Just For Laughs ups the ante with additional A-List talent as part of the 2018 Festival

Just For Laughs continues to raise the stakes by announcing even more stellar talent coming to Montreal this summer, including

Will Forte, Wanda Sykes, Chris D’Elia, Tig Notaro, Moshe Kasher, Jim Norton, Gina Yashere, The Jackie & Laurie Show podcast, LOL Network TV tapings and more!

GALAS

Comedian, impressionist, voice artist, writer, producer actor, five-time Emmy award nominee, Will Forte, has established himself as one of the most versatile actors in film and television over the past fifteen years. Breaking out into the comedy scene as a cast member on NBC’s Saturday Night Live, Forte is most widely recognized from his many film roles including MacGruber, Lego 2, Oscar-nominated film Nebraska, and his most recently Emmy-nominated role on Fox’s The Last Man on Earth.  For the very first time in his notable career, Will Forte will be coming to Just For Laughs with The Will Forte Gala at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in the Place des Arts on July 25^th 2018, at 7:00 pm.

SOLO SHOWS

One of the most sought-after performers in the comedy world, Chris D’Elia, host of the highly successful weekly podcast Congratulations with Chris D’Elia is returning to Montreal this July. Widely recognized for his starring role in the NBC comedy series, Undateable, his latest Netflix special Man on Fire, and his recurring role on ABC’sThe Good Doctor, D’Elia is bringing his much-anticipated new show, Chris D’Elia: Follow The Leader for one night only at L’Olympia on July 28^th 2018, at 7:00 pm.

Comedian, actor, and New York Times Bestselling writer, Tig Notaro, is performing at Just For Laughs this summer.  Notaro is recognized for her critically acclaimed semi-autobiographical Amazon series, One Mississippi, which she wrote, produced, and starred in, as well as her second Netflix special, Happy To Be Here, released to high praises last month. The Grammy and Emmy nominated comic is returning to JFL for the third time in her decorated career, with her new one hour show at L’Olympia on July 25th 2018, 9:30 pm.

Stand-up comedian, actor and writer, Moshe Kasher, is returning to the JFL stage this summer for the sixth time in his career. Author of the 2012 memoir, Kasher in the Rye: The True Tale of a White Boy from Oakland Who Became a Drug Addict, Criminal, Mental Patient, and Then Turned 16, Kasher has many television credits under his belt including host and writer of Comedy Central’s late night talk show, Problematic. Kasher is bringing his brand-new hour Moshe Kasher Live to Just For Laughs at Le Gesù on July 26 and July 28 at 7:00 pm.

One of the industry’s more unrestrained and bold comedians, Jim Norton, returns to Montreal bringing a brand-new hour of his refreshingly unapologetic stand-up with him.
Following his Netflix special, Mouthful of Shame, Norton’s new show Jim Norton Live is sure to be an audience hit at Cinquième salle in the Place des Arts on July 25^th and 28^th 2018, at 9:30 pm.

British correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Gina Yashere, will be delivering big laughs at JFL this summer. Since she broke out in the American comedy scene on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Gina has made appearances on NBC’s The Tonight Show, HBO’s Crashing, and most recently on Neflix’s The Standups. She will be performing her new show, Gina Yashere…Saying Funny Stuff at Salle Ludger-Duvernay in the Monument-National on July 27^th 2018, at 7:00 pm.

LOL Network TV tapings

Returning to Montreal for its third year, is LOL Live!, exclusively filmed for Kevin Hart’s digital comedy network, Laugh Out Loud. A four-night multi-comic mega-event showcasing some of the best comedians from across the continent appearing at the Just For Laughs Festival.  Catch all eight amazing, unique lineups at Theatre Berri from July 25^th-28^th 2018, at 7:00 pm and 10:00 pm.

JFL COMEDYPRO

Everybody had to start somewhere, right? Throwback hosted by Wanda Sykes is the new hit comedy show where top comedians throw caution to the wind and put ego aside as they take a look back at some of their barely-seen-before earliest stand up sets and offer brutally honest, hilarious critiques of their own performances. Joined on stage by comedy peers who knew them way back when, they will share stories and insights about first gigs, outdated jokes, memorable wardrobe and hair choices, and why they thought any of it was a good idea. They’ll be cracking open their comedy yearbooks with old friends in front of a room full of strangers… and nothing is off limits. The show was created by Page Hurwitz and is produced by Sykes & Hurwitz’ Push It Productions. Throwback will take place in the Grand Salon Opera at the Hyatt Regency Montreal on July 28^th 2018, at 3:00 pm.

