What happens when the Funniest Man Alive tries to help the Most Pathetic Guy Ever make the Saddest Girl in the World laugh?

Duncan is a boring guy, living a simple life and working at a bread factory. Then he stumbles upon Brenda, a sad young woman who’s about to end her life. Convinced he’s fallen in love, Duncan strikes up a desperate deal: if he can get her to laugh, she’ll give life another shot, but if he can’t, he must help her go through with her plan.

The catch? Duncan isn’t funny. At all. So he borrows Pat, his second-favourite comedian, to help him come up with the perfect routine. But a bad break-up has left Pat in no mood to teach a lonely loser the difference between knock-knock jokes and schadenfreude while chained to a typewriter.

A tragicomedy of three misfits, Punch Up navigates a hostage situation and a life-or-death comedy lesson to show just how far we’ll go for a laugh.

Directed by Asha Bittenbender
Featuring Michael Gwynne-Thompson, Josh Schroeder, and Brenna Symanski

*Content advisory: Mature themes, coarse language, and discussion of suicide.

Punch Up is a presentation of Fuzzy Soul Theatre Collective. Learn more at fuzzysoul.ca