HUNTER RIVER —  The Island Standup Comedy Showcase returns to the Harmony House Theatre stage Friday at 8 p.m. 
The group features Patrick Ledwell, Fraser McCallum, Matt Stewart, and Joe MacDonald, a “hilarious and thoroughly unique” shop teacher from St. Peter’s and a new addition to the group.
Ledwell has had a busy year on comedy stages. With singer-songwriter Tanya Davis, he wrote and performed the original variety show “The New Potato-Time Review,” which played to sold-out audiences this summer at the Victoria Playhouse. This spring, his standup set was featured on the national CBC program, “Laugh Out Loud.” He’s also been writing and recording comedy columns for CBC Radio, and they’re broadcast across the country every two weeks.
“It’s wonderful when Islanders can get together and share a light-hearted laugh at our own expense,” said Ledwell.
“When touring comedians come to Charlottetown, they always make a crack about Moncton, for an easy laugh. But you know that, the next night in Moncton, they’ll make the same gag, but fill-in-the-blank with Charlottetown instead.
“We stick around the next day to live with the Island jokes we make. The material is right from our own lives, and we’re laughing with the audience, not at them. The jokes are about the place we call home, too, and the reasons we want to stay here.”
Born and raised in Charlottetown, Stewart is a six-year veteran of the standup comedy game. This year has been a breakout year for Stewart who was a featured comedian at the 2009 Off-Centre Comedy Festival. He also performed with the Island Standup Comedy Showcase and in the summer, he opened for Canadian humourist, Lorne Elliott.
McCallum has been performing comedy for five years. A founder of the award winning Improv troupe 4 Skit’s Sake, McCallum has produced and performed comedy for film, web, stage and now standup. McCallum’s highlights include two seasons with the Island Standup Showcase, Confed Centre’s Off-Centre Comedy Festival and Fringe Festival, and Comedy in the House at Harmony House Theatre.
Tickets for Friday’s comedy show are $15 plus taxes and are available at 964-225, www.harmonyhousetheatre.com or at the door, subject to availability.