Live from Montreal, it’s Robby Hoffman!

Comedian Robby Hoffman, who grew up in a Hasidic household in Montreal, stands out not only from her 10 siblings but from her community as a whole. For starters, she’s queer—more notably, out! As a McGill graduate, Hoffman balanced her degree in accounting against her aspirations of comedic grandeur. She began her career in comedy performing at local Montreal bars, climbing her way to the Just for Laughs comedy festival, and took off from there. Now, she lives in Los Angeles. She’s become a favourite of both the gay and Jewish communities, often referred to as “a lesbian Larry David.” This fanbase was well represented at her recent show in Montreal. 

The only place to begin when reviewing a comedy set is at the start of the show. The opener was Tranna Wintour, a Montrealer, who set the tone for the night artfully. A self-described comedy “queen,” Wintour opened with casual jokes about her love life, identity, and life as an anglophone in Quebec. After the show, I was lucky enough to bump into her on the bus home. “Like every comedian,” Wintour said, “you start at an open mic.” She started at Comedy Works, a now-defunct legendary comedy bar in downtown Montreal. 

Like Hoffman, Wintour identifies as queer. She hopes to make herself “relatable to people who think [they] have nothing in common with [her].” She strives to connect to her audience through her comedy, which centres around the “universal [themes of] identity, self definition, and learning about who you are.” Her confidence and strong stage presence warmed the audience up perfectly for Hoffman to take the stage. 

Hoffman immediately captured the audience with her physical comedy, quickly bending forward to emphasize one word, then immediately snapping back to focus on the next. Not to mention her opening line of the set: “what’s up f***ers.” Within the first minutes, she commented on her outfit choice, calling her grey slacks and a beige button up “hot.” You can’t look away—she’s even more expressive than your most intense Hebrew school teacher, waving her arms and curling her nose at every opportunity. And just like at Hebrew school, any disruption by an audience member—heckling, opening a water bottle, or rustling in your purse—puts them at the risk of becoming joke material. Don’t be like the security guard, who opened his water bottle and was told sarcastically to be any louder, or the guy who answered a rhetorical question aloud and was immediately told off for interrupting her set. 

I get excited when I see any Canadian representation in comedy, but I become even more excited when I see any Jew performing. Seeing a Jewish comedian gave me a renewed sense of Jewish pride; Hoffman was confident in her Judaism and its role in shaping her. I related to her joke that complaining is her way of enjoying herself, complaining about the Montreal construction, the venue, and her Monday time slot.  And 15 minutes into her performance she remarked that it's the longest she has gone without mentioning the Holocaust in a set. Even more special is that Hoffman is a Montrealer and former McGill student. These commonalities allowed me to feel immediately connected to Hoffman, drawing me into her performance.

I still find myself chuckling about Hoffman’s relationship advice and discovering new annoyances she pointed out about life in Montreal, and Tranna Wintour was the perfect introduction to Quebec comedy. I have already downloaded Hoffman’s aptly named podcast, “Too Far”, which, like her show, is sure to be unfiltered humour. I eagerly await more of Hoffman’s material and look forward to exploring more local stand-up, and hopefully, you are too. 

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