-- The upcoming Crackup Comedy Festival brings a powerhouse lineup of world-class Canadian comedic talent to Cornwall, Ottawa, Smiths Falls, and Petawawa, from March 18-21, and tickets are available at crackup.ca. The annual festival showcases the best of the current Canadian comedy scene, with this year heralding new leadership for the first time in 20 years, plus an impromptu JUNO winner send-off celebration, and an award-winning roster including:
- Kyle Brownrigg, JUNO Award winner and Canadian Award for Best Breakout Artist.
- Alex Wood, High-energy comedy veteran and international festival favourite.
- Christina Muehlberger, Famed storyteller and "Best of Fest" Ottawa Fringe winner.
- Serge Nkusi, Winner of Yuk Yuk’s Battle of the Generations 2026.
- Dan Allaire, Regular Yuk Yuk's headliner and longtime festival heartbeat.
- Chris Borris, Festival producer, creator of The Horrible Show, and former Crackup Comedy Competition winner.
This year herald’s new leadership for the annual Crackup Comedy Festival after more than two decades. Festival founder and noted comedy producer, John Helmkay, has relocated to focus on the East Coast comedy scene, and is passing the torch for Crackup operations to long-time Ottawa producer and veteran comedy icon, Chris Borris. This leadership transition marks a new era for a festival that has become a pillar of Eastern Ontario’s comedy scene and mental health support.
This isn’t just a change in management; “it’s a shift in tone,” explained Helmkay. “Chris Borris has always kept a strong pulse on the raw, emerging talent of the local scene. He helped launch the careers of many comics in the region, and he has deep experience with managing local comedy clubs. Borris has been producing sell-out comedy shows for over a decade, so Crackup is incredibly lucky to have him!”
With Helmkay relocating to Nova Scotia and immersing himself in the local comedy scene there, the Crackup team hopes to benefit from having a strong local like Borris running the Eastern Ontario festival. Borris has plans to evolve Crackup “from a traditional gala model to a bolder, edgier circuit across the region, like the electric vibe you'll see on Thursday at Ottawa’s Skate and Play venue,” he said. “The goal is to showcase up-and-coming local stars, and when we bring JUNO winners like Kyle Brownrigg back to local stages in Petawawa, Cornwall and Smiths Falls, the energy really spikes!”
The festival has morphed into an impromptu send-off celebration for Headliner Kyle Brownrigg in response to his own recent announcement that he's moving to the UK this spring. Borris believes that “Kyle will explode on the comedy scene there too, and this is a great chance for a celebration! He constantly supports Crackup and mental health fundraisers, so we’re planning to amp up the house with a surprise send-off at the Ottawa show on Thursday,” shared Borris. We want to pack the house to cheer with Kyle before he moves, and we have a killer line-up that includes Christina Muehlberger, Serge Nkusi, Dan Allaire, and Alex Wood.”
The line-up is indeed impressive, with a roster of awards and accolades for each of the comics who will be travelling to Cornwall, Ottawa, Smiths Falls, and Petawawa next week, March 18-21. Tickets are available at crackup.ca.
This is serious funny business indeed, and each comedian on this year’s roster brings prestigious awards and years of career-defining experiences:
Kyle Brownrigg is a JUNO Award-winning comedian for his sophomore comedy album “A Lylebility.” In 2019, he was a finalist in SiriusXM's Top Comic Competition, one of JFL42's New Faces, was selected for the prestigious Just for Laughs Homegrown show and awarded the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Breakout Artist. In May 2022, Brownrigg released his debut Just for Laughs comedy special, 'Introducing Lyle' on Crave, which was one of the highest-trending comedy specials of the year. Kyle can be seen on many television series, such as Roast Battle Canada, The Standup Show with Jon Dore, Comedy Night with Rick Mercer, Humour Resources, The New Wave of Stand-up, and The Halifax Comedy Festival on CBC. He is also a regular on the hit CBC Radio show The Debaters. Kyle is also a national touring stand-up comedian who has performed across the entire country, including the Arctic.
Alex Wood Alex Wood is a stand-up comedy veteran and festival favourite at an international level! His high-energy style mixes finely tuned jokes and storytelling seen by international audiences at some of the best comedy clubs and theatres in the world. Wood has been seen on NBC Peacock, CBC, Just for Laughs, Kevin Hart’s LOL Network and Sirius XM. Along with performing he is an accomplished writer having been published in Vice, The Beaverton and his comedic memoir on sobriety “Float Like a Butterfly, Drink Mint Tea” published with Arsenal Pulp in 2021.
Serge Nkusi is a stand-up comedian who began his comedy journey at 20, though his passion started much earlier at just eight years of age! Since stepping on stage, Serge has been dedicated to his craft, winning Yuk Yuk’s Mike MacDonald’s Summer Comedy Competition and the Laugh Lounge Summer Comedy Competition in 2025, followed by Yuk Yuk’s Battle of the Generations in 2026
Christina Muehlberger, originally a seasoned improviser, got her start in stand-up in late 2017. Christina has brought her awkwardness and storytelling style to shows all over Ontario, including opening for Tom Green and Jon Dore. Christina has won numerous local awards, including Yuk Yuks summer competition, and her one-woman show at Ottawa Fringe won Best of Fest.
Dan Allaire’s passion for comedy and storytelling is obvious the minute you see him on stage. He’s a regular at Yuk Yuk’s Clubs, having performed in Ottawa (headline), Oshawa, Toronto, Niagara Falls and Halifax. Dan had headlined many small theatres, pubs, breweries, wineries and other venues all over Ontario. He has showcased for Just For Laughs and has appeared at the Portland Maine Comedy Festival, the Cornwall Comedy Festival and HumourFest in Quebec City.
Chris Borris, is a multi-talented festival producer, manager and award-winning comedian who has built a strong career managing local comedy clubs and fostering new talent. Shortly after beginning to perform his own stand-up comedy, Chris Borris won the Crackup Comedy Competition. He has performed at the Arctic Comedy Festival in Iqaluit, where he hosted a show for Just for Laughs. He is the creator, producer and frequent headliner of The Horrible Show. He continues to grow his audience through live performances, social media and producing shows and festivals like Crackup that spotlight diverse comedic voices. Borris takes the helm of operations for the Crackup Comedy Festival this year, bringing new energy and leadership to the team.
Tickets are available now for all shows starting at approximately $32 CAD. For more information on the full schedule, performer bios, and to purchase tickets, visit www.crackup.ca.
Interviews and Media Passes available:
Media Contact:
Alison Boughey
Crackup Communications Consultant
mobile: 613-883-2008
Crackup is a registered, Canadian not-for-profit Comedy Festival, entirely volunteer-driven by passionate supporters of mental health. For more information, check out our official website www.crackup.ca/
Contact Info:
Name: Alison Boughey
Email: Send Email
Organization: Crackup Communications Consultant
Website: http://www.crackup.ca/
Release ID: 89186071
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