Crown Jewels Comedy Night: Allyson June Smith and Charles Andrew Payne

Crown Jewels Comedy is here to bring you Canada’s finest and funniest comedians every Sunday night at the King Eddy!

April 14 will feature Allyson June Smith headlining, Charles Andrew Payne hosting, and a hilarious cast of guests. Bring your empty barrels because we’ll be filling them with laughs, guaranteed!

About Allyson June Smith:

After her initial forays into standup garnered her some success, Allyson hit the comedy club circuit, which in turn propelled her to headlining gigs at festivals. She shone in multiple high-profile slots at the Winnipeg, Halifax and Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival. And that was just the start. In the years that followed she received multiple nominations for Best Female Stand-up at the Canadian Comedy Awards, taped her own Comedy Now special and did stints on MuchMusic’s Video on Trial and CBC’s The Debaters.

Now settled in the city of Manchester, UK, it’s time for Europe to reap the rewards of Allyson June Smith’s ever-inventive comedic ascent.

A self-confessed “over-sharer”, any Allyson June Smith show inevitably serves up a potent observational cocktail of wit, bite and shame. Which means you’ll typically find her after the show, with a line of eager fans queued up to talk with her, to confess to her or to share some comically grisly detail from their own lives. Courageously self-deprecating, Allyson’s comedic gift is making every room, whatever the size, feel like an intimate group therapy session. That intimacy, that uncommon bond between audience and performer is at the heart of Allyson’s magic as a comedian. Like the most relatable actresses working today or your very best friend, she finds a way to connect with everyone in a room, be they from southeast Asia, the U.K. or North America.

“Simply one of the funniest comedians I’ve ever worked with,” praised Jason Manford, following a string of support dates.

Other A-listers Allyson has been called to share the stage with include Katherine Ryan, Stewart Francis, John Bishop, Stephen Merchant, and Samantha Bee (The Daily Show).
This Canadian comic might have disappointed her parents when she turned her back on teaching to become a stand-up comic – but sorry Dad, it was the comedy world’s turn to gain.

About Charles Andrew Payne:

Actor, Comedian, Writer, Motivational Speaker Actor, Comedian, Writer, and Motivational Speaker Charles Andrew Payne has performed comedy across Canada and the US both at comedy clubs and festivals as well as for many corporations. He has appeared in numerous television shows, films, commercials, and theatre productions including playing Breeze on MacGyver, Triple on The L Word, Jock on Wynonna Earp, and Reverend Reece on Miracle in East Texas.

His writings have been featured in various publications and produced on the theatrical stage as well as on television. Charles was the head writer and one of the stars for the Rosie nominated (Best Web Series 2017) Web Series: The Parent Council. In addition, Charles was a co-founder of Vancouver’s The Fox & Hounds Theatre Company. He has appeared in most of their productions, as well as produced and directed several shows.