Before you hire a comedian in Edmonton for a private party or a company event, decide how clean the set should be, which topics to leave out, how long it runs and when it starts, what the room needs, and whether the comedian hosts as well. Agree on crowd work and recording too, and put it all in writing.
This guide covers what to ask before you hire a comedian in Edmonton for a birthday, a retirement, a fundraiser or a team night. Settle these points first, so every comedian you look at is answering the same brief. Then send us your date, venue and guest count to compare options with prices from comedians, and we’ll check your date with the one you pick.
Below, you’ll find what to decide, what to ask the comedian and the venue, and what to get in writing.
Is a comedian the right fit for your event?
Choose a comedian if your guests will be seated, facing the same way, and the room can go quiet for the set. Stand-up needs everyone’s attention at the same time, so it works best when the room can give it.
Choose something else if guests will be standing with drinks, moving between rooms, or there to dance. A set is hard to follow over a busy bar and side conversations. For a mingling crowd, a magician who moves between groups may suit you better: see magicians in Edmonton. For a night that’s mostly about dancing, see DJs in Edmonton. You can also have both: a comedy set after dinner, then music.
The trade-off: a comedian asks more of the room than background entertainment does. That’s why the timing and the room setup below matter so much.
How clean should the set be?
Decide whether you want a clean set or whether adult material is fine. Words like “clean” mean different things to different people, so describe your limit in simple words, for example, clean enough for a room of colleagues and their families.
Say whether swearing is fine, mild only, or out. Say the same for jokes about sex, drinking and politics. Think about who’ll be in the room: the age range, partners and families, senior staff, and any clients or guests from outside your group.
Choose a clean set if the room mixes ages, colleagues, clients or families. Choose adult material only if everyone there knows what to expect, for example, a birthday among close friends. The trade-off: a clean set may feel tamer to a group that knows each other well, while an adult set can leave part of the room uncomfortable for the rest of the night. If you’re not sure, ask for clean.
Ask the comedian to confirm your limit in writing, in your words, before you book.
Which topics should the comedian leave out?
List the subjects you’d rather nobody joked about, such as guests’ names, the boss, religion or politics. Add anything that’s been hard for your group lately, such as layoffs, an illness or a loss. Check the list with one or two people who know the guests well, so it covers more than your own worries.
Send the list in writing and ask the comedian to confirm they’ll steer clear. Ask how they’d handle it if a guest brings up one of those topics during the set.
If the night is for one person, such as a birthday or a retirement, ask that person, or someone close to them, whether they’re happy to be joked about. Not everyone wants to be the centre of the jokes, even on their own night.
Can the comedian make the set about your group?
Ask whether the comedian can work in a few details about your group, such as the reason for the party, a team’s year or a story everyone knows. If they can, send those details ahead, and say which ones are off limits. Ask whether they’d like a short call before the night to learn about the room.
The trade-off: jokes about your group can feel personal and warm to the people who know the story. They can also leave out partners, new staff and guests from outside the group. Keep personal details to what the person named is happy to share.
How long should the set be, and when should it start?
Agree on the set length before you book. Ask the comedian what length they’d suggest for your crowd and your schedule, and plan the rest of the night around it.
Place the set after dinner, once plates are cleared, rather than while guests are eating or arriving. People who are still eating, or still finding their seats, find it hard to settle into a show. If you have speeches or awards, think about putting the set before them, so the room is still fresh. Speeches that run long can tire a room before the comedian gets on.
Don’t leave the set until late in the night, when some guests are leaving and others have moved to the bar. Tell the comedian the start time and when to arrive, so they’re ready before the room is.
Choose a shorter set if the night has other parts, or if the crowd is mixed and new to stand-up. Choose a longer set if the show is the main event of the night.
Should the comedian host the night as well?
Say whether you want a set only, or someone to host, introduce speakers and keep the night moving. If they’ll act as MC, send them the running order.
Choose a set only if someone on your team is happy to hold the microphone, welcome guests and introduce speakers. Choose a comedian who hosts as well if nobody wants that job, or if the night has many parts that need to flow. A host is on for most of the evening, not just one set, so it changes the price.
If the comedian hosts, send the names of speakers and award winners ahead, spelled the way they’re said. Pick one person to be their contact on the night. If dinner runs late or a speaker isn’t ready, that person tells the host, and the plan shifts quietly.
If they’re doing a set only, decide who’ll introduce them, and ask what they’d like said.
What does the comedian need from the venue?
Check with the venue for a microphone and speakers, and ask the comedian what they need to be heard in a room your size. Ask whether they’d like a handheld microphone or a stand, and who’ll test the sound before guests arrive.
Ask the venue whether the front of the room can be lit, so guests can see the comedian’s face. Ask where the comedian can wait before they go on, and where they can park.
