for Bitfest will be available soon!
*Get ready for FAST AND FURIOUS PREMISES!*
In Bitfest, expect to see experimental comedy unlike anything you've seen before. Shortform improv but everyone onstage is wearing blindfolds and/or earplugs? Maybe! A duo-prov set between someone onstage and their parent's dog over Zoom? Perhaps! The shortest D&D campaign ever played? Why not! The only rule is it needs to be 5 minutes or less.

LOCAL LEGENDS - Fri. Oct 16

*LAUREN PROUSKY*

Lauren Prousky (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and writer based in Kitchener. She first performed her super serious poetry 11 years ago and, surprised by the audience's laughter, figured she should start trying to be funny on purpose.

stevey hunter

stevey hunter (they/them) is a queer comedian, actor, and writer based in Toronto. They have performed and taught improv across Canada and have performed at festivals like Improvaganza, Vancouver Improv Festival, Winnipeg Improv Festival and more! Most recently they were a member of Bad Dog Theatre's Featured Players and are a founding member of Halifax's award-winning improv troupe: Hello City. Follow them on instagram @steveyhunter

***RILEY HARDWICK***

Riley Hardwick is a Toronto-based comedian who spent four years on the mainstage at Vancouver's Improv Centre, producing independent shows including Wikiprov and Local Affairs with his awesome friends. @rileyhardwicka

*KEVIN SUTTON*

Kevin Sutton (they/them)
Being a poet is central to Kevin’s experience of life. It breathes magic into the ordinary, speaks somatically from their connection to Land, World, and Universe, and teases mysteries loose with alchemical wordplay truly understood solely by bees, cats, and the oddest of humans. Kevin’s book: https://www.publicationstudio.biz/books/sublingual-syllabus/

***SARAH BENNETT***

Stationed in Toronto, Sarah Bennett is a multidisciplinary comedian who has performed across Canada and the United States. You might know her from appearances at the Toronto Sketch Festival, Toronto Fringe, Montreal Sketchfest, Late Bad at Just For Laughs Toronto, Guelph Comedy festival, a finalist in the “Sketch To Death” competition, or from her irreverent online presence. She debuted her half-hour of sketch at Second City’s “Spotlight” this past year, and she is kind to others.

***JOE PAVIA***

One of the earliest stories Joe Pavia covered as a young radio reporter was an open house presentation detailing plans for a new Highway 7 between Guelph and Kitchener. That was the late 1980s. Today, Joe’s only real career goal is to stay employed long enough to cover the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
You can hear Joe weekday mornings reading news and traffic on *The Morning Edition with Craig Norris* on CBC Radio One 89.1 FM (and streaming on the CBC Listen app). Over a multi-decade career that began at CFRU, Joe has reported and read the news at radio stations in Guelph, Orangeville, Toronto, and Kitchener.
While turning on the microphone to read the news is always serious business, tonight Joe steps out from the news booth to share the lighter side of broadcasting. You’ll hear stories about on-air mishaps, relationships with sources who can tip you off to a great story, unforgettable listener interactions, and the all-time-best-ever news story he covered.

SACHIN SINHA

Sachin Sinha (he/him) is an actor and comedian living in Toronto. He got his start with the Canadian Improv Games in his hometown of Ottawa and currently performs with The Second City Touring Company and his troupe, Mrs Beast. When asked if improv truly is all about the idea of "yes, and", his response was "not the way I do it."

*BEN GORODETSKY*

**Ben Gorodetsky** (he/they) is a performer, writer and producer. Their work has been presented by the Art Gallery of Ontario, CAFKA, Movement Research at Judson Church, Tank NYC, LUMEN, and Open Ears. Ben is the curator-host of Pinch Cabaret, past artist-in-residence with Guelph Dance Fest, former Associate Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre, recipient of the Anna Pidruchney Young Writers Award, and nominee for a Canadian Comedy Award and a Waterloo Region Arts Award. They’re the creator and executive producer of docuseries "MY PET ATE WHAT!?" (CTV/Animal Planet). Ben holds an MFA from Brooklyn College-CUNY, a BFA from the University of Alberta, and teaches video and performance at UWaterloo.

*TYRA BANDA*

Tyra Banda is a Queer Black artist from Edmonton now based in Toronto. She’s performed with Rapid Fire Theatre, toured festivals across Canada, trained and taught at Humber Comedy College, was a Bad Dog Featured Player, a Second City Touring alum, and part of Toronto’s beloved troupe Little Miss Normal.

li’l local legends FAMILY IMPROV SHOW - Sat. oct 17

SCARED SCRIPTLESS: FESTIVAL EDITION - sat. oct 17

*KRIS BOWMAN*

Bowman has been performing improv and acting professionally for over 30 years. An Equity and ACTRA member, he can be seen in film, like Vicious Fun (Shutter), or classic television shows like Mayday (Cineflix) or Designated Survivor (ABC). Kris considers himself a “real actor” and does primarily stage work, notably the last 9 years seasons The Shaw Festival and, before that, he was cutting his improv and comedy chops as a member of The Second City’s National Touring Company. Most recently in the sold out run of Murder at Ackerton Manor at 1000 Islands Playhouse.

