Colin Sharp is a Vancouver-based comedian who has spent years perfecting the art of finding something worth saying in the places most people overlook, like a bus ride, a minor inconvenience, or a firmly held opinion about something that probably doesn’t matter. Approachable, clever, and refreshingly light-hearted, Colin’s comedy draws from personal experience without the anger, finding the funny in everyday life and making audiences feel like they’re in on it with him.
How would you describe your comedy style?
I aim to be approachable, fun, and clever in finding ways to talk about what I think has been hilarious in my personal experiences. At the root of each joke, there’s often some firm opinion I hold or something insignificant that annoys me too much, but I want to make that come out in a fun way the audience can identify with.
Who are some of your influences?
Early on in my career, I absolutely “took influence from” (was ripping off) comedians like Pete Holmes, Paul F. Tompkins, and Aziz Ansari. While all of them are different, the way they took a light-hearted and goofy approach to comedy resonated with a non-angry person like myself.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
The first time I realized there was a specific person behind the things that made me laugh was learning that Gary Larson drew and wrote The Far Side cartoons. I had multiple compilation books and read them over and over again — and still do.
When it comes to stand-up comedy, it all started with an episode of Comedy Now starring Jeremy Hotz. I must have only been nine years old, and my friends and I found it on TV during a sleepover. It introduced me to stand-up, and I adored it. Through my teens I really enjoyed Patton Oswalt, Mitch Hedberg, Sarah Silverman, David Cross, Zach Galifianakis, Maria Bamford, Eugene Mirman, Daniel Tosh, and Demetri Martin — and of course those previously mentioned influences Pete Holmes, Paul F Tompkins, and Aziz Ansari.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Very few people can make me laugh as hard as Rory Scovel, Kyle Kinane, Tig Notaro, and Doug Stanhope. Those are comics who I will still go out of my way to see if they’re in town.
What is your pre-show ritual?
I’m often running shows, so the pre-show ritual is constantly checking the ticket list to see if everyone has shown up, madly texting comedians to confirm that they are on their way from another show, and explaining to bartenders that we’ll need to turn the music off to start the show.
If I don’t have to worry about all that, I like to have a sip of water and stretch my quads.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
Certain places can be perfectly set up, well-managed, and focused on a successful comedy show, but it only becomes a favourite performance depending on the people that showed up. People can correct for anything. In the past year, I’ve stood on the ground in front of a fireplace in Nakusp, I’ve been in the corner of a log cabin in Mackenzie, I’ve gone up before karaoke night in Merritt, and those were all incredible. But the bar I played in Hope? That bar can go to hell.
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
I have a bit where I talk about everything I like about riding the bus and how much better it is for my life than driving. It’s a bit that was sort of written in reverse, because it started with the observation that I had never seen a comedian do a bit about liking the bus. In comedy, the bus is always bad and often played for cheap laughs. There’s some down-on-their-luck person in your way, it’s late, it’s slow, it’s everything negative. I’m a huge proponent of public transit, and I’m proud of doing something that makes the opposite case for it.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
Real life! Go out to comedy shows. It’s so much better to see comedians perform for a room than to see what people will do for the algorithm. It’s more interesting, and it’s tailored to you in that moment!
If there’s something in your neighbourhood you can go to regularly, check it out! In Vancouver, I would absolutely recommend going to see shows at Little Mountain Gallery, China Cloud Studios, Jokes Please, the Don’t Tell Comedy shows, and Comedy After Dark.
Tell us a joke about your city.
Ken Sim.
Do you have anything to promote right now?
I’ll be recording my debut album and special in Vancouver later in 2026, so be sure to stay tuned to my social accounts or join my mailing list to learn when it’s going down.
Where can we follow you?
Instagram | TikTok | Mailing List
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
We’re lucky to have comics like Ivan Decker, Erica Sigurdson, Simon King, Ryan Williams, Ola Dada, and so many more here that are successful and known to comedy fans but deserve to have anyone and everyone know them and love them.
But we also have great comedians on the rise that will be the highlight of a show you go to, like Josh Fleming, Kelsey Hamilton, Gavin Clarkson, Cory Lupovici, Randee Neumeyer, Darcy Boon Collins, and so many more. If you’re reading this and want more, I’ll send you a spreadsheet.
