The Icebreakers Comedy Festival returned to the Prince of Wales last weekend, bringing nationally known comics back to a venue residents may have remembered from the festival’s early years.
The 12th annual festival ran Jan. 29 to 31 across three Niagara-on-the-Lake locations, with the Saturday night CBC Laugh Out Loud Gala anchoring the weekend at the Royal Cambridge ballroom at the Prince of Wales. The move followed a criticized stop at NOTL’s community centre last year.
Festival founder and executive producer Jeff Paul, a NOTL native, said the decision to change venues centred on production quality and atmosphere rather than size.
“It just wasn’t up to snuff for what we like to do. We don’t want them folding up basketball nets so we can do a show,” said Paul.
Shows earlier in the weekend took place at Oast House Brewers on Thursday and Corks Wine Bar and Eatery on Friday, before the CBC gala on Saturday night. All events were 18-plus, with 19-plus required for alcohol service.
Paul told the audience Saturday the festival began at the Prince of Wales ballroom 12 years ago and had not returned to the room in nearly a decade. The gala also marked CBC Radio’s 10th consecutive year participating in Icebreakers.
“We’re not looking to expand or get bigger. We’re just looking to have what we have and keep it a good quality and not overreach,” Paul noted.
The gala was hosted by CBC Radio’s Ali Hassan and featured a lineup of comedians from across Canada, with Martha Chaves closing the show. Chaves, a Humber College comedy instructor and returning performer, drew on everyday observations and personal experience.
Hassan addressed last year’s venue switch early in the evening, after learning more about it on arrival.
“I was told last year was a good show, and now I find out a year later it was a debacle. I had no idea,” said Hassan.
Paul said audience loyalty has allowed the festival to stay small while continuing to sell out, even as some residents remain unaware it exists.
“They’re paying money to see something, and we give them the satisfaction of spending that money so they want to do it again,” he said.
The festival’s timing in late January has also remained deliberate, especially in a town that quiets after the holidays.
“At the end of January, everybody wants to get out of the house. They tell themselves all month they’re going to be better this year, and then a couple weeks go by and they get itchy,” said Paul.
Icebreakers began more than a decade ago alongside Niagara-on-the-Lake’s icewine celebrations, after Paul got some encouragement from comedian Christoph Davidson. Paul later took full control of the festival, with support from a small local team including Councillor Tim Balasiuk.
Paul announced his plans to record a comedy special in town this spring, continuing the festival’s connection to local venues.
“It’s pretty much going to be my top hits of my 15-year career in comedy, and I’ll slap it all onto a nice video and hopefully people click on it,” he said.
The special is scheduled for April 11 at Navy Hall, with two ticketed shows planned later that night.
