Vancouver comic Maddy Kelly is bit of a case study in contradiction.
She has the confidence to tell jokes in a room full of people, but can’t stand listening to her own voicemail message. She’s adaptable, but always needs a plan. Her parents are actors, though other thespians tend to piss her off.
“I have no kinship with actors,” Kelly told the Courier. “Writers want attention for their ideas and actors just want attention. That’s always grated on me.”
That wall of paradox works nicely within Kelly’s variety show All You Can Eat Laundry, which happens March 10 at Little Mountain Gallery as part of the JFL NorthWest festival.
The 10-day festival includes a handful of Vancouver comics on a roster that boasts top-tier talent such as Bill Burr, Trevor Noah and Maria Bamford.
Though Kelly’s shtick references a laundromat, it’s more akin to a multi-purpose room. Her show lacks a unifying theme and its name has no higher meaning. The moniker came to her while on the bus, passing by a laundromat and all-you-can-eat sushi joint.
That lack of parameters lends itself nicely to the array of performers and ideas that join in on the ride: drinking games, music, sketch and improv comedy and even a “vape artist” all find homes at All You Can Eat Laundry.
“I wanted a place where people could do these dumb little bits, where we would be this catch-all place you could go if you had an idea,” Kelly said.
Like Kelly, fellow Vancouverite Ryan Steele is also sitting on a catch-all cache of ideas that includes cross-dressing, character bits and video mashups.
Steele has been performing alongside comedic partner Amy Goodmurphy for a decade, riffing on pop culture, sexuality and gender bending through a blend of sketches and videos. The pair’s Instagram page is big on face swaps, cross dressing and poking fun at celebrity culture.
“We really complement each other very well, because not overly a character comic guy,” Steele said. “I’m usually only funny if I play a woman.”
The duo’s penchant for gender nuances gets a refresh March 9 at XY Nightclub via their latest short film, White Wine Boys Club.
“It’s a mockumentary based on this vision I had of a bunch of straight guys watching a football game all with long stem wine glasses,” Steele explained.
For more information, go to jflnorthwest.com.
