The hilarity slung by the fine folks at sketch comedy troupe Halfhandsome is to be applauded.

Adapting the nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic and wink and a nod to all the quirks of our island that made the likes of CODCO and This Hour Has 22 Minutes crew forever beloved, Halfhandsome continues to provide gut-bustingly funny entertainment fit for the masses.

But when the world collectively sheltered from an unseen global pandemic, the b’ys had to get creative.

“To kick it off it was like COVID hit, the theatres were closed. We didn’t know what to do and we knew we wanted to do something, but we knew we probably wouldn’t get the money back. And it was kind of like this logistical thing. COVID was such a logistical nightmare in the theatre world and the rules were kind of unknown at a certain point. We really didn’t know if we could do anything. So we were like ‘what else do we do?’” explains Halfhandsome’s Andrew Tremblett.

Innovation struck in the form of a podcast, but not just your mom and pops tête-à-tête on sports or politics kind, but hearkening back to the bygone days of storytellers and radio plays that crowded families around a sturdy signal for hours of can’t miss entertainment.

The Halfhandsome team

“We kind of hearkened back to these old British comedies on the BBC and even CBC. Podcasts are really a bunch of b’ys talking and laughing over each other and it’s like, who the f**k cares?” adds Tremblett with a laugh. 

“We were like, well, let’s do Almost Baymous, but in podcast form. So it was really kind of like to do something during COVID and we really didn’t know how to do it.”

With aid from producer and sound editor Spencer Bellows, and an addictive score by Adam Foran, the Halfhandsome team of Tremblett, Zac Cross, Elizabeth Hicks, Evan Mercer, Stuart Simpson, supported by the voice acting talents of Allison Kelly, Stef Curran, Spencer Bellows, and Devon Bryan and the iconic Greg Malone, all hands hunkered down in creative town to develop The Codcast, 10 episodes of riotous sketch comedy that poke at everything from “the dark side of Newfoundland tourism,” to a Black Mirror styled sequence where the listener becomes the subject of the entire episode. 

There’s tons of ideas, and they all stick.

“For this project, we had such a back catalogue of stuff from previous shows that we hadn’t done on stage, we hadn’t said in front of anybody. We had sketches that we just didn’t do. So there was a certain amount of that we were lifting from and going well, how do we turn this into an audio sketch?” shared Simpson, delving into the real challenge of taking a largely visual medium and adapting it for an audio-only experience. 

“I think it’s like a nod to how important those shows were and how important those teleplays and radio plays were and the new wave,” explains Tremblett. “It’s our little nod to old comedy and the new, and new form and old form and what’s that bridge. You can really reach. I don’t know, like it’s old radio man, it’s classic. And I love it myself personally.”

‘Come on We Goes’

With the debut episode, naturally titled “Come on We Goes”, hitting the airwaves this past May, The Codcast has already grown a local following, while also proudly gaining listenership across the globe, something the crew admittedly take great pride in.

“It’s not just for the hall anymore, it’s not for just people in town. We want, of course, Newfoundland, and that’s where our numbers are right now. Across Newfoundland there’s a lot. We did the sketch fest and stuff and we found that our humour really resonated in different places,” shared Tremblett, with Simpson explaining that, as a comedy troupe, the gang tend to hold their tried and true “salt beef lens” up to the world. 

“I always say that we are post-ironic Newfoundlanders,” he shared with a grin. “We lay into watta ya at b’y? and how she goin’? And all that stuff. And we always kind of say it as a bit of a joke, but then we do it so much as the joke that it just kind of becomes the way we get on. And so it kind of loses its joke, but it’s still kind of a joke, but like the whole thing is a joke (laughs). And with that, because it’s such a global kind of world we’re living in and all of the information is available to us all the time, we’re no longer this isolated province.

“The information we’re getting is global. It’s international. But we as this generation of post-ironic Newfoundlanders, when we create content, we’re always putting this filter over it. We call it the salt beef veneer. It’s this little lens that we look through that just has that little tinge of how ya gettin’ on? It has that bit of Newfoundland to it even if we’re talking about something that’s much larger than, it’s always got that little taste of Newfoundland in it.”

Parting thoughts? Tune in, have a laugh, and spread the good word of Halfhandsome. “Go and listen. Give us a download. Give us a share. If we can reach out to the readers of The Herald, it all helps,” explains Simpson in closing. “It spreads the word, the good word of Halfhandsome.”

