Bonnie McFarlane w/ Courtney Gilmour, Jules Balluffi & Melanie Dahling

HOWL & ROAR RECORDS and The Grindstone Comedy Fest presents a one hour performance of 4 unmissable Stand Up Comedians featuring headliner Bonnie McFarlane, with Courtney Gilmour and Jules Ballufi. Hosted by Melanie Dahling.

Bonnie McFarlane

Bonnie McFarlane hails from Northern Canada but is still always cold. A national headlining comedian, McFarlane's radio and television credits includes an HBO special, two comedy central specials, three Letterman appearances, a Tonight Show appearance, The Howard Stern Show and a regular on the Opie and Anthony/Jimmy radio show. Bonnie regularly appears as a guest on Fox's Redeye and is a regular cast panelist on Comedy Central's The Nightly Show starring Larry Willmore. Bonnie is also a cast member on the current season of Tru TV's, How To Be A Grown Up. Bonnie has acted in numerous television shows and can be seen in the newly acclaimed web series "Cop Show" starring Colin Quinn and Jerry Seinfeld. She most recently made an award winning comedy documentary feature about funny women called Women Aren't Funny starring Joan Rivers, Rosie O'Donnell, Sarah Silverman and Maria Bamford. It's available on iTunes and Netfix.

The HuffingtonPost listed McFarlane as the number one funniest female you should know. Marie Claire Magazine said she is one of the 50 Funniest Women Right Now. Paste Magazine chose the podcast she does with her husband, Rich Vos as one of the Top Ten best comedy podcasts today. It's called My Wife Hates Me. McFarlane also co-hosts a national radio show on Sirius XM with her husband based on the podcast. Bonnie has written a book for Harper Collins that will be coming out February 23 2016 called: You're Better Than Me. Her comedy has been described as sly, inventive and edgy. Huffpo referred to her crowd work as "the best in the biz." She is active on social media and was singled out by several online publications as one of the top people you should be following on Twitter.

https://thestandnyc.com/comedians/bonnie-mcfarlane

FEATURING:

Courtney Gilmour

Courtney Gilmour is a JUNO nominated stand up comedian, television writer, and finalist on Canada’s Got Talent. She is one of Canada's most unique voices and sought after comedy talents, named by NOW Magazine as “one of the top 10 stage artists to watch”. She delivered a breakout performance at the 2017 Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal by winning the Homegrown Comics Competition and filming a set for Kevin Hart's LOL Network. Courtney's victory at the 2017 Just For Laughs Homegrown was the first by a female comic in the 19 year history of the event. In 2018 she topped it with televised performances at CBC’s Winnipeg and Halifax comedy festivals, as well as a triumphant return to Montreal to tape a set for The Comedy Network at Just for Laughs. 

Courtney is a regular at the Just For Laughs festival with multiple headlining shows at Just For Laughs Toronto, a filmed TV set for CBC’s New Wave of Stand Up in Vancouver, and many appearances at the JFL flagship festival in Montreal including a televised performance on The Howie Mandel All Stars Gala airing on The CW Network. 

Her solo Fringe show “‘Congratulations!’ Stories of Achievement, Embarrassment, & Self-Worth” debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival in summer 2019 and was met with sold out shows as well as multiple awards including Best of Fringe and Patrons’ Pick, earning her three extra performance runs and acceptance into the Brighton Fringe Festival in the UK.

She has written for and made appearances on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, CBC’s The Debaters, Space Dragon & Kim, and CBC’S Humour Resources alongside Jon Dore and Sarah Silverman, and most recently she can be seen on two episodes of  CTV Comedy’s Roast Battle Canada. In 2022 Courtney competed in the second season of Canada’s Got Talent, during her semi-finals performance she got the judges’ vote to go straight to the finals as one of the top 8. You can catch her touring around the country with Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Clubs and heard regularly on SiriusXM and CBC LOL.

Her debut stand up album “Let Me Hold Your Baby” was released under Comedy Records in 2022 and was nominated for a JUNO award in 2023 for Comedy Album Of The Year. Courtney’s warm, accessible, and intelligent brand of stand up has made her a hit with audiences nationwide.

As of 2024, Courtney is slated to join the voice cast of Lakeside Animation’s new adult animated series “Paralegal” alongside Kids In The Hall’s Kevin McDonald and Bruce McCulloch.

Hosted By:

Melanie Dahling

Winnipeg-born Melanie Dahling is known for her theatrical delivery and offbeat charm. Her debut album, ‘Greetings From The Big City’, was in The Toronto Star’s Top 10 Canadian Comedy Albums of 2023. 

Melanie has shared the stage with noteworthy acts like Cameron Esposito and Anna Drezen, and produces regular comedy/variety shows in Toronto. You can also catch her in the sketch troupe Boy Girl Party, or behind the scenes at woman-run comedy label Howl & Roar Records.

Check her out on Instagram/Twitter @melaniedahling

- Glenn Sumi Special to the Star