Headliner: Shelley Marshall

Shelley Marshall is one busy hot mama. Freshly back from a self produced world tour including headlining South Africa’s only full time comedy club, Parker’s Comedy Club, Scotland’s world renowned comedy club, The Stand, with special appearances in Spain, London, Wales and Ireland. Shelley has become a regular performer with Jongleurs Comedy Clubs and was invited to the Amsterdam Comedy Festival August 2011. Shelley is also known for producing The Full Bawdy Comedy Show and for being the opening act for Puppetry of the Penis off Broadway in NYC. Shelley happily toured as their opener across Canada in 2008 and 2009 to rave reviews. Shelley appeared in the short film The Auction, which won the Audience Choice award at the Sprockets Film Festival and aired on CBC this year. Her latest self-produced one woman show, Hold Mommy’s Cigarette, candidly revealing her life, opens soon.

NOW Magazine’s Glenn Sumi named Shelley “Best New Discovery” and she was nominated for Best Female Stand Up at the 2009 Canadian Comedy Awards. She recently hosted a stage at this year’s Toronto’s Pride Festival and hosted Gay Day at Canada’s Wonderland on. Shelley also co-hosted the televised 2009 Hamilton Music Awards with singer/songwriter Tom Wilson last November and was the host of The Sheridan Media Awards.

http://www.shelleymarshall.com

Host: Kate Davis

Kate’s comedy career started as a need to get out of her house. So one night after putting the kids to sleep she ventured into a local comedy club and never looked back!

Now, a five-time nominee at the Canadian Comedy Awards and star of her own hour-long comedy special on CTV and the Comedy Network, Comedy Now, Kate headlines across the country and is a favorite at corporate events. Kate’s corporate career has allowed her the opportunity to host events for former President Bill Clinton, Margaret Trudeau, Barbara Walters and many others. She has also proven that funny can raise money and does many charity events for organizations that help teens and kids.

She has appeared on Breakfast Television, The Mike Bullard Show, The Toronto Show, Star TV, Toronto 1, Prime, WTN, TVO, CBC Radio One “The Debaters” and The Mom Show.

She made it to the final round in Toronto for “Last Comic Standing” 2008 season and just recently in Toronto for NBC’s Stand up for Diversity.

http://katedavis.ca

Special Guest: Martha O’Neill

Martha O’Neill’s wry, often edgy comedy is at odds with her laid-back, likeable stage presence; a combination which has made her an audience favourite wherever she performs.

This Toronto native spent the first 10 years of her comedy career performing improv and sketch. She is a graduate of the Second City’s Conservatory programme and is a former mainstage cast member at the Bad Dog Theatre. Shifting her focus to stand up six years ago, however, Martha has found her true calling.

She has performed all over Canada and as far away as Dublin and London. Television appearances include “The Mom Show” and “’Til Debt Do Us Part”, both on the Slice Network. On radio, she has been heard doing voice-overs for CBC News and contributing to BBC World Service.

In 2007, Martha was a semi-finalist in Q-107’s “Funniest Person with a Day Job” competition. Most recently, she was nominated for a 2009 Canadian Comedy Award for “Best Stand Up Newcomer” and competed in the 2010 “World Series of Comedy” in Las Vegas.

On a personal note, she is proud to announce that she has recently mastered revolving doors. Through years of practice and trial and error she can now exit malls with virtually no problem. Like comedy, it’s all about the timing. Escalators are next! Wish her luck.

Rhiannon Archer

Although Rhiannon Archer hasn’t been on the scene long, she is quickly becoming a favorite at venues across the country. She was born near a river and was raised by a family of trout, who she insists has not influenced her comedy in any way. Dreaming of the bright lights of show business, she packed her bags very young in life, said goodbye to her parents, and made the long swim down river (she’s wasn’t raised by filthy salmon) to the big city.  Rhiannon has already established herself to the point where she has appeared in many of the hugely successful Nerdgasm shows, preformed in the very popular Bitch Salad shows, is a part of comedy collective, StandUp For Your Sisters, and recently performed in the Brantford Comedy Festival.

For more information go to www.rhiannonarcher.com

Becky Bays

In addition to possessing the best name in show business, Becky Bays has an acerbic comedic style that has left Toronto audiences in stitches. Becky’s quirky observations of life are not only dead on, but fun and hilarious.

Great for corporate events, clubs or anything in between, her clean, smart humour wows every audience. She has also appeared in numerous theatrical productions, including Beauty and the Beast, Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding and the one-woman show See Bob Run. From Vancouver to Toronto, Becky has made audiences sit up and take notice. She is definitely one to watch! You can see Becky next at Absolute Comedy Ottawa from February 24 to 27.

Zabrina Chevannes

Zabrina Chevannes is a nurse and mother of two. Her extremely energetic and honest comedy landed her a nomination for the Tim Sims Encouragement Award in 2008. Zabrina has been featured on The Comedy Network, and she has been performing regularly at Yuk Yuks clubs, coporate functions and open mics around the GTA and the US. Zabrina is a regular on the Nubian Show (a popular night of urban comedy hosted by Kenny Robinson). Zabrina has also played a major character on a cartoon pilot that aired on the Teletoon network.

Heidi Mole

Heidi’s largest accomplishment in life thus far has been acquiring self-esteem and “Brady Bunch” memorabilia.

After surviving life in a small village with a highly dysfunctional family Heidi turned to stand-up comedy as a form of therapy.

When not performing, Heidi enjoys swing dance, hula-hooping, and judging people.

Muniza Rauf

In 2008, Muniza took a standup class and unknowingly got herself mixed up with some pretty die hard broads!  She doesn’t regret a thing and thanks her standup sisters for all the encouragement and support while she travels down the funny road.

Daniela Saioni

Daniela is the shyest extrovert you’ll ever meet.  In high school her nickname was Brainiac, but her IQ never stopped her from making incredibly unwise and impulsive decisions.  Her distinct blend of smart and subversive writing is directly inspired by the ridiculous twists and turns her life has taken.

Daniela is a gifted character actress who has appeared in several films and tv series, and is a burgeoning television writer.  She earned a film degree and a post-grad diploma in comedy screenwriting before training as an improviser at Second City, then turned to stand-up in 2008.  She has since performed all over Eastern Canada,  San Francisco and New York and was recorded for XM radio.  She produces this and other comedy events, including West End Girls, Best of West End Girls and Bocche Fresche: a festival of new Italian Canadian comedy.

Laura Salvas

Laura Salvas is pretty effing wonderful so please read carefully. Laura’s been doing standup for, like, a year now. So far, career highlights include her spot as a finalist in the 2009 Toronto Comedy Brawl and this thing you’re at tonight. Laura also does lots of sketch comedy as part of her troupe Warm Summer Hotness and is currently training as part of The Second City conservatory program and through Impatient Theatre Co. Laura has been part of various improv show casts, including (currently) Vanguard School of Comedy’s Jenkins Syndrome and (previously) Kingston’s Saturday Night at the Improv and The Improv Show. She directed the improv troupe at Ryerson University, where she earned her journalism degree, and has been involved with the Canadian Improv Games national high school tournament for more than a decade as a player, trainer and judge. Don’t let the third person fool you – Laura wrote this bio herself. Thank my $40,000 Ryerson journalism degree for the impeccable grammar.