Noise is the other thing to check. Ask the venue whether the bar and the kitchen can stay quiet during the set, and whether staff can hold off clearing tables until it’s over. If the venue has rules for outside performers, or asks for proof of insurance, check with the venue what it needs, and pass that on to the comedian early.
How should you set up the room?
Ask the venue whether chairs can face the stage, and whether guests can sit close to the front. Fill the tables near the front first. A wide empty space in front of the comedian, such as a dance floor, puts distance between them and the guests.
Keep the set in one room. Guests in a second room or out on a patio will miss it, and their noise can carry. Tell guests when the set starts, so people are back in their seats before the comedian walks on.
Will there be crowd work, and can guests be named?
Crowd work means the comedian talks with the audience and jokes about the replies. Ask whether they do it, and say whether guests can be named.
Crowd work can make a set feel made for your room. It can also put someone on the spot in front of colleagues or family. Choose a set with crowd work if your guests know each other and enjoy a bit of teasing. Choose little or none if the room includes clients, new staff, or anyone who’d hate to be singled out.
If you allow it, name the people who are happy to be picked on, and the people who should be left alone. Tell the comedian whether the boss and the guest of honour are fair game.
Can guests film or record the set?
Check with the comedian whether guests can film the set and whether you can record it. Ask before the night, not after.
If you’d like a clip for your team or your own memories, ask what you can keep and where you can share it. Tell your guests what you’ve agreed, for example, in a short note before the set starts, and ask the host to remind them.
What if the comedian can’t make it?
Your first choice may have another show that night. Have a second name in mind, and ask what happens if the comedian can’t make it on the day.
Ask the same question the other way round: what happens if you need to change the date or cancel. Get the answer in writing before you pay.
What changes the price?
We don’t publish a range for Edmonton comedians yet; you’ll see a price with each option we send.
The price depends on how long the set runs, whether you want hosting as well, the date, and travel outside Edmonton. If your event is outside the city, give the full address in your request.
When you compare options, compare them on the same brief: the same set length, the same role and the same date. Check that each option fits your limit and your topics list, not just your budget.
What should you get in writing?
Before you pay, make sure these are written down:
- the date, when the set starts, how long it runs, and when the comedian arrives;
- your limit on material, in your words, and your list of topics to leave out;
- a set only, or hosting as well, with the running order;
- whether there’s crowd work, and who can be named;
- whether guests can film, and whether you can record;
- what the venue provides for sound and a microphone;
- what happens if the comedian can’t make it, or if you change the date or cancel.
If anything’s unclear, ask before you book, not on the night.
Questions to ask before you book
- Can you keep the set within the limit we’ve agreed?
- Will you leave out the topics on our list?
- How long is your set, and when should it start?
- What do you need from the venue for sound and a microphone?
- Would you host the night as well, or perform a set only?
- Do you do crowd work, and can we choose which guests you name?
- Can guests record the set on their phones?
How booking works with AGNT
AGNT is a booking company. You send us your date, venue and guest count, and we send you options with prices from comedians in Edmonton. You pick one, we check your date with them, and it’s booked once you’ve paid. If your first pick isn’t available, we’ll tell you, suggest a similar comedian, and check your date with them.
Some of the Edmonton comedians you can book through AGNT are Kamal Alaeddine, brad semotiuk and Bobby Warrener. You can see more on comedians for hire in Edmonton.
Frequently asked questions
Can the comedian keep the set clean?
Ask, and describe your limit in your own words, for example, clean enough for a room of colleagues and their families. Ask the comedian to confirm it in writing before you book.
How long should the set be?
Agree on it before you book. Ask the comedian what they’d suggest for your crowd and your schedule, and plan the rest of the night around it.
When should the comedian go on?
After dinner, once plates are cleared, and before speeches or awards if you can. Avoid the time when guests are eating or arriving.
What does a comedian need from the venue?
A microphone and speakers, light on the front of the room, and chairs facing the stage. Check with the venue what it has, and ask the comedian what they need for a room your size.
Can the comedian also host or present awards?
Ask. If they’ll host, send the running order and the names ahead, spelled the way they’re said. Hosting as well as a set changes the price.
Can the comedian make the set about our group?
Ask whether they can work in a few details about your group, and send them ahead. Keep personal details to what the person named is happy to share.
What should we get in writing?
The date, start time, set length and arrival time; your limit and topics list; hosting; crowd work; recording; and what happens if the comedian can’t make it or you change the date.
How we put this together
This guide draws on the questions people raise when they plan comedy for a private or company night. We also read the guides people find when they search for this, and added what they leave out, such as crowd work, recording and a backup plan. We don’t publish a price range for Edmonton comedians yet, so there are no prices here.
Your next step
Send us your date, venue and guest count, and we’ll reply with Edmonton comedians with prices, then check your date with the one you pick: book a comedian in Edmonton
Featured photo by TheRegisti on Unsplash
