Winnipeg Comedy: History in the Making Part 1
The Winnipeg comedy scene is booming, and the city’s top comics have continued to build on the foundations laid by the likes of David Steinberg, Kenny Robinson, and Irwin Barker.
Winnipeg is a comparatively small market when it comes to show business, often over-shadowed by Toronto, Vancouver, and even New York and Los Angeles. But, that hasn’t stopped Winnipeg’s funniest people from forging ahead and breaking new ground.
This week, Rumor’s Comedy Club — the number one name in Winnipeg comedy — takes a look at Winnipeg’s rich comedy history. We’ll show you all the Winnipeg comedians that have made waves in the comedy world, and we’ll also show you where you can find live comedy in Winnipeg just about any night of the week.
Winnipeg’s hilarious history
It takes a great sense of humor to live in a place like Winnipeg. Extreme winter weather can really toy with your emotions, so we’ve learned to laugh it off and make fun of our own predicaments. That’s probably why Winnipeg has such roots in the comedy world.
As Winnipeg comedy alumni, Bruce Clark put it, "It's very cold in Winnipeg which is a working-class, tough city. Because people didn't have alot of money, house parties were popular, and cramming dozens of people in a small house, someone better be funny or there will be a fist fight."
Here’s a look at how stand-up comedy in Winnipeg has evolved over the decades.
The 60s
Stand-up comedy was still a fledgling artform in the 1950s, and in a little city like Winnipeg, it was tough going. But, one man, Pat Riordan, rose to the challenge.
Riordan began performing live with his band, The Baladeers, in the late 1950s before expanding into stand-up comedy, performing five nights a week at places like the Viscount Gort Hotel and the Winnipeg Press Club. His tenacity and impeccable comedic timing made Riordan one of the most in-demand live performers in Winnipeg in the 1960s. He retained the title as the King of Winnipeg Comedy until his passing in 2008.
While Pat Riordan was able to carve out a living in Winnipeg, there wasn’t a whole lot of stand-up comedy going on outside of the major show business centres like New York and Los Angeles back in the 60s. So if you were an aspiring comedian from Winnipeg, you were probably drawn to one of these comedy meccas.
Enter David Steinberg.
Born in 1942, David Steinberg studied English Literature in Chicago where he stumbled upon the legendary Second City Theatre, joining the troupe in 1964. There he performed alongside comedy legends like Robert Klein and Joe Flaherty. Steinberg was also a frequent guest on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, and his controversial satirical sermons were a contributing factor to the show’s cancelation.
Steinberg would go on to launch his own sketch comedy show, The David Steinberg Show and a comedy interview show called Sit Down Comedy. He would also go on to direct several episodes of well-known sitcoms such as Seinfeld, Friends, Mad About You, and Norm McDonald’s highly-regarded stand-up comedy special Me Doing Stand-Up.
The 80s
Stand-up comedy experienced a big boom in the 1980s, and it reached all the way to Winnipeg as young Manitobans tested their metal at one of the most difficult performing arts there is right here in their home town. Rumor’s was founded in the middle of this flurry in 1984, and has earned the reputation as the best comedy club in Winnipeg over the last 39 years — the longest run of any Winnipeg comedy club.
Winnipeg comedy shows were hard to come by before the 80s boom. That’s why Winnipeg native Kenny Robinson moved to Toronto to pursue his career in stand-up in 1983. Robinson has since become a fixture in the Canadian comedy industry, hosting his own late night TV show called After Hours, and earning a recurring role on the PaxTV original Doc starring Billy Ray Cyrus.
Robinson has also been instrumental in growing stand-up comedy for People of Colour, launching his Nubians Disciples show back in the mid-1990s.
But, other comedians stuck around to hone their craft in Winnipeg — at least for a little bit. Pat Riordon was the first (and really only) working comic in Winnipeg at the time, mentoring younger comics in the 80s boom like Iwin Barker and Bruce Clark.
Barker was a favorite among comedians with his intelligent and precise joke writing style, which earned him a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriter’s Award in 2008. For his part, Clark would go on to an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
"The advantages (of doing stand up in Winnipeg) were I could get on stage twice a week without lining up for hours like they do in L.A.,” says Clark. “(The) other advantage was I began working professionally within 4 months because of the dearth of locals.”
Bruce Clark with the legendary Norm MacDonald
Back in the 80s there was no real roadmap as to how to become a stand-up comic in Winnipeg. And while there is no one way to do things, thanks to the Winnipeg comedians of the 1980s, there’s at least a semblance of a path to follow if you want to become a stand-up comic in Winnipeg.
More: Comedians Winnipeg saw before they were famous
Where to find the best comedians in Winnipeg today
Winnipeg’s comedy scene is ever expanding, and Rumor’s Comedy Club is the place to be to see the best comedians in Winnipeg. We pride ourselves on being in-touch with the local stand-up scene, and our Funniest Person with a Day Job competition has been a launching pad for many comedians who are now finding success nationally and internationally, like Aisha Alfa (Based on a True Story), Chad Anderson (Just For Laughs), Jordan Welwood (Roast Battle Canada), and Paul Rabliauskas (Acting Good) to name just a few.
Each week you can catch Winnipeg’s best local comedians performing alongside top touring acts, like Michael Ian Black, Ariel Elias, and Jon Dore. And let’s not forget the real star of the show: our full dinner menu, featuring fan favorites like our personal pizzas or our huge nacho platter.
Come get your fill of great food and hilarious comedy at Winnipeg’s best comedy club, Rumor’s.
“I would recommend Rumor’s, as a must go and see place, if you want to laugh and forget all your problems for one night (unless you go for more than one night ... lol)” - Roger R.