*JULIA HAYNES*

A graduate of Humber College’s theatre performance program, Julia has worked on and backstage with productions across Toronto, internationally, and right here at home in Guelph. As a creator, she’s produced work with Fan Club Collective and People House Theatre, and is proud to serve on the Board of the Guelph Comedy Festival. While Julia has taken the stage for Scared Scriptless before, she’s thrilled (and only a little bit scared) to be a part of bringing this hit local show to a GCF audience.

*TRICIA BLACK*

Tricia Black is a Toronto-based actor, comedian, and filmmaker originally from New Brunswick, with a theatre degree from Mount Allison University and training from Second City Chicago, Second City Toronto, and iO. She's a three-time Canadian Screen Award winner for performance, including wins for Best Supporting Performance in Band Ladies and Best Performance in an Animated Program for voicing the lead role in Summer Memories, with credits spanning The Miniature Wife, Wayward, Pretty Hard Cases, Suze, Dear David, and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

*BEN SOSA-WRIGHT*

Ben Sosa-Wright is an actor, comedian, and writer from Toronto who was named a Just For Laugh’s New Face in 2022 and is an alum of The Second City Mainstage. Ben was also named one of CBC’s 15 Canadian Comics To Watch in 2019. His writing has been featured in Reader’s Digest and Xtra magazine. You can catch his standup on “The New Wave of Standup” on CBC Gem or “Roast Battle: Canada” on Crave. Thank you for reading all of this, you are a hero.

HAYLEY KELLETT

Hayley Kellett (they/she) is a Guelph based artist specializing both theatrical and applied improvisation. They are a co-founder of The Making-Box, 1/4 of the queer/femme comedy power house The Phlegmies, your Hillside Festival emcee coordinator and a frequent flyer at Pinch events. She has a long history in live theatre including Second City Tour Co., DTTP, RCMPI and comedy stages from the Tri-Cities to New York to Bangalore. As an independent facilitator, Hayley is still reminiscing on programming in Barcelona and Edinburgh this past June. Career highlights include holding a giant snail while dressed as a disco snail.

*PALOMA NUÑEZ*

Paloma Nuñez is an actor, comedian, writer, director.
Winner of a Screen Actor's Guild Award for her performance in Best-Picture Oscar Winner, *Spotlight;* winner of a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Ensemble with the cast of *She The People* from Second City and winner of a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best Ensemble with the *Wonder Pageant*.
She's also won a Canadian Screen Award for writing for *Baroness Von Sketch.*
Having trained and performed in both classical and comedic theatre at the University of Guelph, and The Second City, Paloma's versatility continues to stand out in film, television, and on stage.

*REN NASH*

Ren (short for Lauren) (she/they) is an eclectic performance multi-hyphenate. Which is a nice way of saying she has AuDHD. While most known for her work in theatre and musicals (Guelph humans might have seen her as Sally Bowles in “Cabaret”?” Venus in Fur” with the Downtown Theatre Project?), she also had a pretty decent stint in a pretty decent metal band and is a Second City Conservatory graduate.
The most impressive thing she’s done is continue to survive in a slowly rotting meat suit and be in an episode of a Hallmark series with the million dollar matchmaker…who was really nice and said she was really good at acting.
These days she mourns being dropped by her agent because she’s “too busy taking her job as a psychotherapist seriously”, while she helps keep Guelph safe for Hoes, Queerdos, and the people who love them by teaching pole and floor work dance classes in town as Venus de Vil.
A singer, an actor, creative consultant, and a very specific type of dancer, Ren is thrilled to get to play, “Yes, AND”, and celebrate local fabulousness with the folks of Guelph Comedy Festival.

*JEN BARSON*

A lover of all things theatre, Jen is a co-founder of The Downtown Theatre Project and has served on the Boards for Royal City Musical Productions and the Guelph Little Theatre. An award winning actor and producer, she is a singer in the Outlasters and Diva Forte as a dedicated alto who has mastered the art of singing the exact same note 42 times in a row with absolute conviction. She loves knitting, flowers, and has now proudly entered her bird watching era.
Favourite theatre moments include performing Shirley Valentine, and Donna Sheridan (Mamma Mia) and directing Five Lesbians Eating a Quiche.

