Canadian comedy star Roman Danylo will share the stage with CBC Radio’s Neil Grahn in what promises to be an uproarious fundraiser for Centrefest, Red Deer’s summer street performers’ festival.
The wacky Against the Wall Theatre gang will also join Danylo and Grahn for an “improv jam” during a variety comedy show on Friday, March 18, at the Scott Block in Red Deer.
Centrefest requires a budget of more than $200,000, which is usually raised from government grants and business sponsorships.
This year, the creative opportunity to hold a fundraiser presented itself, “so we thought why not?” said Laura Turner, executive director Downtown Red Deer, which organizes the popular street festival that’s slated to run from July 29 to 31 this summer.
Red Deer native Grahn, of CBC Radio’s The Irrelevant Show, began his career writing and starring in the comedy show Three Dead Trolls in a Baggie. He has since written, directed and produced the Gemini Award-winning lifestyle series Taking It Off. As well, he has directed The Family Restaurant, X-Weighted and Fish Out of Water for television.
Danylo is the star of Comedy Inc. on CTV and the Comedy Network.
He has also appeared in the Just for Laughs, The HBO Comedy Festival, The Improv Comedy Games and The Improv Comedy Olympics. The Calgarian first honed his comedic talents in the world-renowned Loose Moose Theatre Company.
The Against the Wall Theatre troupe is a diverse group known for putting on monthly sketch and improvisational comedy shows called Bull Skit! comedy nights in Red Deer.
Tickets to the 8 p.m. fundraiser (doors open at 7 p.m.) are $30 through the Black Knight Ticket Centre, Comforts the Sole and Sunworks.