COVID-19 causes the last laugh at the Komedy Korner

 

The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has put many forms of entertainment on hold, and that includes stand-up comedy. For some, the pandemic may have caused the last laugh.  

Leo Dufour, stand-up comedian and owner of the Komedy Korner said he will be closing his club because of the pandemic 

“We have no venue anymore,” said Dufour. “I am actually going to be closing my Komedy Korner and just using Facebook with my name to do future shows.”   

But stand-up comedians are still trying to bring the laugh, even as the pandemic continues. 

According to summitcomedy.com, in March 2020, the global pandemic and social distancing shook live in- person entertainment in an unprecedented way. Since then, entertainers around the globe have shifted their craft to virtual shows to entertain their audiences.     

With comedy clubs closed, comedians are putting on shows using Zoom. This allows the performer to do their material on a screen for an audience instead of in-person.    

Robert Kemeny, a stand-up comedian said going virtual is something he is not interested in.   

“Doing stand-up on Zoom where you cannot hear the audience react, that is not something for me,” said Kemeny. “If there is an option where you can have an audience online where they can react in real-time, I would be down to do that, but as far as the other stuff goes that is not really my thing.”    

The Canadian Stand-Up Website said several of the largest comedy festivals, such as the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, have seen an impact during this pandemic, Spring and early summer typically bring the most people for live performances. As a result, the economic impact on Canadian comedians as the summer rolls around again may be slightly higher in terms of the overall revenue loss this represents to comedians annually.    

 Until clubs can reopen, and in a time where laughter is the best medicine, you can tickle your funny bone by logging online.