Vancouver comedian Alistair Ogden runs a comedy show every month with co-host An-Te Chu at China Cloud Studios. We got a chance to speak with him to find out more about his comedy style and influences, as well as where he goes to discover new comics.
How would you describe your comedy style?
Cheeky, laid-back, a little anxious. Desperately trying to have fun.
Who are some of your influences?
Pete Holmes, Tig Notaro, Ron Funches, and Key & Peele
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
I loved John Cleese. Monty Python and Fawlty Towers were on all the time. We also had this random VHS of a short film he did called “Double Bass” which was hilarious and also my first time seeing nudity on TV. Very enlightening.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Rory Scovel. His specials are fantastic and he was even better when I saw him live at the Rio in 2020.
What is your pre-show ritual?
I usually get quite anxious and go to the bathroom a bunch of times. Just peeing, mostly.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
I did the “Gala of Laughs” at the Spatz Theatre as part of the Halifax ComedyFest in 2019. Mark Critch gave me a hug after my set. I almost cried, it was so heartwarming. Also my first TV taping, so that was nice, but mostly I enjoyed it cause I got to hang out with a bunch of Canadian comedic icons. It was a truly wonderful time.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
Nothing beats going to live shows. Even when I’m not performing, I like to pop into venues around Vancouver to watch people I haven’t seen before, or comedians visiting from out of town. Go watch live comedy. It’s so much more fun than sitting in front of your TV, or laptop, or phone, or Apple Watch.
Do you have anything to promote right now?
Come to ComedyPants! It’s a show I run every month with my co-host An-Te Chu at China Cloud Studios. We pick our favourite comedians from the city and have them all perform in a loft space on Main St. It’s very fun.
The January 7 show has been cancelled. The next show will be on February 4th.
Where can we follow you?
This feels presumptuous but if you just Google “Alistair Ogden” you can find pretty much all of my stuff. There are only a couple “Alistair Ogden”s in the world, and so far I’m the most famous one.
Tell us a joke.
This feels oddly… threatening? I’m not going to write out a whole joke cause that feels weird but instead here is a short film I made: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CHA3ReYBx55/
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
There are truly so many. Nathan Hare! An-Te Chu! Andrea Jin! Aaron Read! Danika Thibault! Malik Elassal! I could go on for paragraphs. Just go to @itscomedypants and follow everyone we have on our shows.
