Fans of Monty Python, Mr. Bean, and Dr. Seuss… Grab your teacups!

Reminiscent of classic British pantos, and blending physical comedy, quick-witted wordplay, and cleverly crafted interactive elements, O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy promises an unforgettable experience that ignites the imagination and uplifts audiences.

For over a decade British Comedy legends James & Jamesy (aka Aaron Malkin and Alastair Knowles) have been flooding auditoriums with joy and laughter in their multi-award winning tea-themed comedies. Renowned for their impeccable timing, flawless physical comedy and movement skills, and endearing chemistry, the duo deliver a night of unbridled hilarity that will leave your cheeks rosy from laughter and your spirits soaring with festive cheer.

As the holiday season approaches, James and Jamesy are set to tour their flagship production O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy, which has worked its way into the hearts and annual traditions of thousands of theatre-goers across North America.

“Theatre is in its essence an exercise in imagination, a suspension of disbelief,” says Alastair Knowles, who plays the eccentric Jamesy character. “O Christmas Tea focuses on, and plays with, this distinction.”

To James, on-stage events are make-believe and the audience is of the real world. To Jamesy, on-stage events are real and the audience doesn’t exist. This vast difference in perspectives dissolves as the play progresses, and audiences find themselves compelled to join the performers in the world of imagination and in the delight of ‘play’.

Knowles adds, “We want adults to leave feeling lighter, more playful, and with a deeper connection not only with their immediate companions, but also with the entire audience who shared in the magical experience.”

“At this time of year, we’re inspired to dream big and tap into our child-like imagination,” says Aaron Malkin. “O Christmas Tea is a show that brings family and friends together. For those who’ve already made it part of their holiday tradition, we’re excited to introduce new elements that will make this year’s performance even more unforgettable.”

“Every year the tour gets bigger and the show develops, which keeps the whole experience fresh and thrilling for audiences and ourselves,” adds Malkin. “We will be sharing this show with tens of thousands of people over 60 shows in 37 cities this November and December. We can’t wait!”

“Complete and utter fun… for all ages.”

★★★★★ CBC

“I cannot think of a show that will leave you more profoundly happy than this.”

★★★★★ Stage Door, Toronto

O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy, 2024 East Coast Tour

November 7th, 7.30pm, Algonquin Theatre, Huntsville

November 10th, 3pm, Stockey Centre, Parry Sound

November 28th, 3pm and 7.20pm, Orillia Opera House

Touring Ontario (Canada), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New York State (US)

Full tour dates and listing details at www.ochristmastea.com

Connect with James & Jamesy on social media @jamesandjamesy

*This Article Is Sponsored By: O Christmas Tea

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The show at the Gravenhurst Opera House on Aug. 24 will feature special guest musicians Jill and Matthew Barber, Hannah Georgas, Clerel, and local favourite Miranda Mulholland.

“After five years of touring the show to every nook and cranny out west, I’m thrilled to be bringing the show to Muskoka this summer,” said Grant Lawrence. “The way it works is that the performers take turns: I tell a story, then one of the musicians performs a song or two, then I return with a story and on it goes. There is a special alchemy that happens when transitioning from story to song in a live setting. It can be pretty magical.”

Lawrence will share his hilarious and harrowing true stories about outlandish coastal BC characters from past and present, himself included. The acclaimed radio host and author will read from his latest #1 bestseller “Return to Solitude”, his perennial bestseller and debut book “Adventures in Solitude”, and his hit hockey book “The Lonely End of the Rink”, as well as from his top-rated podcasts, and never-before-heard stories as well. Special surprise guests usually drop in.

Why was Muskoka chosen for his Ontario debut? “After way too many years playing in a touring rock band”, explains Grant, “when I started this show, I decided that I only wanted to tour it to places that I actually wanted to go to. No offense, Edmonton, but Muskoka definitely fits the bill.”

The musicians:

• Jill Barber is a three-time Juno-nominated folk-jazz-pop singer based in Vancouver with over 1.6 million monthly Spotify listeners. She’s also married to Grant.
• Matthew Barber is a two-time Juno-nominated folk-roots singer based in Toronto. He’s also Jill’s big brother.
• Hannah Georgas is a four-time Juno-nominated pop-rock singer based in Belleville. She’s toured with City and Colour, Kathleen Edwards, and on Lilith Fair.
• Clerel is a Cameroon-born soul and roots singer based in Montreal. He has toured the world in support of Noah Reid.
• Miranda Mulholland is a virtuoso fiddle player who has performed on over 100 albums and toured with everyone from Jim Cuddy to Great Lake Swimmers. Her family has owned a cottage in Muskoka for generations.

Click here for tickets to Grant Lawrence and Friends on Aug. 24.

The post Grant Lawrence And Friends: An Evening Of Stories And Songs In Muskoka appeared first on Muskoka411.

Morrison is a highly sought after stand up comedian, who’s created his own comedy brand, Cottage Comedy, which produces live shows, festivals, comedy albums/specials, and now Cottage Comedy
Club.

“Cottage Comedy Club is an awesome little space for comedy right on the water where I will be running a series of exclusive shows with special guests and showcasing my new stand up before I take it on tour across North America,” said Morrison. “It’s pretty awesome and because of its amazing location right by the Port Carling Locks people can access it by boat as well.”

Morrison has been making a name for himself across North America, not only for his hilarious brand of working-class comedy, but for becoming known as Canada’s best roast comic. He’s dominated on Roast Battle Canada where he was nominated for a 2024 Canadian Screen Award, was featured on Andrew Schulz’s The Life Tour, the Roast of Ric Flair, Doug Stanhope’s Second Wind Tour and as a writer for the Netflix special The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady.

