Canadian actor and reputable stand-up comic Sean Cullen headlines the Drew McLean Comedy Festival in Kamloops.
Image Credit: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/TheHYPO
November 25, 2022 - 11:00 AM
It isn’t too late to join the fun and have some laughs at the Drew McLean Comedy Festival in Kamloops this weekend.
The Drew McLean Comedy Festival — which continues tonight, Nov. 25, and tomorrow — is jam packed with talent from various cities near and far including headliner Sean Cullen.
Cullen has entertained audiences for over three decades, accumulated countless comedy awards and released several comedy albums. He has appeared frequently on Canadian television and American sitcoms, produced his own sitcom for the CBC, hosted the Gemini Awards and won the prestigious award three times himself.
The Drew McLean Comedy Festival is a new name for the annual Kam Comedy Festival in honour of Drew McLean, an entertainment mover and shaker in the community who died last year. It was McLean’s reputation in the entertainment industry that drew some big names to the festival.
“We are huge fans of Sean (Cullen) so we got in touch with his agent and mentioned we were doing it for Drew,” Arron Butowski with The Effie Arts Collective said. “They had not worked together before but Sean knew Drew’s reputation and readily agreed despite our small budget.”
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Tim Nutt, a writer known for his work on the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Just for Laughs and Comedy Now, also came to headline the festival's opening event earlier this week, an open mic show in McLean’s honour.
Butowski said McLean spent years in Kamloops working with comedians and putting shows together, bringing in star level entertainers while always promoting and supporting local artists, venues and comics.
“He would be so mad we changed the name,” Butowski said. “He always wanted to be in the background. He would stand in the background during performances and give his short laugh and single clap of approval. Doing comedy for Drew was wonderful.”
Audience at the Drew McLean Comedy Show at The Effie Arts Collective in Kamloops, Nov. 24.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/ The Effie Arts Collective
The lineup of comedians includes a strong contingent from Kelowna.
“Kelowna comics have always stepped up for us,” Butowski said. “We continue to have great names coming from there.”
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He said a Kamloops-born comic Ryan Williams, who now lives in Vancouver, is also performing at the festival.
With the festival in full swing, there's still time get tickets and join the laughter.
“The meat and potatoes of the festival are happening Friday and Saturday night so there is still lots to come out for.”
Shows are spread out in three venues this weekend, the Blue Grotto, the Blackwell Room at the Plaza and The Effie Arts Collective on the North Shore.
For more details about the festival and to buy tickets go here.
Anyone in need of extra help accessing tickets can call Arron Butowski at 778-220-5560.
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