Find The Codcast on your go-to podcast provider and follow Halfhandsome on their official social medias

“Mom was 97 when she died, and she always loved everyone – it didn’t matter their sexuality or  their colour or religion. Love was love as far as mom was concerned,” she said. 

The one thing her mother always treasured without question was her son – the late comedic great, Tommy Sexton of CODCO fame. 

“Mom set up The Tommy Sexton Centre in Tommy’s memory and that’s a huge thing, it’s a big accomplishment for anyone. And Mom’s acceptance and respect for every human changed attitudes towards homosexuals and she was all about being kind to our fellow men and women, no matter what their sexual preference or creed or colour or whatever,” she said proudly.

Remembering her brother, who died of AIDS at the age of 36 in 1993, Mary shared that, from a very young age, her mother referred to Tommy as “sensitive,” though she thinks now that her mother most likely always knew her son was gay. 

“Tommy was never ashamed. He used to say, ‘I’m not a practicing homosexual. I’ve practiced enough. I’m a full blown homosexual.’ And, you know, he was proud of the fact that he was who he was,” she said.

While Tommy’s comedic legacy is something to forever cherish, something else to never forget is how time-tested and true a mother’s love for her child should be, no matter what path their child travels. “My mom accepted Tommy as a talented, funny, beautiful human being and she always said she loved him for who he is and she never, ever wavered.” 

Just For Laughs is excited to announce the return of the Just For Laughs Comedy Tour!  Following his successful turn as host in 2019, Canadian comedy legend Rick Mercer returns to lead a stellar line-up of Canada’s most hilarious and diverse comedians. This 19^th edition, titled Just For Laughs Comedy Night in Canada, will feature co-star of STARZ’s Ramy Dave Merheje, Just For Laughs Festival favourite Eman El-Husseini, and 2018 Juno award winner Ivan Decker. Together, these comedians will visit 18 prestigious theatres across the country – a mari usque ad mare! – starting April 19, 2022 in Moncton, NB and wrapping up in Victoria, BC on May 22, 2022.

The Tour will stop in Moncton, NB at the Capitol Theatre on April 19 at 7:30 PM; Saint John, NB at the Imperial Theatre on April 20 at 7:30 PM; Charlottetown, PEI at the Confederation Centre of the Arts on April 21 at 7:00 PM; Halifax, NS at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium on April 22 & 23 at 7:00 PM; and St, John’s, NL at the the Arts & Culture Centre on April 25 at 7:30 PM. Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, November 26 at 10:00 AM (noon in Halifax).

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Just For Laughs is also proud to once again be partnering with Movember on the Just For Laughs Comedy Tour. The tour will provide Movember with an additional platform to bring continued awareness to men’s health, including mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.  $1 per ticket sold (less taxes) will be donated to Movember.

The Just For Laughs Tour has been bringing some of its favourite comedians to Canadians from coast to coast for almost 20 years and we are very excited to welcome our audience back into the theatre for live shows, and we are committed to doing so safely.  We will be adhering to all local Covid-19 safety protocols in place in collaboration with each venue and will be closely monitoring the situation in every city we visit.

About Rick Mercer
Rick Mercer is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and author. He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Made In Canada, and Rick Mercer Report. Mercer has received nearly 30 Gemini Awards and Canadian Screen awards for his work on television, and his CBC Television special Talking To Americans remains the highest rated Canadian comedy special ever with 2.7 million viewers.

Mercer is the author of four books, all of which have been national best sellers, and has also written for Time, Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail, and The National Post. His newest book – Talking to Canadians: A Memoir – is available now.

He is a recipient of the Governor Generals Performing Arts Award, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and a proud native of St. John’s, Newfoundland.

St. John’s, NL • Arts & Culture Centre
Monday, April 25, 2022 • 7:30 PM
Tickets: $56.50
(taxes included + facility & service charges)
$1 per ticket sold (less taxes) will be donated to Movember.

Tickets on sale:
By phone: 709-729-3900/1-800-663-9449
Online: www.artsandculturecentre.com

“I’ve been waiting to make this announcement for a long, long, time,” Dillon announced.

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“My heart is very full as I tell that I’m home next month for my first FULL TOUR of NEWFOUNDLAND. I haven’t been home in over two years because of COVID, but I’m beyond thrilled to say I’ll be back to do what I love. This is my first headlining tour and I’m losing my mind that I get to do it where I started. By’s, I’m coming home.”

