Magali Saint-Vincent is a comedian whose humour is rooted in making people think while laughing at absurdities, often blending personal experiences with outlandish imagery. With influences like Sarah Silverman and Iliza Schlesinger, she has crafted a unique comedic voice that balances clever insights with playful absurdity. Her passion for theatre initially shaped her comedic style, drawing from the exaggerated performances she admired growing up.
How would you describe your comedy style?
I like to make people laugh by making them think, that my life experiences become universal with the really stupid images that I can add to more difficult situations. I love it when after a show people tell me that I’m stupid. I know that I did my job well. People laughed and were entertained. But I know full well that my humour stays with them for several days afterwards. I’m stupid, but what I say isn’t stupid.
Who are some of your influences?
I love Sarah Silverman, her clowning on stage is so clear. She’s the only one who plays like that. Her lyrics are hilarious, but her persona is even stronger. She will always be funny to me. I also really like Iliza Schlesinger as a comedian, because I completely dissociate myself from her comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But she’s the queen of act-outs. She talks about femininity like no other. And for grace in the vulgar, Nikky Glazer. What an author, what aplomb.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
My influences are very French-Canadian, and I didn’t consume a lot of comedy when I was young, because I wanted to dedicate my life to theatre, like a great tragedienne. It was really exaggerated and it was very useless, I should have had fun earlier in my life. So I was influenced more by theatre than by comedy, but if I had to name influences in comedy I would say Korine Côté. When I was younger, there weren’t the number of female comedians that there are today, but Korine for me was the quintessence of the girl who could talk to everyone, even guys. She was in projects surrounded by men and she was always the funniest of the gang. Otherwise, really little, I loved Florence Foresti in France and I could analyze for hours the acting of Lisa Kudrow in Friends and Lauren Graham, who played Lorelai in Gilmore Girls.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
I’ll say Sarah Silverman again, I saw her in Toronto this month and she made me want to write more jokes as soon as I left the room. In fact, any comedian who makes me want to write in turn after their show, for me, has done their job well. Simon Gouache, Adib Alkhalidey have that effect on me lately.
What is your pre-show ritual?
I always look at my script, where I make a list of the jokes I’m going to make. Even if I’ve been doing a number for a long time, I’ll always read it before.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
I love the Gésu, in Montreal, it seems like the audience embraces you, it’s wide, the laughter comes back quickly, I think the tragedian in me loves the Coliseum effect of the Gésu. I would have been an excellent comedian during the Roman Empire, I think.
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
I have an issue on feminism, the first one I wrote for the National School of Humor tour, which I no longer do today because I think I have improved as a writer and some jokes seem weaker to me today, but it is the first issue that made me understand that I could talk about what I wanted to everyone. It is a universal issue that brings together men and women around a subject that often divides, unfortunately.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
I really like HBO specials, obviously Netflix too, because I like discovering comedians in one-hour projects. However, I find that HBO specials are often better done than Netflix’s, HBO’s production is more in line with comedians’ proposals in general, I think. Otherwise, considering that we are in Montreal, during the Just for Laughs festival, or at the other festivals where I am scheduled, I try to meet talents that I don’t know. I fell in love with Sophie Buddle at a conference on sexual violence at the Just for Laughs Comedy Pro a few years ago, I found the girl so relevant, I went to see her stand-up and she is hilarious. I like falling in love with personalities, and then realizing that they are incredible comedians. Sophie has a number on her social networks about the Bloc Québécois that I recommend to everyone.
Tell us a joke about your city.
I’ve been in Montreal for 13 years, but I’m from Terrebonne, a suburb of Montreal. The joke translates poorly, but the city’s slogan used to be: I’m from Terrebonne humeur. How do you expect me to beat that pun?
Do you have anything to promote right now?
I’m doing a 30-30 minute stand-up show with my friend Pascale Marineau all over the place. I also have a podcast with her called the Golden Top G podcast on all platforms, which parodies masculinist podcasts. We have a lot of fun with that. Otherwise, I host the ComediHa evenings on tour in Trois-Rivières and a monthly evening in Chambly. I also tour all over the province with Le Show Queer. I’m preparing a first hour of stand-up this year, which I’ll officially announce on my social networks.
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
I often perform with one of my best friends, who has an extremely absurd but extremely well-crafted sense of humour, a guy I went to the National School of Humor with, we are polar opposites in terms of humour but he is a genius, his name is Anthony Courcy.
