livelondonmag.ca
THE FALL ISSUE
FREE!
Sorry!
Comedy Fest Special Jason Allen
Eat Cheap!
Local Influencers Share Their Must-try Budget Bites
Centre Stage
Introducing Your Next Favourite Stand-up
Fall Theatre Season Preview
Cheap Eats! We Askes London's favourite food Bloggers to give us their
FE S Fo T
IV AL F
r Ro est lls Cit Ou y F t S ilm Ou r T + ta Fe r op s Pic Pow tiv ks er al
EV E
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50 Best Deals
LOCAL FAVOURITES UNDER ONE ROOF. TUES-SAT: 9AM-7PM SUN: 10AM-5PM MONDAY CLOSED
@CoventGardenMarketCanada
@CoventGardenMarketCanada
@CoventGardenMarketCanada
www.coventmarket.com
Contents
Fall 2026
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London’s homegrown comedy festival has grown up and into a mustsee event bringing bigname comics, rising stars and plenty of local laughs to the stage.
Eat brilliantly for less with over 50 of London’s best eats, including city classics, ethnic favourites, hidden gems, local legends and new spots worth seeking out.
Cover Story: Big Laughs
50
Feature: Behind the Curtains Take a journey through the fall theatre season as we highlight the plays, playwrights and performances to watch for this year.
Eat Cheap!
58 Feature: Lights, Camera, London!
The Forest City Film Festival has become one of the city’s marquee cultural events, attracting familiar names while championing the filmmakers and homegrown talent putting the region on the cinematic map.
Go-to guide with concerts, marathons, pumpkin-filled fun, and a yes, a stamp show
10
My London Medium Shannon Flynn shares her spirit encounters
Food & Drink
20
Local food vloggers, Lebanese cuisine, craft breweries and cocktails for the fall
Music
26
Open mic scene, bands on the radar, experimental sounds and warrior women
Culture LGBTQ Fashion Show, miniature worlds and haunted spaces
48
PHOTO: MAI TILSON • MODEL: KEZIA HARLEY • PHOTO ASSISTANT: AVELEA THORNE • DT/RETOUCHER: DANIELA HERMANN • HAIR AND MAKEUP: CHARLINE ROBICHAUD
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6
What’s On London
Editor's Letter
livelondonmag.ca
THE FALL ISSUE
FREE!
Celebrating the City We Call Home
T
his summer, we’ve been putting our own advice to the test by walking our regular routes, visiting patios, sipping craft brews, enjoying amazing food, and checking out many of the restaurants and events featured in the summer issue. From the sounds of it, we weren’t the only ones. Londoners shared stories of circling all the events they wanted to attend to visiting every patio featured in the issue. A goal we hope they accomplished it ;) What we learned this summer is that London needs a magazine like this. While our goal has always been to highlight the artists, musicians, designers, businesses and people making London great, we’ve also discovered that LiveLondon is becoming something more: a guide and introduction for those new to the forest city and long-time residents alike. In this issue, we’re proud to partner with two of London’s biggest festivals: the Forest City Film Festival and Sorry! Comedy Festival. The Forest City Film Festival celebrates its 11th year with its biggest lineup yet - 144 films, including international and Oscar-buzzed features alongside locally-produced shorts and features. We spoke with organizers and local filmmakers about the festival, the city’s growing film community, and how London has become a place where filmmakers can find the support and resources they need to create highquality work without having to leave the city. That says a lot about our arts
4 Live London Fall 2026
community: acceptance, support and opportunity. Our comedy community is thriving too. Sorry! Comedy Festival takes over the city in November with a stellar lineup of comedians, improv shows, workshops, a comedy roast battle and the Next Best Comic competition. Local comedian Jason Allen is among the performers, having cut his teeth on open mics and stages around the city. Once again, we’re reminded that the support and experience London provides to emerging artists is immeasurable. These festivals bring entertainment, creativity and thousands of visitors into our city, filling venues from Aeolian Hall and Canada Life Place to Centennial Hall, Supply & Demand, among others. Meanwhile, the film festival will pack seats at Wolf Performance Hall, local theatres and Museum London. These events not only entertain us, they contribute to our local economy and help put London on the map as a city that values accessible, vibrant and supportive arts and culture.
Sorry!
Comedy Fest
Eat Cheap!
Special
Local Influencers share their must-try budget bites
Jason Allen
Curtains Up
Introducing your next favourite stand-up
A new theatre season preview
Cheap Eats! We Askes London's favourite food Bloggers to give us their
FE ST
IV AL F
Fo re Ro st lls Cit Ou y F Our t S ilm ta To + r Fes p Pi Po ti we va ck s r l
EV ER
50 Best Deals
We’ve also included a preview of the upcoming theatre season, along with a guide to affordable places to eat, featuring local cuisine, businesses and social media creators who are helping people discover what our city has to offer. This issue is bigger, and we’re continuing to find our niche and our readers. We’re building new partnerships because we believe that supporting one another builds a stronger city for everyone. To our advertisers and supporters who continue to invest in local, thank you. Your support helps artists, venues, festivals and local businesses continue doing what they do best. To the ones who are thinking about supporting, please join us. We hope you enjoy this issue and continue to support LiveLondon, which in turn supports the artists, businesses and community we’re proud to serve.