Tour dates include:
11/19 DILDO
11/20 ST. JOHN’S
11/21 BONIVISTA
11/23 LEWISPORTE
1/24 KING’S POINT
11/25 PILLEY’S ISLAND
11/27 CORMACK
11/28 CORNER BROOK

The tour, aptly titled Tales From the Mainland, is produced by Dillon’s management Williams Hirsch Talent and Steady Entertainment. Direct support provided by Bree Parsons.

Born in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Ryan Dillon got his start with The Canadian Improv Games in high school before moving to Toronto to pursue a career in comedy.

In his first few months doing stand-up he was selected for the Tim Sim’s Fresh Meat Showcase at The Second City. His one-man show “Collapse” earned him critical praise and awards with a sold out run at The Toronto Fringe Festival.

He’s been featured on Just For Laughs, Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, a finalist for SiriusXM’s Top Comic at JFL42, Winnipeg Comedy Festival + more. His debut album “Violently Nice” went to #1 on iTunes and can be heard on the JFL channel on SiriusXM

Tickets are on sale now!

Meeting Mary Walsh inspires one to utter the phrase, ‘How are you dahling?’ in the most outrageously delightful, though totally put-upon accent ever. The best part? Walsh plays along – though of course, her just-for-fun accent is much better than this writer’s could ever be.

THE DIVINE MS. M

Walsh’s eyes sparkle when she’s happy and having fun, and on this day filled with sunshine, as we wander her historic home – one just barely spared from the great fire – her eyes not only sparkle, they dance a jig.

“There’s something about being home on days like this, isn’t it?” she opened as we followed, conga-style, behind a bouncing Bowser – her furry four-footed newest family member – through the home and into the garden.

We settle on a fresh- built swing constructed near the nearly indestructible play set that was erected for Walsh’s son Jesse when he was a wee lad.

While there’s much going on in Walsh’s professional life – from her work on Dad and the Fridge Box, based on a yarn by Agnes Walsh (no relation),  and her Best Supporting Actress Award in 2020 for her role in Little Dog, Walsh has been spending much of her pandemic time enjoying being a homebody. She’s been baking, she’s been gardening and she’s been raising her at times anxious puppy (queue noon gun firing) Bowser.

It’s obviously been time well spent. Besides sharing that she’s incredibly relaxed and happy, Walsh is looking fit and fabulous: the divine Ms. M!

INTERESTING TIMES

We sit. We swing. We chat. She reflects on home and the opportunities – professionally and personally –  remaining here has brought, or not. It was her work on Cod on a Stick with the comedic group CODCO that really got her back home in the first place.

Walsh had left the province to attend theatre school at Ryerson when Tommy Sexton and Diane Olsen were offered $300 bucks by legendary writer/producer Paul Thompson to create an NL show.

“I wanted in, so I decided to quit because at school they said I couldn’t be in a professional production and still go to theatre school. I guess that was 1973 or 1974. And Andy (Jones) and Bob (Robert Joy) came home. Bob actually came home from Oxford, gave up his Rhodes scholarship and everything – Mrs. Joy never really did forgive us for that. And so we became a theatrical company here in St. John’s. I think it was Andy who used to say, ‘we’re going to make St. John’s the theatrical center of North America,’” she recalled with a laugh.

Those were interesting times, she reflected.

“Newfoundland was coming out from underneath of being the laughing stock of Canada, in a sense. It took a long time. The ‘Goofy Newfie’ thing had hung around but we were interested in another whole notion of what we were, I guess because we loved it here. I guess that’s really it. If anyone was going to laugh at us, we wanted it to be because we made something funny on our own terms.”

But there was more to it as well, Walsh admitted. Pride mixed with the bold confidence of youth was part of their piss and vinegar, as it were.

“We wanted to be the makers of our own destiny and being a young person, we wanted to be the captain of our own ship. Well, we wanted to build the ship and then man the ship and then set out our own map with the ship and so that’s where we were,” she laughed.

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‘WE GOT SOMEWHERE’

Did they get where they were had planned when they started charting their course? With Cathy Jones, Andy Jones, Bob Joy, Greg Malone, Diane Olsen, Tommy Sexton and Walsh at the helm, they didn’t do too badly.

