Its name is not directly homage to the costly Johnson Street Bridge, but it does tie Esquimalt and Victoria together: it’s the Blue Bridge Comedy Festival. This year is the first shot at what will become an annual laughfest here in town.
“The festival is both Esquimalt and Victoria,” says festival director Dan Quinn. “We didn’t necessarily want to go with calling it the Esquimalt Comedy Festival because then it would be limited, and calling it Victoria wasn’t quite right. The Blue Bridge was an iconic thing, but it’s also what connects Victoria and Esquimalt.”
Quinn himself handpicked the best comedians for the fest, which will showcase a variety of comic styles—from the shameless Nikki Payne to the charming Rob Pue—at various venues.
“The comedians are all my choice,” says Quinn. “I’ve been in comedy for 19 years and have seen them all. They are all my favourites and I wanted to have them open the first year of the festival.”
This includes comedy’s new superhero Damonde Tschritter, one of the many supporting acts to perform during the fest this week. He credits Richard Pryor as giving him the best laughs, and gala opener Brent Butt as a comic influence.
“From about 1998 to 2002 Brent ran the Room at the Urban Well in Vancouver, where all the top comics went to when I started,” says Tschritter. “You’d have to have new material every week because the crowd was consistent. Because of Brent I accelerated and learned really quick.”
Tschritter describes himself as a “hilariously fantastic storyteller,” and while he that may sound immodest, hey, when was the last time you heard a story involving a “Rocky Mountain bear fucker”? And he’s from around these parts, which could explain why he’s so eager to perform here.
“I get to do a show with all these really funny pro comics who entertain and inspire me at the same time,” says Tschritter, “and it’s at the Esquimalt curling rink.”
The talent that’s about to travel across the blue bridge is tremendous. There are plenty of shows to see and the fact that it’s happening here all in one weekend is convenient.
“It’s going to be top-level talent,” says Quinn, “it’s really a great chance for people to see top-level entertainment in one weekend.”
Blue Bridge Comedy Festival
Wednesday, August 16 to Sunday, August 19
bluebridgecomedyfestival.com