*KEN HALL*

Ken Hall is a Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee, Canadian Comedy Award winner (Best Breakout Artist) and multiple CCA award nominee, including, Comedic Artist of the Year.
Ken plays the lovable Herb and provides motion capture as the body of Pogo in Netflix's THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY and has appeared in numerous film and television roles including two seasons as, Jeff The Grey, on TBS’s hit series PEOPLE OF EARTH and has appeared as a guest on CONAN.
Ken is also one-half of the critically acclaimed, comedic clownprov duo, 2-MAN NO-SHOW, with his comedic soulmate, Isaac Kessler, and has had the pleasure to work for CIRQUE DU SOLEIL.
Ken co-created & co-instructs a 6 week course on creative play, aptly named, Brunch!, at Sweet Action Theatre as well as, SpeakEasy, a course that combines public speaking and play theory. Ken also teaches Public Speaking at The Second City - a course he created and developed, as well as Clownprov at Bad Dog Theatre. In his spare time, he teaches Storytelling at CB PRO and improv at The Social Capital Theatre and with The Assembly. Ken was awarded the Frank McAnulty Award for Faculty Instructor of the Year 2019 at The Second City.

*KEVIN WHALEN*

Kevin Whalen is a Toronto based actor and comedian. If he looks familiar it is because you might recognize him from his appearances on Handmaid's Tale, Baroness Von Sketch Show or Small Achievable Goals? Or it might be from his days at the Second City Mainstage Toronto where he wrote and performed four revues. Perhaps it was from one of the countless improv shows Kevin has performed in his twenty five year run. No? Fine, he’s the guy from that commercial.

*BRANDON HACKETT*

Brandon Hackett is a comedian, actor and TV Writer based in Toronto. He is an alumnus of Toronto’s Second City Mainstage, where he co-wrote and performed in four revues, including the Canadian Comedy Award-nominated *Party Today (Panic Tomorrow)* and *The Best is Yet to Come Undone*. As part of the cast of *Holiday! An Improvised Musical*, he was nominated for a Dora award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble. Brandon has also appeared in various roles on television shows including This Hour Has 22 Minutes, *The Beaverton*, *The Parker Andersons*, *Shelved*, *The Next Step*, and *Small Achievable Goals*, and he recently co-starred in the movie *Paige Darcy: Reluctant Detective.* He is currently an artist in residence at the Theatre Centre with his comedy partner, Jonathan Langdon, as the duo Hackett & Langdon.

*ROB LEWIN*

Rob Lewin is an improviser and sketch comedian living in Guelph. He is an alumnus of the Bad Dog Featured Players, Second City FamCo, and was a founding member of the Making-Box Brigade. He co-created the monthly hit comedy show Scared Scriptless, which is now in its second year. In his spare time, he is a nurse.

The grand finale - sat. oct 17

***KEZ VICARIO-ROBINSON***

Kez is a trans, genderqueer comedian from Kitchener-Waterloo! They have been featured at JFL42, Guelph Comedy Festival, Pinch Cabaret, Good News Toronto, WTFestival, and the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word, among others. Kez works for the Canadian Improv Games, teaches puppet-improv, and has been the MC for 2 pride proms and 1 lesbian wedding (so far).

***LINDSAY ENDERSBY***

Lindsay Endersby is a Toronto-based stand-up comedian who has spent over six years making audiences laugh across Ontario. She is the co-producer and host of Girl Night, an all-women stand-up comedy show that tours across the province, regularly selling out shows along the way. Known for her dry, dark sense of humour, Lindsay dives into everything from the absurdities of everyday life to deeply personal secrets that probably belong in a journal rather than on stage.

***BREN D’SOUZA***

Bren D’Souza is a comedian, actor, writer, and Hannah Montana enthusiast based in Toronto.
Bren has been featured at Just For Laughs, JFL Toronto, NXNE, headlined the 2025 Colorado Queer Comedy Festival, and was a 2023 selection for New Face Of Comedy at Just For Laughs in Montreal. They have recorded stand up sets for The New Wave of Standup (CBC Gem), Out For Laughs: Live at the Medley (OUTTv), Just For Laughs Originals: Hot Rods and Hot Bods (JFL Toronto), guested on Thot Ones (Freddie), and was a featured panelist on 1 Queen, 5 Queers (CRAVE). They have opened for Jay Jurden, Joel Kim Booster, Zach Zimmerman, James Tom, among others.
Bren was the first Trans contestant and winner of Roast Battle Canada (CTV Comedy), their work on which earned them a Canadian Screen Award Nomination for Best Comedy Performance - Ensemble.
They have written for Roast Battle Canada, Change Your Life Forever in 60 Days, and their original pilot Say Yes was shortlisted for the Second City First Drafts table read program. Their personal essays are regularly featured in CBC Arts.
Bren's sophomore comedy album “The Second Coming” was released earlier this year, and is available on all streaming platforms. Their debut album was released in 2023.
Follow them everywhere @dasouzie

*JACOB BALSHIN*

Jacob Balshin is an award winning stand-up comedian who was named one of Toronto’s Top 10 Influencers of 2025 by the Toronto Star. He has also been featured on CBC’s New Wave of Comedy and Roast Battle Canada. His videos have amassed millions of views online and loyal Canadian cult following.

GUELPH COMEDY FESTIVAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

We are delighted to be your hosts for this year’s Guelph Comedy Festival. Consider us your ambassadors to a community full of friendly weirdos.