“In a way we didn’t make it. But it’s like when Christopher Columbus set out to get to India. He got to America. That’s like us. We set out to be the actual comedic and theatrical center of North America and while we didn’t get there, we got somewhere and that somewhere allowed me to work and stay at home in Newfoundland for much of my career.”

Why is being home so important, we ask.

“You know, when I was a little girl, I didn’t really have a home. I lived with my two aunties. My parents and the rest of the family lived next door. So I always felt like I didn’t have a home. Being a Newfoundlander living in Newfoundland and having this large home here has always felt so safe to me,” she shared.

But does she ever doubt her decision to set her roots so firmly in home soil? Even the best of us sometimes feel inadequate and have doubts, she continued rawly. “Sometimes, when I’m not feeling very good about myself, I think, ‘well, I just didn’t have the guts to leave.’ But it’s not that I don’t think. I think it’s just that it felt more right to stay.”

NEW TURNDOWN SERVICE

Walsh gets that gleam in her eye. There’s a good quote coming, this writer sensed it. “Talking about leaving, a couple of years ago I got tired of being turned down by the same people over and over and over again in the industry, and I thought ‘I’d just like to go down to L.A. and get turned down by some new people for a change.’”

If you liked this story, share it with your friends or follow us on social media using the buttons provided. For more by The Newfoundland Herald’s Managing Editor Pam Pardy, click here.

According to actor/comedian Shaun Majumder, dealing with a pandemic is like dealing with parenthood in general – you just have to keep your wits, and your sense of humour, about you at all times.

“I say to everyone, ‘b’ys, if you keep your sense of humour, you can deal with anything.’ Even if you think about the realities of keeping a toddler six feet away from anyone, you know right there that’s a set up for comical failure,” Majumder said with a laugh.

THE BEST MEDICINE

Anything goes, and the more ‘out there’ the better, when it comes to humour being the best medicine, he added.

“Like the saying goes, ‘you can’t make this stuff up,’ well there’s so much about being a parent and a dad that you just can’t make up,” he said.

From diaper duty to teaching another human to talk – especially with our unique Newfoundland dialect – funny just happens naturally when you are a dad, or especially when you are a dad during a pandemic.

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“Just think what’s it like for me to be an actor and a comic and a new father during a pandemic. And add to that the fact that I’m a Newfoundlander! There’s hours of stand-up right there. Even just being a Newfoundland – you can’t be your normal Newfoundland-self when you can’t touch or close-talk, right? No! Because you got to follow the rules or, ‘look comin’!’ Doctor Janice will find out, right? Newfoundland’s a small place, trust me on that one.”

Majumder has spent much of the pandemic in his rural hometown of Burlington, Newfoundland, but he’s been working as well.

One show, Race Against the Tide, was shot in New Brunswick and pits sand sculpture experts against one another.

“That was exciting, and working in such a great setting, and being back working with CBC, was nice. It’s home away from home,” he shared.

COVID TIMES

Now, Majumder has a new challenge, posting on social media about the good  – and the bad – of working in these COVID times.

“Super excited to be joining the cast of a new series shooting in Halifax. But super disappointed with the (Nova Scotia Government’s) decision to not to allow my fully vaccinated wife (Shelby) and 20-month-old to join me as a family bubble on the grounds they are deemed non-essential,” he wrote. “I know people are struggling, and this job is a blessing. I know the lockdown is necessary to slow the community spread and restrictions are necessary. Maybe I’m missing something, but it seems very low risk to allow a fully Vax’d family who are isolating for two weeks upon arrival from NL –  willing to take as many tests as we can and follow all the rules, to come to N.S. for work for five months.”

‘GET VAX’D’

It’s at these times that we really see how important staying together really is, he added.

“Family has never been more important. And I know I am one case out of the thousands of requests the government is swimming in … Hoping the spread slows and they will be able to join me soon. Stay home, wear masks out, and GET VAX’D,” he concluded.

But for now, it’s taking the time to enjoy the time together they do have.

“It’s amazing how the human brain works when you are in times of stress, like when you’re not sure, always pick humor. It’s tough to feel loose and free and funny at times when you’re uncertain about your future, but focus on funny and on family and things will work out.”

For more by Pam Pardy, click here!

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Ask a kid what they remember most about a somewhat significant day in their life, and if skipping school was part of that adventure, then that’s high on the list of probable honourable mentions.

POSING WITH POP

Mark Critch’s youngest son Will, who was seven at the time, gets a laugh when he responded, “I remember I got to get out of school early that day…” when asked if he remembered posing for that photoshoot for The Herald’s cover back in 2011 with his Dad and older brother Jacob.

