Shawn Stenhouse is the kind of comedian who feels like he accidentally walked into a party full of strangers and decided the only way to survive was to make jokes—part defence mechanism, part existential release. His comedy lives in that anxious sweet spot between social panic and absurd confidence, wrapped in a thick layer of deadpan honesty. Shawn Stenhouse may not be playing the big theatres—yet—but if you catch him at a small venue or a late-night show, you’ll see someone who isn’t just trying to get a laugh, but trying to figure out what it even means to be funny in the first place.
How would you describe your comedy style?
A guy who’s at a party where he doesn’t really know anyone and is making jokes to hide the fact that he’s about to have a panic attack
Who are some of your influences?
At least half, maybe more, of my personality is just Simpsons bits, so there’s that. Stewart Lee, Hannibal Buress, Chris Locke. Dennis Hopper screaming, “Let’s fuck!” In Blue Velvet
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
Norm MacDonald and David Cross.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Stewart Lee
What is your pre-show ritual?
Eat way too much before the show. Get to the venue and realize I haven’t given enough thought to what I’m going to do on the show, and scramble to get a set together.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
I prefer the small indie diy type venues, which is really convenient because no one ever asks me to do big theatres or high-paying corporate gigs.
Quinn McMorrow’s Art Loft
Zak Kik’s NDG Park show
Theatre Ste Catherine
Anything Raquel Maestre or Nazeer Khan are putting together
Grumpy’s, regardless of whether or not anyone’s listening.
Really I’m just happy to be included
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
My favourite bit is about how 20-year-olds don’t remember 9/11, which is very disrespectful because we all said we’d Never Forget. I try to tell them about it, but they just want to listen to Dua Lipa and Lil Doink while they “drop a gritty”. I also have a joke about how if you don’t laugh at my comedy, my life will spiral out of control; I won’t be able to feed my baby, and my wife will leave me. It ends with a plane crash.
I like these jokes because I like how they twist and turn and build on top of the lines that came before. They’re also just fun for me to perform.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
My friend just sent me a completely AI-generated stand-up clip, so definitely not that. The only way to find new comedians now is to go to a show.
Tell us a joke about your city.
There’s nothing to joke about here. This is a deadly serious city. Even during the Montreal Clown Festival, you say? ESPECIALLY during the Montreal Clown Festival.
Do you have anything to promote right now?
Shawn Stenhouse: the Album Recording
Where can we follow you?
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
