Now that he owns Just for Laughs, the founder of ComediHa!, Sylvain Parent-Bédard, intends to do everything possible to achieve his ambitious goal of becoming the world’s largest player in the comedy sector.
“There is work to be done, but I think that if we continue to make rigorous and thoughtful decisions, we will ensure that our group is recognized as number 1 in the world,” declared the big boss of ComediHa !, Tuesday, during an interview with The newspaper.
Is this realistic?
“This is the vision that I have, there will be several stages and it will be done from Quebec, which will always remain the decision-making center.”
Quickly, he wants Quebec to once again become a hub for humor. “We have noticed a decline in the presence of French, Belgian, Swiss and French-speaking African artists in festivals. It will be important that we position ourselves within the industry to be recognized as an essential player in Quebec and Canada to welcome foreign artists.”
The ass of Lévis
On Monday, the Superior Court authorized the Quebec company to buy its long-time rival, the Just for Laughs Group, which had placed itself sheltered from its creditors, for an amount that has not yet been disclosed.
Are we now talking to the new mogul of Quebec humor when we speak to Sylvain Parent-Bédard?
“You’re talking to the little guy from Lévis who went to Just for Laughs, at 17, with Michel Courtemanche and Yvon Deschamps, and who had the dream of having a business in the comedy sector. Today, he is taking a second step in his dream with his entire team.”
Layoffs
The transition will not be without sorrow. Today and tomorrow, almost all Just for Laughs employees will be laid off.
“We are in the process of analyzing the possibility of hiring a few key employees for the operation of the assets that we would like to do in the future,” says the person who wants to point out that it is Just for Laughs which is carrying out the layoffs and no ComediHa!.
“That’s the sad part of it all, 135 people losing their jobs. I am not one to judge the past, but I must make the right decisions for the future.
An “important” festival in Montreal
Among the first issues to be resolved is the renewal of the show The Gags, which is presented in more than 125 countries, and the creation of the English section of ComediHa! greets Montreal, which Sylvain Parent-Bédard envisions as a transition festival, in July.
Rosalie Vaillancourt and Daniel Lemire participated in the last Just for Laughs Gala, in July 2023, at Place des Arts.
Archive photo Toma Iczkovits/QMI Agency
From 2025, it is in the plans to “restore its letters of nobility” to Just for Laughs and to try “to make a very important festival”.
He does not yet know what the festival will look like under the aegis of ComediHA! nor if he will keep his name.
“Just for fun, Zoofest and ComedyPRO are assets that we acquired and it’s not to put them in the bottom of a drawer. We are strongly considering exploiting them, possibly at the festival level,” he is careful to add.
Upcoming hires
ComediHa! will have to make hires to develop the international market and support the management team. “There is a plan that has been put in place over the last six weeks in collaboration with our board and senior management. It’s necessary for me to elevate myself a little, while remaining close to operations, particularly on the financial side,” says Sylvain Parent-Bédard. He intends to look at Just For Laughs and Just For Laughs to find people who are familiar with the English-speaking comedy market in Canada and on the international scene. “I couldn’t do this alone. There is expertise that must be recognized. We’re going to make approaches from this side first.”
The Olivier Gala has its place
The Olivier Gala must survive, but a change of direction is necessary in order to restore luster to the annual awards ceremony for comedians, believes Sylvain Parent-Bédard. “There is room for an annual gala that celebrates humor and its artisans, but there is room to rethink it and make it more contemporary.”
CRTC: a positive decision
The boss of ComediHa! welcomes the decision of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, announced Tuesday morning, to order foreign online platforms to contribute to the creation of Canadian content. “For a long time I have wanted the Canadian government to force them to reinvest in Quebec and Canadian content so that our culture can shine here and internationally.”