We ask Mark, looking back now on the last ten years since that Herald cover, what has changed when it comes to fathering his boys Jacob and Will.

‘CAN’T BE FUN!?’

“I used to worry that I might embarrass them, and I guess sometimes I still worry about that at times, because I know it can be a bit different having a dad who is out there doing all this public stuff and here you are a kid in school and your dad takes his shirt off in front of Justin Trudeau and you think, ‘ya. That can’t be fun,’ but you do it anyway,” he opened with a chuckle.

Mark knows all about having a dad in the limelight.

“My Dad (the late Mike Critch, a staple at VOCM) was in radio and so I was the kid growing up where everyone knew who my dad was. People used to always be doing impressions of him too, and as a kid, I didn’t quite understand all that. Like, ‘why is that guy talking like Dad?’ And ‘why are people laughing?’ So I can only imagine the embarrassing situations I’ve put them both in and I’m sure there’s times they said to themselves or to each other, ‘why couldn’t he just have been an accountant?’”

The boys laugh. Jacob, who has had quite a successful music career offers words of comfort.

“I never really get embarrassed. I’m used to that stuff. He’s been on television so long that it doesn’t faze me at all. It just seems, well, regular. I just see him as Dad. He’s a regular person doing his job. And if we happen to be around someone like Justin Trudeau and Dad takes his shirt off, well, that’s just normal too,” Jacob shared.

‘I LOOK UP TO MY DAD’

As for Will, there’s a sense of pride mixed in there as well.

“I might walk into a class on NL studies and Dad pops up in the lesson. One time in science class we were watching a video by Bill Nye and a commercial comes on and it’s my father promoting Pyjamarama Day. So there’s moments when his career has impacted me, but I’m not embarrassed because I look up to my dad,” Will said.

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Ten years ago in The Herald feature, Mark reflected on what he felt the boys would become as they grew older. At the time, he joked he hoped they would pick careers that could see him chill out a little financially as he neared retirement age. What does he think of the job he did as a parent, we ask?

“My favourite age for a kid is three because up to then they’re basically a stranger who might pee on you. Then you wonder, ‘who are you? What are you into? Are you outgoing? Shy?’ But around three the personality starts to show and you see who they are starting to be,” he said.

‘SENSIBLE & BRIGHT’

When asked to chat about his lads, Mark is enthusiastic.

“The boys are both very sensible and bright. Jacob is interesting because he studies computer science yet he’s very musical so he has a blend of the arts and the sciences and he goes about things sensibly. I joke as he’s doing his music that he needs something to fall back on, but that’s what any parent would want for their kid,” he said.

As for his youngest? Will has so much talent, and as he prepares to graduate high school, the sky’s the limit.

“Will did some acting and he’s a very good writer and he’s a very good singer. I can see him doing all those things. Now, he’s heading off to Grenfell (College) and he’ll do acting, but also psychology. So both boys are interesting that way because they have such varied interests. They are a mix of the arts and, you know, all that other sensible stuff.”

But what he’s most proud of as a dad has nothing to do with schooling or who they become career-wise as they grow.

“What I like most about the boys, what I’m most proud of, is that they are both nice boys and they are polite and interesting to talk to and they show interest in other people and whatever they want to do in life, it doesn’t matter, I support them.”

Like most dads, He hopes he’s taught them a few valuable life lessons.

“I hope they learn from me that you should try and do something that you love, something that makes you happy, and something that you are passionate about. If you do what you love I think that adds years to your life and you are surrounding yourself with like-minded people.”

SON OF A CRITCH

Some deep reflections are revealed as Mark, who just finished writing his follow-up to Son of a Critch, An Embarrassment of Critch’s, thinks about fatherhood.

“It’s always better to take the gamble and do something you find interesting in life, but they can do anything. Both my boys are nice and I’m so proud of that. Poppy Critch would have called them good and gentle and that’s a wonderful thing for a parent to have the pleasure of being around.”

So, let’s turn the tables. What do Will and Jacob think of their father?

Jacob laughs. “What can I say? He’s good.”

They all laugh. He’s good –  great, but is he strict? Funny at home? Give us something, we tease.

