Jokers Theatre and Comedy Club in Richmond Hill offers unique shows, entertainment

Venue has plenty of free parking, dining options

yorkregion.com
Melissa Wallace
Nov. 14, 2023

Looking for something fun to do on your night off aside from the usual movie or bowling?

Jokers Theatre and Comedy Club in Richmond Hill offers a variety of shows, dining options and special events located north of the city.

The club's owners, Dave Curran, Tommy Laroque and Steve Kalantar, had dreamed of opening their own place, and saw a void for diverse entertainment north of the city.

“In Europe and Las Vegas, there are all kinds of cabarets and different kinds of shows,” said Curran, who opened Jokers in July 2022. “We wanted to open a club to promote our own ideas and be unique.

“So at Jokers, we don’t just do comedy; we do magic, hypnosis, drag, tribute shows. We do all kinds of stuff.”

One of the most popular additions has been the Jokers’ Rising Stars competition, which takes place every Tuesday. “That’s where anybody can take the stage and give it a shot with comedy,” said Curran. “You get a lot of people coming in to show their stuff and they usually bring their friends, family and coworkers.

“It’s really funny, and you either end up laughing at them or with them.”

Launching the club in Richmond Hill was an intentional move to provide options for individuals living in York Region and beyond.

“People don’t necessarily want to go to downtown Toronto to watch shows,” said Curran. “There are traffic issues, parking, and when you do find parking, you have to walk several blocks.

“We built a venue with plenty of free parking, and now we have people coming from as far north as Sudbury and Barrie because there’s nothing like this where they are.”

Le Petit Chef is a fine-dining experience at the Jokers Theatre and Comedy Club in Richmond
Hill.

The club also offers spacious seating and dining options, including an “immersive culinary journey” with Le Petit Chef.

Kalantar, who used to run Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club, said he hopes Jokers will make people laugh, smile and forget about their daily troubles. He also hopes for more funding from the government to recognize comedy’s place in the arts, a lament that has been echoed by other comedians.

“Canadian arts seem to have good support from the population,” said Kalantar. “However, comedy always seems to get neglected by governments in the forms of grants, loans and subsidies.

“For some reason, they don’t take us seriously.”

Co-owner Steve Kalantar stands by a cast of iconic Canadian comics at Jokers Theatre and Comedy Club, including Wayne and Schuster, John Candy, Howie Mandel, Jim Carey, Leslie Neilson and Colin Mochrie, among others.

Jokers suffered a minor setback in August when a suspect or suspects broke into the club and set fire to the bar.
“We’re still kind of recovering,” said Curran. He alleged the individual(s) broke some of their large windows, damaged their bar, ceiling, furniture and carpets, and that the suspect(s) haven’t yet been found.

The club hosted a Fire Fundraising Show in October to try and recoup their losses, which he estimates to be approximately $20,000.

“It was a scary thing for us to experience, and we thought, ‘Why would someone not like us? We’re happy, we’re funny.’”

Joker’s Comedy Club and Theatre is located at 115 York Blvd., Unit 9, in Richmond Hill. Visit their website at www.jokers.ca to purchase tickets for upcoming shows and book a table at Le Petit Chef. You can also subscribe to their insider newsletter to receive offers for free shows and other promotions.