Punch Up

a play by Kat Sandler

About the Production

Matchstick Theatre presented Kat Sandler’s Punch Up as a co-production with Hello City Improv at the Bus Stop Theatre from December 8th-18th, 2022.

What happens when the most pathetic man ever kidnaps the funniest man alive to make the saddest girl in the world laugh? Duncan is trying to make Brenda laugh so that she will reconsider taking her own life. There is only one problem: Duncan is not funny. The solution? He kidnaps funnyman Pat to help him write the perfect stand-up routine. Punch Up shows just how far we will go for a laugh, the hilarity found within despair, and the profound healing power of comedy.

Poster Design by Sean Skerry (Skerrcraft Creative)
Photography by Stoo Metz (Stoo Metz Photography)

Accompanying each performance of Punch Up were an opening roster of local stand-up comedians:
Travis Lindsay
Trina James
Luba Magnus
Gil Anderson
Colin McGuire
Clare Belford
Adam Myatt

The team

Pat Wallace – Henricus Gielis

Duncan – Liam Fair

Brenda – Stevey Hunter

MC / Host – Shahin Mohammadi

Director – Peter Sarty

Production Stage Manager – Chelsea Dickie

Producer – Jesse Nervais

Lighting Designer – Matthew Downey

Costume Designer – Everette Fournier

Set Designer – Tonya “Sam’Gwan” Paris

Set Design Mentor – Holly Carr

Sound Designer – Deryl Amenya

Sound Design Mentor – Jackson Fairfax-Perry

Poster Design by Sean Skerry (Skerrcraft Creative)

Photography by Stoo Metz (Stoo Metz Photography)

some moments

About

Kat Sandler

Playwright, director and the Artistic Director of Theatre Brouhaha, based in Toronto. Kat Sandler attended the University of Toronto School, where she wrote and directed a musical; and graduated from the Queen’s University Drama Program. She then worked with Theatre Garantua in Toronto, which develops multi-faceted works. Since 2012, she has directed nineteen of her own plays, including Toronto Best of Fringe hits Bright Lights, Punch Up, Help Yourself (winner of the New Play Contest), Delicacy (Summerworks Spotlight Award), and Liver, Cockfight and Retreat (Storefront Theatre). She was a member of the Tarragon Playwrights Unit, where she developed Mustard (Dora Mavor Moore Award, Outstanding New Play).

Reviews

Elissa Barnard

NS Reviews

“If you’re looking to get out of your own head and laugh and laugh, this 2014 Canadian hit is an indie must”