“He’s a mix. He’s naturally funny, always making up little quips and random characters all the time. He makes up weird songs and I find myself doing the same thing. He makes up stories. But he’s serious too if it’s something important. He’s all about getting work done, having a good work ethic and make a good plan. He’s fun. He’s friendly. But he has a good business mind, too,” Jacob said.

‘A CHILD AT HEART’

Having the 22 Minutes star as a father has been what you’d expect; incredible.

“He likes to do fun stuff, like read comic books and play video games. And yes, he’s a child at heart. He never feels like he’s too old or too grown up to hang with us guys,” Jacob added.

Will smiled. He also feels honoured to have had such a great father.

“There’s a bit of fun in everything we do. He’s spontaneous. We got to meet The Muppets. We were just there talking to The Muppets. It doesn’t get cooler than having a dad working with Kermit and Miss Piggy,” Will shared.

Mark laughed, explaining he was writing for the show at the time.

“It’s a perk of the gig, so it’s great that the kids remember those things.”

We asked if there are any last thoughts.

“I remember when Jacob was born, walking home from the hospital going, ‘ok now you’ve really got to get on the go here. Come on. You got to try now. Being a parent makes you focus because there’s more at stake and you got to do your best.”

Mark shared that, even though he worked away, he was home as often as he could and he made it most weekends. That was important, he shared.

The time invested worked.

“Dad taught me to never say never. To not stray too far from the things you love. He made sure the most important thing to him was us, and we knew it. I knew my dad would always be there if I needed him,” Will said.

‘FOLLOW YOUR DREAM’

As for Jacob, doing what you want to do was a big lesson.

“There’s grunt work that you have to put in. Dad was on TV, but he worked hard to get there. You have to believe in yourself and I know I can do anything because there’s no reason that I can’t. I wouldn’t avoid doing something because it would be hard work. Like music. I’ve had countless rejections. Some would give up, but I’ll keep going, and that’s a good lesson.”

Mark beamed with pride.

“One of the things I’ve tried to put in their heads is, don’t do anything to be well known. You don’t get into something because you want to be famous because that’s the wrong reason. You have to follow your dream for the right reason because if it ends up that you’re not overly financially successful, then you’re still happy. I do my best. I’m working hard at something I find fulfilling. I hope my boys see that and it serves them well.”

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Lord knows we’re all due for a laugh. That could be the epitaph of many a Newfoundlander and Labradorian, but in the pandemic era, that rule of thumb has grown exponentially. 

Enter Mom’s Girls, a female/non-binary sketch comedy troupe based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, whose main goal is to flip the script on the stereotype of females and inclusivity in comedy. Sound like a time and a half? Well, that’s because it is all that and your canteen full of chips. 

Mom’s Girls make their long-awaited return this May at the LSPU Hall in St. John’s for Mom’s Girls Gone Wild (May 13-15), with the team of Elizabeth Hicks, Stef Curran, Allison Kelly, and Andie Bulman ready to serve up gut-busting laughs in an inclusive and safe environment.  

“I think that’s totally our mandate, which is probably not surprising for a comedy troupe, but that at our core is what we want to do. Have people come to our shows and have them have an excellent time with their friends, with their family, with us,” shared Hicks in a sit-down with The Herald. 

“A lot of the time we are just totally silly because everything is so hard right now, so let’s have a laugh about, like a sheep farmer, you know? But then other times we really like to write and perform satire about the situation, and Newfoundlanders maybe more than anyone love that kind of thing. We love laughing about our tough situation.”

GENDER BE DAMNED

With all featured performers, writers and director Mallory Fisher making up an evening fully produced, written, built and performed by female and non-binary artists, Mom’s Girls bucks common trends and misconceptions about ladies havin’ a laugh, as it were. But in truth, the comedic cogs in the Mom’s Girls machine just want to make you, and each other, crack up. Gender be damned.

“We don’t write sketches thinking this is funny for a girl. We write sketches that we think are funny, and I don’t feel like it has anything to do with our gender,” explains Kelly. “I mean, everything in the world, unfortunately, tends to have something from the outside telling you about yourself and your gender. It happens to be that we are four female people in a sketch comedy group, but that is not what shapes the writing process for us.”

“We are very fortunate to be constantly lifted up by our community and supported and have great attendance at our shows and lots of people following us. It’s all great, but it really is a reality that exists in some public spaces, a conception that women aren’t funny,” adds Hicks.

