Five Questions with comedian Mark Vincent

Interview by Jason Setnyk | Submitted Photo

Cornwall, Ontario – Mark your calendars for Friday, April 28, and Saturday, April 29, at 8 PM, and head over to the Seaway Valley Theatre Company located at 30 Sixth Street East in Cornwall for two nights of laughter as comedian Mark Vincent records his comedy album. The new comedy album will be available on YouTube and all streaming music platforms.

This promises to be a great two-night event. The shows will feature some fantastic comedians, including Wafik Nasralla, Joe Bowman, Dan Allaire, Matt Johnson, Mike Baird, Patt Cardinal, and Jamie Carr. Tickets are priced at $25 and can be purchased at Clement Barber Shop, Nativity Bowling, and ticketscene.ca. Don’t miss the chance to witness some hilarious comedy and be part of a memorable recording session.

For the past decade, Mark Vincent has become a familiar face in the local comedy scene. He is known for his high-energy, sarcastic style, which never fails to create a fun and upbeat atmosphere for his audience. With a repertoire ranging from theatres to bars, local restaurants to schools, gyms, and even some guy’s dirty basement, Mark has played almost every venue in town.

Mark’s impressive resume includes playing on the same bill as iconic personalities such as Kenny vs. Spenny, Mick Foley, Jake the Snake Roberts, and Canadian Comedy legend Mike MacDonald. As the founder of Off Your Rocker Comedy, Mark has promoted and hosted numerous sold-out events. His comedic talent has also landed him performances at various comedy festivals, including the Cornwall Comedy Festival and the Dirty Bird Comedy Festival.

Five Questions with The Seeker

1  – Can you tell us about your comedic background and how you started in comedy?

“A friend hired Yuk Yuks for a fundraiser, and she wanted an MC to talk about the charity before the comics. I had done one set a few years back at a laid-back open mic, where I might have been a little intoxicated. I might have exaggerated my experience on stage as they asked me to fill some time. The show was oversold, the lights weren’t working, the crowd was drunk and rowdy, and I pretty much bombed. I’ve been trying to redeem myself ever since.”

2 – Who are your comedic influences?

“I loved SNL, Simpsons, and Mad TV as a kid. Andrew Dice Clay was one of the first comics I remember hearing. One of my buddies had his tape, and I was obsessed with his nursery rhymes. Then I saw Delirious by Eddie Murphy, which started me down the path to loving stand-up.”

3 – How would you describe your comedic style, and what sets it apart from others?

“I probably forget my jokes more than others. I don’t really know. Everyone has their own sense of humour. We all express it a little differently. I like telling stories on stage that are funny to me.”

4 – Can you walk us through your creative process for writing new material?

“I’ll write down thoughts or situations during the day; eventually, there will be something that I will gravitate to, and I’ll start writing off that idea. I’ll bring it on stage to see if I should continue working out the joke or if I need to terminate it.”

5 – Can you talk about a particularly memorable performance you’ve had and what made it special?

“I was doing a show at Lola’s when I first started comedy. I was working with one of the top Canadian Comics, Derek Seguin. I was the first comic up, and the host was on stage. The host got into an argument with a heckler, which escalated to the heckler ripping his shift off and yelling, “you don’t know me,” and “let go, funny man.”  Derek ran over and demanded the heckler go outside. Derek was the headliner. I thought I was getting into a fight, but it had to be quick as I was being called onstage in minutes. Derek proceeded to offer the heckler $20 to leave. He obliged, and I got ready to walk on the stage. I realized that the heckler just got paid more than I did.”

Find out more information about Mark Vincent’s upcoming two-night event on Facebook.