“Roasting has always been a fun part of the comedic experience, playing around with the crowd in stand up is a great way to bring the room together. I’ve been fortunate enough to get the opportunity to really thrive with the roast format and gain some notoriety from that, so I do my best to bring that style to my live shows – I want them to feel like anything could happen tonight,” said Morrison.

Cottage Comedy Club will run weekly throughout July and August, with Morrison dosing out his comedic genius, along with surprise appearances by headlining comedians and rising talent.
Get tickets

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If you are a director with a play in mind please click on the link and fill in the online form OR if you’re a playwright with a knack for humour and a hilarious story to share, HfA wants to hear from you! HfA invites you to submit your play for consideration in this exciting event.

About A Play, A Pie, and A Pint:
A Play, A Pie, and A Pint is a yearly tradition that offers a delightful and relaxed approach to enjoying live theatre. Set in the charming Mill on Main, audience members are treated to one of the Mill’s Mini Pizzas or a house salad accompanied by a 16oz pint or a 5 oz glass of house red or white wine. Following dinner, the audience will be entertained by four ten-minute side-splitting plays by local directors and actors.

Submission Details:
Submission Deadline: November 24th, 2023, at 5:00 PM Play Requirements: Plays submitted must be comedic, no longer than 10 minutes in length, and tailored for performance in a small space. Existing and original plays are eligible.

Selection Process: Submissions will be reviewed by a committee. The selected playwrights will be invited for interviews scheduled for November 29th, 2023.

How to Submit:
Submit your play proposal by visiting
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfewGm6cQg8L5RGK752AnUtw6yK1KLQ3Gbvk_NrA2g5cxFKcw/viewform.
For more information and inquiries, please feel free to contact Hannah Naiman, Director of Programs, Education, and Outreach at the Huntsville Festival of the Arts, by phone at 705-788-2787 or via email at hannah@huntsvillefestival.ca.

Don’t Miss Your Chance. This is your opportunity to have your comedy play brought to life at the iconic Mill on Main. Share your humour, creativity, and unique perspective with a captivated audience. HfA looks forward to receiving your submissions.

For more details, please visit HfA’s website at www.huntsvillefestival.ca.

The post Huntsville Festival Of The Arts (HfA) Presents: A Play, A Pie, And A Pint… And A Pitch! appeared first on Muskoka411.

Scott Thompson from the ‘Kids in the Hall’ brings his most famous character, lounge lizard ‘Buddy Cole’, to the Simcoe Street Theatre for a 3 night run of his new show ‘KING’.  An evening of hilarious and sometimes incendiary monologues never before seen on television to a series of brand new monologues written for the recent revival that were deemed ‘ TOO HOT FOR AMAZON’, this is a show you can’t miss.

Buddy is back, funnier, sillier and yet somehow more dangerous than ever. Join him in an intimate setting as he mixes up martini’s and dishes out the dirt on his fabulous globe trotting life all while reflecting on everything from the fractured state of the LGBTQT+ community to controversial ways to cure cancer to the proper way to woo a despot.

Warning: If you like riotous boundary pushing comedy this is definitely the most fun you will have in the third week of May!

CONTENT WARNING:  This show contains explicit themes, language, and content.  Attendees must be 18+.

Scott Thompson as Buddy Cole in: KING

May 17, May 18, May 19, 2023.  

Showtime:  7:30pm

Location:  The Simcoe Street Theatre, 65 Simcoe Street, Collingwood

Tickets available at www.theatrecollingwood.ca, by calling 705-445-2200, or in person at 150 St. Paul Street, Suite 201.  

The post Canadian Comedy Icon Scott Thompson Coming To Collingwood appeared first on Muskoka411.

Reminiscent of classic British pantos, O Christmas Tea is rich with wordplay, comic physicality, and cleverly crafted interactive elements, yet it is the duo’s boundless imagination and endearing chemistry that provide the real magic of this play.

“The Christmas season is the time of year when we are encouraged to dream big, embrace imagination, and celebrate child-like excitement for magic and merriment,” says Alastair Knowles, who plays Jamesy, the quirky half of London’s 3-time Impresario Award-winning duo. “With O Christmas Tea, we bring together multiple generations in the theatre, laughing and enjoying each other’s company – and ours.”

James and Jamesy have already won just about every comedy award they can, and the reason is obvious: these two are exceptional. Stepping away from their Off-Broadway run, the duo are set to delight thousands of Ontarians this holiday season.

Christopher Hoile, a reviewer for Stage Door Toronto, met the duo on their first Canadian tour back in 2013 and was awed by their ability to elicit a sense of play in a room full of adults, saying “As adults we praise the imagination that children have in playing and creating as if we no longer have it. Just an evening with James & Jamesy proves we have not lost that imagination. We simply haven’t been given the space, encouragement, or freedom to exercise it. That’s exactly what James & Jamesy give us. The immense pleasure we feel comes from realizing that a power we thought was lost has only been dormant.”

Juxtaposing British propriety with an unabashed love for the unexpected, O Christmas Tea casts away the conventions of theatre and joyously breaks the fourth wall. In fact, just about the only thing these two don’t break is their Royal Doulton tea set in this wonderful evening of play and whimsy.

Leap to get tickets!

O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy is touring 31 cities throughout the province including:

North Bay

Peterborough

Sudbury

Huntsville

Orillia

Go to www.OChristmasTea.com for dates, locations and tickets.

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*This article is sponsored By O Christmas Tea

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