Laffs, Loud Music, and a Lot of Heart: A Q&A with Dan Duvall on Comedy at Rifflandia

 

Comedy at a music festival? You bet—and at Rifflandia, it’s become a fan-favourite fixture. Now in its fourth year, Lafflandia has carved out its own vibrant space within the festival, delivering belly laughs between sets and proving that live stand-up and music pair better than you’d think.

We caught up with Dan Duvall, the Victoria-based comedian and Rifflandia’s longtime comedy booker, to chat about the Lafflandia stage, what makes the vibe so electric, and who you absolutely shouldn’t miss this year. With credits that include Just For Laughs Vancouver, CBC Gem, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and more, Dan knows a thing or two about curating a killer lineup—and about keeping the laughs rolling even in the middle of a high-energy music fest.

Read on for insider tips, favourite acts, and why Lafflandia just might be your new happy place at the festival.

Q: Comedy at a music festival can be a wild ride. What is the energy like compared to a traditional comedy club? 

A: Amazingly, the energy is pretty similar! When we first started doing this, I definitely had some concerns that it would be a bit chaotic with it not being a separately ticketed event within the fest, but that hasn’t been the case AT ALL. The stage crew has done a great job of making our Lafflandia stage feel like its own entity! We have it fenced in and there’s a roof over top so it keeps the laughs in. That’s always the biggest issue with outdoor venues, the laughter dissipating into the air, and we seem to have solved that! It’s got a similar feel like you’re in a comedy club, and I think because of that, the audience knows to not yell out and be crazy. We’ve shockingly not had a single issue with heckling or disruption at any of the 3 previous years! Plus I think it’s a good opportunity for festival goers to sit down and chill for a bit. I also think it’s worth mentioning that Victoria in general has some of the best comedy audiences in the country, so people know how to behave when there’s a comic on stage. 

Q: What is the show format? Like how long are the shows? 

A: The shows are the perfect length. They’re exactly 20 mins long which we’ve found is just the right amount of time to keep people interested during a high energy music fest. We do 4 or 5 shows a day with one headliner on each and we alternate with bands so we are always doing our best to make it so people can watch comedy without missing anything. 

Q: Tell us about the lineup this year. 

A: Oh I’m really excited about this year’s lineup! I can easily say every comic we have is an absolute killer, but some standouts would be: Ivan Decker who has been on Conan, Netflix, Just For Laughs a million times and he won a JUNO for best comedy album. He’s easily one of the best Canadian comics of all time. We’ve also got Dino Archie who for me personally, is one of the reasons I got into it in the first place! He’s been on Comedy Central, Kimmel, and his latest special is up on Apple TV. Shirley Gnome is another really fun act. She does music comedy and has won a TON of awards for it! I worked with her at Winnipeg Comedy Fest last year and I legit will say her show was one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. She’s insanely talented. Also Rob Bebenek from Toronto who is one of the best storytellers I’ve seen, Chris Gordon and Aaron Read are super unique, Marito Lopez whose energy is incomparable… I could do a writeup on every single person in this lineup but there’s not enough space! Also on Thursday we have our local showcases! Victoria is probably the best small scene in the country and we have some unreal up and comers. Insider info, Don’t miss Dylan Williams, Alex Forman or Henok Meresa! 

 

Q: What makes Lafflandia unique? 

A: I think just the way it flows so seamlessly with the music side of things and how it really is its own little eco system within the fest. Every year the stage has gotten bigger, and more people have filled it up faster and faster. I think it’s also important to mention that our comedy lineups

are all Canadian! (Dino is American but he lives in Vancouver so he’s on our team now. Take that, America) We have such a deep talent pool here in this country and Canadian comics don’t always feel very supported by our country’s entertainment industry. That’s a really big deal to me to have Rifflandia be such a solid supporter of Canadian talent and a big reason why I love working here with the team. 

Q: Welcome Dino! Now the burning question, wtf is the OK Dope Crowd Work Show, Dan? 

A: GREAT question. OK Dope crowd work show is a completely unscripted, audience interactive comedy show by Nash Park and Alex Forman. It’s fueled by Nash and Alex being on stage together asking questions to the audience. It’s so, so, so good. In fact they were the standout performance last year so we had to bring them back again! You’re gonna love it. Also they do it once a month on Fridays at the mint FYI. 

Q: Any final thoughts? (No thinking. Stop thinking).

A: We’re just really looking forward to introducing people to their new favourite comedians! Can’t wait to see you all at the Lafflandia stage!

Lafflandia is being brought to you by Helijet