An all-Indigenous cast of comics from across the country are coming together in Vancouver this weekend for a standup showcase that organizers say is the first of its kind.
Nine comedians are set to star in the first all-Canadian and all-Indigenous live comedy showcase, Rez Comedy, a filmed-for-TV, live standup show produced and directed by Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) comedian Keith Nahanee and fellow comedian Quentin Lee.
Nahanee says the lineup of performers will offer a variety of comedic styles and themes, with some addressing life on reservations and others tackling more challenging matters such as the relationship between Indigenous people and the church.
“A lot of my stuff is church jokes,” he said during an interview with CBC’s The Early Edition.
A big part of Indigenous comedy also consists of roasting one another, Nahanee added.
“When we sit around, we like to burn each other or bring up old stories from yesterday, 10 years ago…Natives don’t forget anything, remember?”
Nahanee says that while he has to be “very careful” with his jokes, he believes humour is essential for relieving the pressures of daily life.
The Early Edition8:12Rez Comedy taping to be first all-Indigenous stand-up comedy feature film in Canada
A comedy showcase featuring all Indigenous stand-up comedians is being taped Saturday night at the Metro Theatre. Keith Nahanee and Cindy Au Yeung, part of the team behind the project, join us to discuss the night and the feature film it will become.
“We go through a lot of stress every day from traffic to work to bills to family … and grief,” he said. “So when you get a hour and a half to two hours of laughter, you get to put that grief down for a bit.”
It’s a sentiment also held firmly by Rez Comedy producer and editor Cindy Au Yeung.
“They always say laughter is the best medicine and I really believe in that,” she said. “[It] is a little bit of healing as well.”
Unique comedy showcase
The film iteration is slated for a theatrical release in Toronto next year, according to a news release.
Au Yeung says making casting decisions for the first all-Canadian and all-Indigenous live comedy showcase wasn’t easy.
“We had a long process…and we went through a lot of interviews and we wanted to select a wide variety,” she said.
Au Yeung and Lee previously worked with Nahanee on Comedy Invasion, a standup comedy docuseries for racialized comedians.
Last month, the series won a 2024 Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Special for Nahanee’s episode, “Rez Style,” which touched on his family and home life.
“I didn’t have [a] speech ready because I didn’t think we were going to win. And once we were called up, I had to wing it,” Nahanee said.
The standup show will be performed and filmed before a live audience Saturday at Vancouver’s Metro Theatre.