CREDIT: EMERSON BOERGADINE
Pardis Parker, an award-winning comedian known for his work on This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Mideast Minute, will be performing at London's Yuk Yuk's Comedy Club on Dec. 13 and 14.

Following a set of sold-out shows across Canada, award-winning comedian Pardis Parker will perform in London for the first time.

A press release sent to Interrobang announced Parker will have four shows on Dec. 13 and 14 at Yuk Yuk’s Comedy Club. Mideast Minute’s creator and star and This Hour Has 22 Minutes’ correspondent and writer has already performed sold-out shows in Moncton, N.B., Charlottetown, P.E.I., Kingston, Ont. and Edmonton, Alta.

His website (pardisparker.com) features three of his short films and a selection of some of his awards. Afghan won the Best of Just For Laughs Award at the Just for Laughs Film Festival, the Athens International Film Festival Jury Prize and TIFF’s (Toronto International Film Festival) Emerging Filmmakers Spotlight Screening Award. The Dance earned the National Screen Institute of Canada Best Comedy Award and the Boston Comedy Festival Audience Award.


Parker told Interrobang that for the most part, the routine between each performance stays the same.

“What changes night to night or show to show is just kind of what I’ve been through or what I’ve been doing that day,” he said. “I’ll comment a little bit on the day. I’ll comment a little bit on what happened in previous shows. I’ll comment a little bit on my experience in the city and what have you.”

Parker’s been a comedy fan from a young age. He recorded Just For Laughs stand-up routines on VHS tapes and brought the tapes to his elementary school so he could watch them with his class. He wanted to try stand-up comedy, but kept putting it off for years and the idea would get shut down every time he brought it up to his friends.

When he returned to his hometown of Halifax, N.S., he could no longer put it off and tried his first open mic night. He continued to perform stand-up comedy because he enjoyed being on stage, making people laugh, and the thrill of performing stand-up.

“When I’m on stage now, it just feels like I’m hanging out with friends,” Parker said. “It feels like I’m hosting a party at my place and the audience is all of the friends that I’ve invited over and we’re just hanging out and having a good time.”

In 2020, Parker will perform more stand-up comedy and work on other projects to be announced at a later time.

Visit www.westernfairdistrict.com/yuk-yuks-comedy-club for more information and to purchase tickets.