“We all heard growing up that girls aren’t funny. So it’s like a feeling in the air that you have to fight against sometimes. There are just so many examples of female comedians that have done amazing things, and continue to do amazing things. So it doesn’t make any sense when people think women aren’t funny. Really, we’re not doing anything totally out of the ordinary. We think that we have something as an individual troupe to bring as Newfoundlanders, as women, as young people. There are lots of different reasons, or factors that shape our material.”

Aside from a knockdown, drag-out evening of comedians at the height of their powers, Mom’s Girls has always strived to nurture an inclusive environment, aiming for laughs and that ever-rare ‘punch-up’ mentality in an industry that often thrives on cheap-shots and low-brow laughs.

“I think that if anybody left one of our shows with hurt feelings, that would be a nightmare,” says Kelly. “So that’s kind of a guiding principle, and at the core of what we’re doing is we don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Anybody’s, because then that’s not comedy, that’s bullying. And there are so many comedians who are great at making you laugh without ever actually alienating a group or an individual.”

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MOM’S GIRLS’ FLAIR

And while the much-hyped and anticipated return to the stage for the Mom’s Girls comedy troupe has fans here and far buzzing, that’s not the only movement in the camp of an ever-growing group of immensely talented artists. 

The Mom’s Girls team has been hard at work on an all-new children’s television series for Bell Fibe TV, Tales From the Floordrobe, and were kind enough to offer a sneak peek of sorts.

“The four of us wrote all the episodes and we were the ones acting in it, so it has been quite a long process,” shared Hicks. “Some of us were producers on the show as well, so it was really difficult, I won’t lie. But the idea was basically that we were going to put a spin on literature and history and put the Mom’s Girls flair on things like that.”

“The idea came from something we already had, but then we molded it to fit children and it actually worked really well for kids,” explained Kelly, sharing that the series has a rough late 2021, early 2022 release date. 

“I think that actually is the strength of them, that they are really funny and they also really encourage self-realization for children. That’s what our goal was, and I think that we did it.”

“We made sure that every single episode had a problem of the day and then the story helps you realize the answer to the problem,” adds Hicks. “Now we’re back with all of our friends. What did you learn? And I think it was successful. We’ll see. We’ll have to poll the audience of children when the show airs.”

PUNS & PUNCHLINES

With a television series on deck and a much-hyped string of shows around the corner, the future is bright for a troupe whose intentions and heart are as sharp and pinpoint accurate as their puns and punchlines. 

“It’s so important to me that everybody learns that it’s cool to be silly. Like it’s cool to be a natural-born goofer,” shares Kelly with a laugh, ending on a bizarrely poignant story that perfectly bookends our conversation.

“When I was young I wanted to be funny, but I also wanted to be attractive and I didn’t really, like, know that you could be both. And I remember this story of this girl in my grade and all the boys in my class were farting. And they were like farting and then laughing, farting and then laughing. And then this girl in my class, she farted. And then it was like silence. They were like ewww man, or whatever, and I remember just being like in grade three and knocked with the hypocrisy of it all. I can’t believe it’s funny when you do it and it’s not funny when she does it. For me, a huge part of this is like we want it to be funny when we do it too.”

And so it is. Go wild b’ys!

For more information on Mom’s Girls and Mom’s Girls Gone Wild visit their Facebook, Instagram,  and lspuhall.ca

Check out The Herald’s new Instagram page for story updates, photos, and more!

Shaun Majumder is not only proud of where he comes from, but he makes a point to ensure his daughter, Mattis Maple, along with his wife, Shelby Fenner, get to experience the joys of  ‘ome life in Burlington as well. 

But the comedian is quick to add that living back home in Burlington, NL can sometimes be “a double-edged sword.” 

“Two sides; good and bad. The great is obviously being in the safest place in North America. That’s a super important factor given the fact that I have a baby at home. The fact that it’s Newfoundland and the nature, that’s the upside in terms of being outside all the time and having the freedom that you don’t get in Ontario or Los Angeles. That feeling of freedom when you’re in Newfoundland? You have to be here to understand,” Majumder began. 

There’s more positives. “Every time you pass a human you are instantly, obsessively aware of everything good around you,” he said.

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RHYTHM OF ‘OME

“People are friendly. They are genuine and kind. It relaxes you from the time you arrive and that has a huge impact on mental health to the positive.” The down? 

