By Adrienne Roy, published Wednesday 12 June 2024

Before the Montreal-based sketch comedy group Tandem Jump graced the stage of Petit Campus at the 2024 Montreal Fringe Festival, I caught a glimpse of Luc Langille, one of the group’s members, standing in the wing with nothing but socks and underwear on. By the serious look on his face, I wondered if he knew he was shirtless and pantless. A few moments later, he, as well as fellow group members Jonah Border and Mason Persaud, stepped onstage, and began their set with a sketch that combines the Big Bang with a baby emerging from an amniotic sac. I had to remind myself that they knew exactly what they were doing.

On Friday, June 7th, Tandem Jump began their 6-day run at the 2024 Montreal Fringe Festival. I was fortunate enough to experience the sketch comedy troupe’s Fringe debut, where Jonah Border, Mason Persaud, and Luc Langille (the group’s fourth member, Daniel Korsunsky, was not in attendance) performed to a crowd that was equally perplexed and entertained by what was unfolding in front of them. Technical difficulties brought a short but unforeseen delay to their first show, but Border, Persaud, Langille, their opening comic Harrison Weinreb, and the crew at Petit Campus seamlessly adjusted.

Tandem Jump’s pieces frequently tease the line between physical humour and body horror, highlighting what it means to commit to the bit. One sketch takes place at a restaurant where two customers (Border and Persaud) are eating sushi off of someone who must stay as still as a Royal Guard (Langille). Border and Persaud, in character, try to get Langille to break, but when they are unsuccessful, they worry that he might be dead. They spend the rest of the bit frantically eating the sushi off of Langille’s body while they devise an elaborate plan to hide the body. Then, as if nothing happened, Langille casually sits up and asks what the fuss is about. When Broder and Persaud tell him they thought he was dead, Langille reminds them he is supposed to be like a Royal Guard. The contrast between Broder and Persaud’s hysteria and Langille’s nonchalance lit up the room. Even in their joint frenzy, Border and Persaud embody their characters in different ways; whereas Persaud delivers a physical performance — one that includes throwing up the sushi — Border’s intense facial expressions show how his character internalizes what is happening to and around him.

A recurring trend in Tandem Jump is that they will make their audience forget about the premise of a sketch by imagining a series of outlandish scenarios, then subvert our expectations by re-establishing the piece’s initial angle. This theme recurs in another skit, where Broder plays an alien whose telepathic powers causes Persaud and Langille to struggle for control over their bodies, effectively halting the duo’s generic conversation about beer and catching “the big game.” Broder’s character is so disruptive that he completely distracts the audience from the subject of the banter and redirects our attention to Persaud and Langille’s corporal performance. However, the sketch concludes with Persaud and Langille defeated, and Broder emerging with a six-pack of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

The trio curated a mixed set of old and new sketches for the festival, so new audiences can see why they were the best local troupe at Montreal Sketchfest in 2023, and returning ones can anticipate the absurd, meta comedy for which they are known in the local comedy scene. In an interview with CKUT 90.3 FM, they described how their friendship shapes Tandem Jump’s artistic direction.

“My favourite sketches we’ve ever done have been written by all of us together, when we’re just hanging out,” said Persaud.

“Yeah, like when we have a silly conversation and then we turn it into a sketch,” added Border.

With perfect comedic timing, Langille interjects: “I’m the quiet one of the group.”

Needless to say, Tandem Jump’s camaraderie on and off-stage is palpable and as fun to witness as their sketch comedy. Tandem Jump’s upcoming Fringe dates are June 15th at 12:30 and June 16th at 16:15 at Petit Campus. They orchestrate shows year-round in Montreal that are consistently hilarious and as odd as their Fringe production, but always worth seeing.

Tickets to this and other 2024 Fringe Fest shows available at https://www.montrealfringe.ca/spectacles-show