Prince Albert residents looking for laughter can find it Friday night when the inaugural Live Comedy Night takes place at the Rock Trout Café.
Saskatoon-based comedian Joel Jeffrey will headline the evening, with Connor Shram also performing. Event organizer Ryan Beckett said he’s excited to get the show going.
“This started off with me literally questioning how much it would cost to get an act to perform, and then it turned into getting a partnership with the Rock Trout,” Beckett said on Tuesday. “They agreed to put this on, (we) ended up getting an awesome sponsorship with True North, and it just flew from there. Now that we’re coming up on the date it’s super exciting.”
Joel Jeffrey has performed on a variety of events, including the Yuk Yuks Comedy Tour. He is also a recording artist with Just for Laughs Originals, and the author of “The Great Saskatchewan Joke Book”. Jeffrey has also appeared on the Jay and Dan Podcast with sports TV personalities Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole.
Beckett said he’s excited to have both Jeffrey and Shram on board for the show.
“We were looking an act that had some experience behind him, and he (Jeffrey) has already done quite a bit with Just for Laughs,” Beckett explained. “He’s done the rounds in Saskatoon. Just from (watching) YouTube videos and stuff like that, I liked the stuff that he was doing, so honestly we called him. He was available and we booked him.
“He was the one that suggested Connor Shram—a guy that he works with all the time. They’re both awesome guys, so we’re really looking forward to what they have to offer.”
Beckett first thought about organizing a comedy show after watching other comedy tours perform around Saskatchewan, but without stopping in Prince Albert. When he watched one tour stop in Saskatoon, Regina, and North Battleford, then move on, he finally decided it was time to fill the gap.
“I was just frustrated that they would go to all of these places … and not have a stop here in Prince Albert,” Beckett said. “I thought it would be amazing to get out, have some fun, have some drinks and food, and be able to watch some comedy. (That’s) something that doesn’t seem to happen too often here in Prince Albert, especially since we just came out of COVID.”
Beckett hopes that this will be the first of several live comedy shows at the Rock Trout, although there’s no guarantee. He said the turnout on Friday will help determine whether he organizes an event like this again.
“We’re going to see how it goes,” he said. “We do have a tentative date set up (for a second show) that I don’t really want to discuss right now because it all hinges on how successful this first show is, but I would love to do multiple ones for sure.”
Doors open for Live Comedy Night at the Rock Trout at 7 p.m., with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for cash only. They can also be purchased in advance at www.eventbrite.ca.