Festival Players is back in Prince Edward County and opens the season with the Haymaker Comedy Festival, featuring some of the top stand-up comics in the country performing in the historic Red Barn Theatre.

After the success of last season’s Live at the Eddie with Carolyn Taylor & Elvira Kurt, comedy is back and taking over the Red Barn Theatre, featuring some of the top stand-up comics in the country. Come for a night of laughs and stay late for live Karaoke in Ruby’s Clubhouse after.

Headliners include Elvira Kurt (July 1) and Gavin Crawford (July 2) along with Colin Mochrie & Debra McGrath, Wassim El-Mounzer, and a diverse lineup of rising stars from CBC, CTV, Just for Laughs, Edinburgh Fringe Fest, Crave, Netflix, and Comedy Central, including Jason Allen, Moe Ismail, Ben McKay, Faraz Niafattah, Dion Owen, Cameron Phoenix, Rebecca Reeds, Anjelica Scannura, Max Sheldrick, Tamara Shevon, and Harrison Weinreb.

All performances at the Red Barn Theatre at The Eddie Hotel & Farm. 15786 Loyalist Pkwy, Bloomfield, ON

Grab your tickets here.

In July, the Festival Players Pavilion outdoor stage will host the World Premiere of the Festival Players commission THE SHAPE OF HOME: SONGS IN SEARCH OF AL PURDY. Created by and featuring Frank Cox-O’Connell, Beau Dixon, Hailey Gillis, Marni Jackson, Raha Javanfar, and Andrew Penner, THE SHAPE OF HOME explores the life and work of Canada’s unofficial poet laureate.The Festival Players Pavilion will also host FLIGHT, an outdoor festival celebrating diverse and Indigenous contemporary dance created and curated by Carol Anderson, Arwyn Carpenter, Jordana Deveau, Sophie Dow, Kristen Foote and featuring an eclectic lineup of dancers, including Santee Smith and Patricia O’Callaghan; and BEYOND THE SEA – a romantic comedy from Port Dover’s Lighthouse Theatre. BEYOND THE SEA is directed by Derek Ritschel, written by Kristen Da Silva and features Jane Spence and Jeffrey Wetsch.

Festival Players will also present a series of COUNTY UP! Experiences through the summer, including special events, concerts, and celebrity chef dinners at the historic Regent Theatre in Picton and in the Red Barn at The Eddie.The first COUNTY UP! Experience for the 2022 season brings celebrated Cree-Canadian playwright, author, and pianist Thomson Highway to The County, for SONGS IN THE KEY OF CREE. Incorporating Cree and English language songs written over the past 30 years, SONGS IN THE KEY OF CREE also features Peruvian-Canadian vocalist Patricia Cano and Toronto’s famed jazz sax player Marcus Ali.

Tickets for all announced programming are on sale now at www.festivalplayers.ca and include Pavilion Season Flex Passes or single tickets at $45-$50 and $30 for Under 30/Arts Worker.

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.