No doubt helped by a certain President of the United States, political satire is alive and thriving online, in late night television, and on stage. Taking sides means alienating the broadest potential audience, but comedians have never been afraid to stand up for what they believe is right. Political Comedy in the Pre-Apocalyptic World will surely be a hit with a highly-engaged and hyper-aware audience, as the socially-woke take solace in the court jesters who speak truth to power. Join moderator, Baratunde Thurston, along with panelists Anthony Atamanuik, Gina Yashere and Judah Friedlander for a one-day-only event where these fearless comics with strong opinions find the funny in today’s world of instant news and deep political divide, against a never-ending stream of scary headlines. Political Comedy in the Pre-Apocalyptic World will take place in the Grand Salon Opera at the Hyatt Regency Montreal on July 28^th 2018, at 1:30 pm.

Laurie Kilmartin (writer on TBS’ Conan, previously on CBS’ The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Comedy Central’s Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn) and Jackie Kashian (her new comedy album I Am not the Hero of the Story is critically acclaimed and debuted at number one on iTunes and Amazon) are bringing their Nerdist Network podcast The Jackie and Laurie Show to JFL ComedyPRO. Kilmartin and Kashian discuss all things women and comedy, including what it’s like doing stand-up in LA and on the road, Kilmartin’s job as a staff writer on the late-night circuit, and her multi-generational family living situation. The Jackie and Laurie Show will be recording live from the Ovation Room at the Hyatt Regency Montreal on July 27^th 2018, at 4:30 pm.

OFF-JFL

The World’s Greatest Lip-Sync Band has been rocking audiences across Canada and the U.S. for nearly 15 years. Never Surrender, featuring comedians Tim Rabnett, Ryan Wilner, and Mike Paterson, are back with a jump-kicking vengeance to perform your favourite pop/rock hits from the 80s and 90s… Come sync-along and try to figure out which of them is the stud, the patsy, and the golden retriever. This will mark their 4th appearance at Just For Laughs – previous appearances include Best of The Fringe, The Stupidity Awards, and The Montreal Show. Never Surrender is performing two shows at Café Cleopatra on July 20^th & 21^st 2018, at 7:30 pm.

For the past 25 years, Joey Elias has been a mainstay of the Montreal comedy scene. Joey travels across the world headlining comedy clubs, as well as corporate events and to multiple war zones to bring some levity to the soldiers serving overseas. Joey has described Montreal as bagels, pot holes and corrupt Mayors. Elias’ show, 60 Minutes with Joey Elias, will take place at Café Cleopatra on July 19^th 2018, at 7:30 pm.

British-Canadian writer and stand-up comedian, Mae Martin, is bringing her critically-acclaimed show, Dope, to the OFF-JFL stage. Mae’s stand up special Mae Martin at The Soho Theatre Live aired on Comedy Central in August and is available to stream and download. Her second BBC Radio 4 series Mae Martin’s Guide to Addiction was broadcasted in November 2017, following her BBC Audio Drama Award-nominated Mae Martin’s Guide to 21st Century Sexuality, which explored the millennial generation’s sexual revolution that is transforming how society perceives sex and gender. Mae Martin will be performing her critically-acclaimed show, Dope at Theatre B of the Montreal Improv on July 26^th & 28^th, at 7:00 pm.

After multiple successful runs in Montreal and sold out shows in Toronto, Hamilton, Guelph and Kingston, Chris Venditto’s Healthy Living in Comedy is back in Montreal for another gut-busting evening of delicious jokes and stories. Featuring performances from Serag Meletian, Shirley Whalen, Wassim El-Mounzer and headliner, Lawrence Corber, these stand-ups are ready to navigate the ever-changing landscape of health and fitness all the while trying to avoid full-blown degeneracy! This is a show your doctor recommends you attend, don’t let them down! Healthy Living in Comedy will take place at Montreal Improv on July 19^th 2018, 10:30 pm.

For tickets to the Montreal festival: 

By phone, online or in person: The Just For Laughs Box Office, 514-845-2322,

Website: hahaha.com

Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival runs from July 11-29, 2018 in Montréal, Canada.

Looking for the best way to experience the Just For Laughs Festival? Get a JFLMTL Pass! Passes available include: the JFL 2-Show Pass for $99.99, 3-Show Pass for $139.99 and 5-Show Pass for $215. Each pass includes one free ticket every day from July 25-July 28, 2018 (some restrictions apply).