After a two-year forced hiatus, the Grand Montréal Comique is back. The young humor festival is launching a new web series on Thursday morning, Brainstowhich sets the table for the return of a face-to-face edition for the end of the summer.
General manager of Grand Montreal Comedy for a few months, Patrick Kearney does not hide that the pandemic has hurt the event very badly. The GMC had only been around for two years when COVID hit.
“There are other festivals that had stronger backs,” he notes.
Having kept its expenses to a minimum since 2020, the GMC organization has managed to get its head above water and is now considering its return with a “modest edition” for the month of September.
“We’re definitely working on it,” says Patrick Kearney. We look a lot to do what in the suburbs. We have discussions with certain cities, in particular Sainte-Thérèse [il est aussi le DG de Santa Teresa]. »
This possible reduced edition could thus resemble the first edition of the Grand Montréal Comique, which took place in 2018. “There would be a few shows free and some shows in the dining room”, mentions the general manager.
Galas with different guests are not in the plans for this year. The same goes for the holding of the Stand-Up World Cup, which had been announced with great fanfare for the 2020 edition, finally canceled by the pandemic.
“We have to recover slowly and find solid foundations,” said Patrick Kearney. I think we’re going to try to have small, uncomplicated parties. I am less in the big deployment. »
Adults and vaccinated
Question of giving a sign of life, the Greater Montreal Comic launches Thursday its new web series of fiction, Brainsto. In these five weekly capsules, we will see comic situations during periods of brainstorming.
In the first video launched Thursday morning, Guy Jodoin tries to find a title for his autobiography. Anaïs Favron is one of the actors who give him the reply.
Le Grand Montréal Comique must also present in RPA (residences for the elderly) a series of five shows called Adults and vaccinated and presented in collaboration with Santa Teresa.
Comedian Sylvain Larocque and musician Yves Lambert are to perform these shows. The first performance, scheduled for Friday, was however canceled due to an outbreak.