Comedy

Place des Arts celebrates comedy with the help of numerous leading figures in the industry. It is a prime stop for many stars on their comedy tours and a sought-after venue for top producers. For many years, the Just for Laughs festival held its French- and English-language galas here. It is also the stage where one of Quebec’s greatest comedians of all time, Yvon Deschamps, performed over 500 times. Across all its venues and with the support of thousands of artists, laughter remains the best medicine at Place des Arts.

From Jerry Seinfeld to Mariana Mazza, Dominique Michel to Robin Williams, Place des Arts has welcomed a wide variety of comic artists over the years. Each generation brings a new flag-bearer, ensuring that Québecers’ love affair with comedy remains as strong as ever. PDA was also a pioneer in giving pride of place to movements that were still on the fringes at one time. When Guilda first graced its stage in 1965, the venue was well ahead of its time, paving the way for the massive success of drag performers in more recent years.

Sixty years of comedy adds up to a whole bunch of routines, many of which are now classics. Generation after generation of Québecers have been proudly represented by comedians and comediennes who made their marks in different eras both at home and abroad.  

In the 1970s, Marc Favreau, who was both a comic and a poet, gave people a new appreciation for the French language with his inventive humour and masterful wit. The musical and multidisciplinary comedy of Jean Lapointe and Les Jérolas, blending laughs, theatre and melodies, helped attract new audiences to the genre. In the 1980s, André-Philippe Gagnon’s masterful impressions propelled him to international fame, as one of the very first Québec comics to enjoy cross-border success. 

More recently, in the 2000s, Place des Arts saw a wave of hits by local stand-up standouts that consolidated its status as a hub for humour. The artists who left their mark on the decade include such notables as Martin Matte, Philippe-Audrey Larue-St-Jacques, Cathy Gauthier and Katherine Levac.

They say Québecers have always loved a good laugh, and Place des Arts is clearly one of the places where that tradition lives on.  

Every year, new names and new voices join the roster of stars enriching the contemporary comedy scene. PDA is proud to help usher in the emerging generation, via “découvertes” evenings as well as major shows, all part of a slate of programming designed to appeal to a broad audience. Looking to discover the latest laugh merchants? Don’t miss our intimate comedy evenings at Salle Claude-Léveillée, where you can catch up-and-comers in action.