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TORONTO, ON — The Second City Toronto, the leading voice in live comedy, presents its 92nd Mainstage revue, 100% Real Human, opening October 6, 2026. Original sketches, musical numbers, and the unpredictable improv Second City is known for give audiences every reason to put down their phones and enjoy a night of live comedy. Real people. In the same room. Laughing together.
“At a time when a lot of platforms are pushing AI content, we’re doing what we’ve always done, making comedy together,” says Etan Muskat, Artistic Director of The Second City Toronto. “Every sketch, song, and character in 100% Real Human comes from hilarious artists bringing their own experiences, ideas, and wonderfully strange brains to the stage. But the real magic happens when the audience arrives.
The suggestions, reactions, and laughter of the audience not only tell us we're on the right track, they help shape the show into something unique and alive, creating moments that belong to everyone in the room. No AI, just people making people laugh.”
Directed by Rob Baker, with music direction by Steve Cruickshank, 100% Real Human features writer-performers Gillian Bartolucci, Tim Blair, Monica Garrido Huerta, Antony Hall, Chelsea Larkin, and Gavin Pounds. Matt Keevins serves as stage manager and lighting designer. Assistant direction by Hannah Spear.
For 53 years, The Second City has brought Toronto audiences together through live comedy, helping launch the careers of Catherine O’Hara, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Martin Short, Mike Myers, Chris Wilson and Stacey McGunnigle (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), Lauren Ash (NBC's Superstore), and Ann Pornel and Alan Shane Lewis (The Great Canadian Baking Show), among many others.
Press opening: Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 8:00 p.m.
Show Timings:
Tuesday–Thursday: 8:00 p.m.
Friday–Saturday: 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Sunday: 7:00 p.m.
The Second City Comedy Theatre, 110 Harbour Street, Toronto
Tickets: secondcity.com, 416-343-0011 or The Second City Box Office.
Media Kit: https://shorturl.at/U2OGh
Media contact:
Hayley Graham (she/her), Sr. Publicist, Touchwood PR
647-998-3783 | hayley@touchwoodpr.com
About the Artists
GILLIAN BARTOLUCCI (Cast) she/her
Gillian Bartolucci is a comedian, actor and Canadian Screen Award-nominated writer who performs with The Second City Toronto. She has written for CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes and showcased at JFL42 New Faces: Characters. Her solo revues have earned critical acclaim, with Something Small, Something Sweet winning Best in Venue at the 2022 Hamilton Fringe Festival. Her show The Weight of It All also earned her a Best Solo Performance nomination from My Entertainment World.
TIM BLAIR (Cast) he/him
Tim Blair is a comedian and founding member of the acclaimed comedy troupe TallBoyz II Men. Together with Bruce McCulloch of The Kids in the Hall, the troupe created TallBoyz, the sketch television series that won multiple Canadian Screen Awards. Tim’s work spans stand-up, sketch, and improv, with live appearances at Just for Laughs Toronto and the NBC Breakout Festival in Chicago.
MONICA GARRIDO HUERTA (Cast) she/her
Monica Garrido Huerta is a Toronto-based, Dora-nominated bilingual artist from Monterrey, Nuevo León. Her solo show The Cunning Linguist won the 2016 Queer Acts Audience Award, and her short films have screened at the InsideOut LGBT Film Festival. Television credits include Baroness von Sketch Show and The Horror of Dolores Roach. Her stage work includes Universal Child Care, El Terremoto and The Second City’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays. She performs with the Canadian Comedy Award–winning Sketch Comedy Extravaganza Eleganza and is one third of the Latine drag king group Boyband the Boyband.
ANTONY HALL (Cast) he/him
Antony Hall is a Toronto-based Chinese Canadian improviser and actor from Lethbridge, Alberta. A graduate of The Second City Conservatory and MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts Program, he performs with sketch comedy team $20 Sandwich, whose videos have amassed millions of views on Instagram and TikTok. Screen credits include Run the Burbs, Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent and national commercial campaigns. Antony is also a writer and co-creator of the digital series Ming’s Dynasty, inspired by his Alberta upbringing and featuring his comedy rap persona, Young Riesling.
CHELSEA LARKIN (Cast) she/her
Chelsea Larkin is an actor, comedian, writer, singer and dog enthusiast. Her credits include Just for Laughs: New Faces: Characters, CTV’s Children Ruin Everything, OMNI Television’s Abroad and the lead role in Lifetime’s I Was Honey Boo Boo. Her solo show The Chels Stands Alone won multiple awards at the Toronto Fringe Festival. As a child, Chelsea met Second City alumnus John Candy in an elevator, where he told her to “follow her dreams.” Well, she’s doing it.
GAVIN POUNDS (Cast) he/him
Gavin Pounds is a comedian and actor originally from Barrie, Ontario. He can be found emerging from the sewer or performing improv and sketch comedy in Toronto. His screen credits include the television series The Boys and The Umbrella Academy, as well as the 2024 film The Apprentice. A longtime fan of Canadian comedy, Gavin is beyond excited to perform at The Second City alongside such a talented group.
ROB BAKER (Director) he/him
Rob Baker is an award-winning actor, writer and director. He is an alumnus of the Second City, where he starred in four critically acclaimed shows. He co-created and starred in the sitcom Guidance on Bite TV. He has developed numerous projects for DHX Media, including the CBC original series Body Buds. Recent stage highlights include directing Tonight’s Canceled, one of Now Magazine’s Top 10 comedy shows of 2016, and its sequel We’ll Be Better Tomorrow. Recent film/TV highlights include various roles on Baroness Von Sketch Show and The Beaverton, and The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, which premiered at TIFF 2018. He spent 2018 as a writer for the Emmy-nominated Workin’ Moms on CBC and Netflix. Rob’s thrilled to be back at The Second City working with such incredibly talented people.
STEVE CRUICKSHANK (Music Director) he/him
Steve is a Toronto-based composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He received a BFA in music at York University and studied music production at Seneca College. Recipient of a 2009 Ontario Arts Council songwriting award, he has composed music for the TV shows Miss Persona, Princess Sparkly Butt and Welcome to Sunny Hauntario, as well as several short films. He has produced three sketch comedy albums as well as a number of podcasts. When he's not performing or teaching, Steve tunes pianos and runs a popular YouTube channel featuring tonally-inverted versions of well-known songs.
HANNAH SPEAR (Assistant Director) she/her
Hannah Spear is a Canadian-born actor based in Toronto. Known for her empathy, sharp comedic timing, and emotional depth, she brings a compelling sense of connection to every performance. A proud alumna of The Second City Toronto, Hannah has performed in over a thousand live shows. Her talent for blending comedy with emotional resonance led to a historic milestone: she became the only solo ensemble member in the company’s history to receive a Dora Award nomination. In 2017, Hannah wrote, produced, and starred in the short film 90/91, and she continues to develop new scripts. Her career spans stage, screen, and commercial work, reflecting her versatility as a performer and creator. Hannah also works as a coach and director in improv, sketch, and acting.
MATT KEEVINS (Stage Manager) he/him
Matt Keevins is a stage manager who specializes in improv and sketch comedy. Select credits include The Weight of it All (Toronto Fringe), An Evening with Devon and Jackie (Toronto Fringe), Something Small, Something Sweet (Hamilton Fringe), Come Here Often? (Buddies in Bad Times). He’s worked as a theatre tech at Comedy Bar, in The Second City Training Centre and has understudied Mainstage and Tourco.
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