Canada’s top sketch comedy troupe, Kids in the Hall, made their triumphant return to the stage in their hometown of Toronto this past weekend, before they begin of a mini-tour that has them playing Hamilton tonight, before heading stateside for a bunch of shows, and back up through the west coast of Canada.

The entire original cast, Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson, and Bruce McCulloch,  have all had remarkable careers that in some form of another stemmed from the early days back in the 1980’s and 90’s when the group first started performing together down at the Rivoli on Queen Street in Toronto.

To have them all back on the same stage is a remarkable feat, and by the number of people who packed the Danforth Music Hall for the four shows, it was greatly appreciated. Beyond this reunion stage show, the Kids have worked together on other projects, such as the feature film Brain Candy, and a mini-television series, Death Comes to Town.

Without giving too much away, many of the recurring characters were brought back to life to much fanfare. They begin the show at centre-stage dressed in wedding dresses, a ode to their trademark of blurring gender roles. There were a couple of parts that lagged somewhat, or perhaps weren’t as funny now as they were a few decades back, but for the most part the typical Canadian dark humour that they are known for, did shine through brightly.

The crowd was a mix of original fans, which are referred to in the opening monologue as “the 41 year old uncle who smoked a bit too much pot back in the 90’s”, and those who got dragged to the show by said uncle. One this is for certain, the majority couldn’t wait for “The Head Crusher“, who made an appearance in the last sketch where he uses modern technology to scan the crowd for heads to crush, before crushing the heads of all the Kids one-by-one, putting an end to the idea of any more reunion shows happening. Let’s hope that’s not the case!

The historic Danforth Music Hall was the perfect setting to see this show, and that venue has a great line up of entertainment coming up in the next couple of months as well.

Click here for a list of tour dates and ticket information.

About the Author

Bryen Dunn is a freelance journalist with a focus on travel, lifestyle, entertainment, and hospitality. He has an extensive portfolio of celebrity interviews with musicians, actors, and other public personalities. He enjoys discovering delicious eats, tasting spirited treats, and being mesmerized by musical beats. Reach out - bryen@thebuzzmag.ca