“You want to be isolated, but isolation takes a toll on mental health as well. Being in a small place where you don’t have access to stuff as quick is tough. Issues like health care is different. I worry in the dead of winter, what if someone gets really sick? And at a time when anxieties are naturally high anyway, that’s a concern. But, there’s something about being home that can take stress away. I grew up in Burlington, so I know the rhythm.” 

Still, getting back into the rhythm of home means that work, as it has for many in the entertainment world, has stalled. There’s no standup. There’s not much of anything. 

EMBRACE THE INNER BAYMAN

One of the reasons so many are “mad” about Majumder is because he is real. His humour, like how a Newfoundlander gives directions, is embraced. His comedy, even while starring on This Hour has 22 Minutes, reflected real life. He presents his true and honest self.  

“It’s been hard. It’s been challenging in many ways, like it has been for everyone in North America. But Shelby and I and Mattis, we embraced out inner bayman and just went with it.”

Being home for Christmas was fun. Majumder says that Mattis brought a lot of joy. He also enjoyed playing Santa for the kids in his hometown. 

“Every year in Burlington, Santa finds a little bit extra cash to make sure the kids who maybe are less fortunate get a little bit extra. And so over the last bunch of years, I’ve been doing that. But I’ve been away working, so this was the first year where I got to actually help Santa hand out the gifts. We went around, myself and  a couple of elves, and we went delivering presents and we had so much fun.”

Once the snow came, there were ski-doo rides to enjoy and snowmen to make. “We were embracing winter which was phenomenal because we were able to really have fun here at home.”

When he finally had to leave for work upalong, it was almost a shock to the system. “My head was spinning. I had to go to Michigan to shoot a commercial but you want to keep the family safe, but together. And I have family away, so you work on fitting in time you need to know if you are safe, or sick, or not.”

Times, he offered, have changed. But he will be back on NL soil by end of April, he figured.

RACE AGAINST THE TIDE

Having a daughter means planning ahead and thinking differently, he shared. He’s learned to embrace the positives of a pandemic, for one thing. 

“Never have I been more excited about and thankful for a pandemic and lack of employment,” Majumder said.

The pandemic has forced some downtime, and he’s grateful for that, he added.

“Our little family had been together every day since (Mattis) was born and thinking about that as a dad and being there and being able to influence her at this stage with Shelby, it’s amazing.”

Mattis can’t go to daycare, or to birthday parties, but dad does get to enjoy first steps and first words.

“For me as a dad, to be able to hold on to her and to be with her and make her laugh and for her to make me laugh and now she’s getting to that age where she’s talking up a storm and I’m able to just continue to be a part of all these magical, magical days and moments because I’m not able to tour, so I’m beyond thankful for the experiences that we’re having. You know, despite the challenging times, it’s been really great too.”
It’s been a wild, wild ride, he continued. But there have been employment blessings as well, like being involved in a CBC show called Race Against the Tide.

“Race Against the Tide was a blessing to have because it’s a comedy show featuring the world’s finest sand sculptures and I’m the host,” he shared.

Filmed in New Brunswick, Race Against the Tide is a competition series that sees 10 teams of highly skilled sand sculptors compete against the backdrop of the Bay of Fundy.

Hosted by Majumder, the show is slated to air on CBC and CBC Gem. The half-hour unscripted series was a lot of fun to work on, Majumder continued.  

“This pandemic has taken its toll and figuring out the compass as to what’s next, it’s been hard. We had to dial back on a lot of things. There was a lot of excitement around The Gathering in Burlington. We were working to expand. That was all put on hold and the breaks were put on everything.”

The only thing to do, he added, was focus on the good.

“Thankfully, I see the bookings for this year are already taking off. But in terms of where to put my energy, my next step as a creative individual? Well, I can still write and develop show ideas. That’s been a spark for me creatively.”

He still works on his standup, though his audience is family and friends.

THE MOST IMPORTANT

“You go into survival mode, you turn inward. You have to put dreams and things on hold for now and kind of let go. The human body, when it goes into shock when you fall in cold water or you go overboard, your body focuses on drawing all the blood away from the non-essential parts of your body and focusing on the most important, which is the brain and the heart. All you need are the most critical organs to stay alive.”

And that, he explained, is what living through COVID has been like. 

“Things become about survival and maintenance. You’ve got your family and   as long as you stay connected to family and to home, you won’t ever forget your priorities.”

Check out Majumder on Twitter, Facebook & ShaunMajumder.com. Stay tuned for much more in the coming weeks on Majumder.