P.A. comedian Kelly Taylor is once again in the running for Canada's next top comic. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Brady Bateman

Good for a laugh

P.A. comedian vying to be Canada’s top comic

Aug 8, 2019 | 5:01 PM

The search is on for the top comic in Canada, and a Prince Albert performer is hoping to represent all of Saskatchewan on the national stage.

Born and raised in P.A., Kelly Taylor has performed in comedy clubs and venues across the world, and now has once again stepped into the ring to be named as Canada’s best through SiriusXM’s Top Comic competition. Taylor is also a co-host for the popular XFM morning radio show with Lew Harrison.

“Comics from all around Canada enter the competition through a video submission; there’s probably more than 1,000 comics who send in videos,” Taylor said.

“Now I’m on to the third stage, I guess the semi-finals, where it’s all online voting. People can vote every day from a cellphone, computer, iPad or whatever. I’ve got three iPads at home, so I guess I’ll get a few extra from those ones,” he joked.

All finalists in the competition will be brought to Toronto to perform at the SiriusXM Comedy Gala at Just for Laughs 42 (JFL42) where a panel of judges will choose one winner to take home $25,000 and the title of Top Comic 2019.

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The winner will also receive a solo show at JFL42 and JFL NorthWest 2020, plus a TV spot at Just for Laughs Montreal 2020 and will be featured in JFL: All Access, airing on the Comedy Network.

“I’ve gone to the finals twice before. One time I was selected from my video but I never moved on to the quarter final, so I guess this will be my fourth time in the competition,” Taylor added.

“Hopefully this will be the one. For me, it’s almost more important than for the Toronto or Vancouver comedians. The money is nice, but the exposure is the big thing – to do those festivals as a top comic would be very nice.”

Taylor noted that his comedy is drawn from real-life experiences, as opposed to many comedians who are skilled writers and are able to create jokes out of thin air.

“I’m jealous of the comics who are great writers, I always think they are so smart… and I’m just not a smart guy. I think I can just tell a story well, I got lucky the talentless way,” Taylor joked.

“I don’t ever really sit down and write like that; I think my style is definitely storytelling and being relatable. People in Saskatchewan don’t care about pop culture or what’s happening in L.A., they want to laugh at something they can relate to.”

Taylor added he believes people from Saskatchewan are more genuine than people in metropolitan areas such as Vancouver and Toronto, saying folks from Prince Albert and Saskatchewan are known to stick together, and support local causes.

Taylor’s funny story-telling and humorous take on life and the world around us is a regular part of the XFM morning radio show with co-host Lew Harrison.

You can vote for him from August 9 to August 29 here.

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Brady.bateman@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TheDigitalBirdy