The guys behind Toronto’s next sketch comedy boom

One of the most exciting recent developments in the Toronto comedy scene has been the launch last fall of the monthly Spotlight at the Second City series. Produced and hosted by Gabe Meacher and Taylor Hreljac, it’s become required watching for anyone interested in up-and-coming sketch comedy talent.

“There’s so much great comedy in this city,” says Meacher, who’s been producing with Hreljac for about five years now. The two run Sketch Comedy at the Rivoli, which takes place on the last Sunday of every month in the famous back room of the Queen Street venue. And they also run TSC (Toronto Sketch Comedy), which organized the annual sketch film competition.

“We keep a master list of every sketch troupe that could do Spotlight,” says Meacher, who’s also an actor (Firecrackers) and stand-up.

“You have to be mid-career, relatively established in the community, but you aren’t necessarily working at a professional level yet — so you haven’t been on the Second City mainstage, you don’t teach there or at Comedy Bar. There are exceptions to these rules, but we’re really looking for a very specific group of people: artists who are just on the cusp, who can use a half hour to show people what they can do.”

Since its September launch, I’ve reviewed each monthly Spotlight show for the comedy and country music site Parton and Pearl. Overall, the programming has been consistently funny and smart, offering up a solid range of acts, voices and POVs. Besides traditional troupes, there has been a male clown duo (Glen and Vinny, aka Ben Kopp and Calvin Rea) and a solo female sketch act (Sarah Bennett).

In addition to their producing duties, Meacher and Hreljac introduce the acts, which requires its own kind of high-energy focus and artistry.

“We have a blast coming up with that,” says Hreljac, who’s also part of the sketch troupe Summer Dad, who appeared on Spotlight in November.

“Sometimes the troupes that are performing will inspire us to write material, sometimes it will be current events,” says Hreljac. “We also have to do some housekeeping duties, and figure out a way for that to be fun. Some stuff is basic: we have to tell people that what they’re about to watch sketch comedy, not improv or stand-up. We have to set up their expectations for the night. Also, we have this theory that if we try to do some really dumb, silly stuff, it will make people take a look at the next act and feel, ‘Okay, they’re already more polished...’”

The half hour (roughly) run-time per troupe feels like just the right amount of time to get a good feel for a group. Because they’re in the Second City, the comedians have access to two hours of pre-show tech time to showcase their work in the strongest light (and sound) possible. And rather than a one-off, the performers have two consecutive nights to deliver their material.

“I think 30 minutes is great,” says Meacher. “It doesn’t stress people out as it might if they had to put up a 50 minute show. But it’s much longer than a five or 10 minute set. The best comedy shows I see are ones that are concise and edited.”

In addition, the shows are taped and shown to casting agents, as well as Second City connections in Chicago. The partnership with the legendary comedy institution, the two explain, makes sense as an investment, since it’s always looking for new talent.

(Brennan Asbridge and Antony Hall, two members from $20 Sandwich, one of the troupes from October’s Spotlight show, have just been announced as Second City mainstage cast members.)

The shuttering of live theatres during the early part of the pandemic really affected the sketch comedy community.

“A lot of sketch comedians just bailed and didn’t continue afterwards,” explains Meacher. “I’ve been in the scene longer than Taylor, so if he asks me about something I can point out that there used to be a show like that. I have a knowledge about the history, but Taylor has this fire beneath him that is really exciting and inspiring.”

They’re both excited about the January 20-21 lineup, which consists of two alternative sketch troupes, 24 Double B and Cheap Wine.

The latter group — which consists of Jack Creaghan, Jesse McQueen and Charlotte Creaghan — moved to Toronto from New York right before the pandemic. They took part in the duo’s Little Funny Plays night at Comedy Bar, and theatre fans will know them from last year’s intense play about trafficking, Romeo Pimp, which Jesse wrote and Jack co-produced. They also starred in a popular Toronto Fringe show last year called Childhood by Cheap Wine and won the Audience Choice Award at Toronto SketchFest.

“Funnily enough, Jack is married to Jesse, and Charlotte is Jack’s sister, so it’s a family affair,” says Meacher. “They write kind of from that POV a lot of the time. They’re brilliant writers, brilliant minds, so we’re really excited to see what wacky, crazy shit they’re gonna get up to."

24 Double B, explains Meacher, began as an improv duo, but have also taken on sketch. They won the Sketchiest Sketch Troupe at last year’s Toronto SketchFest.

“Blair MacMillan has worked at Second City a little bit, she’s understudied here and is an actress in her own right; she also runs Girl Historians with Carley Thorne, a very successful podcast. And Brendan Kane is one of the funniest improvisers and people I’ve ever met in my life. They will definitely make some crazy offhand sketch things.”

Since Spotlight kicked off last September, audiences have grown for the shows. Meacher and Hreljac estimate the sketch community makes up about half of a typical crowd, with the other half people who might have found the show through Second City or heard that this was a show full of emerging talent.

“I love that people want to see new comedy,” says Meacher. “They’re thinking, ‘Who’s the next Veronika Slowikowska or Mark Little?’ Troupes get random people following them after their shows are done, so we’re seeing traction there.”

Right now, the producers/co-hosts have plans to put the show up until July.

“And we have some other stuff going on in 2026,” teases Meacher, “that I think will also elevate the two of us as being kind of at the centre of the sketch comedy community.”

Spotlight at the Second City runs January 20 and 21 at the Second City Toronto’s Theatre ’73 (1 York). Ticket details here