Issue #2 Cover photographed by Mai Tilson
Who we are: Co-Publisher/Editor Sherry Monastyrski Co-Publisher/Editor Jamie Monastyrski Co-Founder/Art Director Troy Beyer Associate Editor Elizabeth Harrison Copy Editor Brenda Perrault Partnership Director Elizabeth Harrison Contributors Nick Gillett, Sarah Gillett, Richard Young, Mai Tilson, Sean Dupree, Allison Brown, Daniel Tafferner, Kendra Wilson, Kezia Harley, Devyn MacKenzie Distribution Live London Magazine is distributed free, in retail shops, bars, restaurants, cafes and music venues across London Contact info@livelondonmag.com Printer Allegra LiveLondon Magazine is a proud member of the London Chamber of Commerce All content © 2026 Monastyrski Communications All rights reserved.
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JAMIE MONASTYRSKI Co-Publisher/Editor
SHERRY MONASTYRSKI Co-Publisher
Our Indigenous Land Acknowledgment We acknowledge the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Attawandaron peoples. Miigwetch, Yaw^ko, Anishiik
OCT 15- 25 2026 LEARN MORE FCFF.CA
WHAT’S LONDON TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN LONDON THIS FALL
1 Season of the Knights
PHOTO: JAKE ARTS/LONDON KNIGHTS
The London Knights are back and a new OHL season brings plenty to watch. The 2026–27 campaign opens with the Home Opener and Fan Fest against Windsor Spitfires at Canada Life Place as a retooled roster introduces promising new faces including first-round pick Ryan Beaulieu and forward Luca Santala. Fans can also circle a few favourites on the calendar, including the Teddy Bear Toss on Dec 8, the traditional New Year’s Eve Afternoon Game, and the Don Brankley Hall of Fame Game on Feb 5. (pictured Maksim Sokolovskii) Sept 18 to late March, Canada Life Place, @londonknights 6 Live London Fall 2026
2
Metric
Canadian Indie Royalty Takes the Stage Three powerhouse Canadian acts, one huge night. Metric, Lights and Broken Social Scene take over Canada Life Place for a stacked celebration of indie rock, synth-pop and homegrown hits. Expect big anthems, electric energy and plenty of singalong moments in downtown London. Get your tickets at canadalifeplace.com
PHOTO: RUBY GUO
Oct 3, Canada Life Place
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4 Shiv and the Carvers
A Decade of DIY
Stamps, Stories & London Heritage
Punk Rock Flea Fest celebrates 10 years with three days of free, all-ages music, art, markets and skateboarding. Highlights include a TAP retrospective, Dundas Place skate jam, 80-plus vendors and performances from Cancer Bats, The OBGMs, Subhumans UK, Bad Waitress, Thunder Queens and more.
Stamp collectors and history buffs can explore CANPEX 2026 this October. This national philatelic exhibition brings together exhibitors from Canada, the U.S. and beyond, with competitive displays and special Court of Honour exhibits. This year’s theme, “London’s Heritage Buildings,” gives the show a distinctly local flavour, celebrating the city’s architectural history through the fascinating world of stamps and postal collecting.
Sept 24-26, Downtown, @punkrockfleamarketlondon
Oct 17–18. Hellenic Community Centre Fall 2026 Live London 7
LONDON TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN LONDON THIS FALL
7 Artist is For Real Kim Neudorf (he/him) is a queer, trans artist and writer based in London whose new exhibition opens Oct 3 at Museum London. His writing and paintings explore themes of resilience, healing, and survival, while seeking to undo easy legibility in order to honour the daily, more complicated modes of visibility and existence. In Kim Neudorf: real_real, new and recent works by the artist and writer move beyond binaries, opening up richer, more complex ways of seeing and understanding.
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Oct 3, 2026 to March 7, 2027, Interior Gallery, Museum London
Roll With It SKATEVAN is a mobile roller-skating rental and pop-up event service. Dubbed the "Offline Recreation Department" that brings mobile roller discos, gear, and staff directly to communities, parks, and municipal events. Saturday Sept 26 from 2 to 6 p.m. , Hyde Park Village Green @skatevanlife
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8 Live at the Library London singer Hilary Watson takes the stage for an intimate LPL Live performance. It’s a chance to catch a local voice in a relaxed setting and add a little live music to your December calendar. Dec 3, Central Branch, London Public Library, @ohhilaryclaire
8 Live London Fall 2026
Bite This Dracula is reimagined in this comedic off-Broadway play written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen. Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors reimagines the vampire legend as an irreverent, pop-culture-filled romp. It features a small cast of just five actors who rapidly switch between more than a dozen different roles using quickchange stage magic. (Check out more Fall theatre listings, in this issue.)
Oct 20 - Nov 7, Grand Theatre - Spriet Stage
KIM NEUDORF, UNTITLED, 2020, OIL ON CANVAS, COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTIST.
WHAT’S
COMPANY MEMBERS, GRAND THEATRE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT SCHOOL OF ROCK. COSTUME DESIGN BY MEGHAN CHOMA. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAI TILSON.
9 Rock n Roll High School The Grand Theatre High School Project cranks up the volume with School of Rock, featuring talented London-area high school students performing live music on stage. Sept 22 to Oct 3, Spriet Stage, Grand Theatre
Quality custom picture framing at wholesale pricing. Since 1986.
1024 Princess Ave. London, On
Hours
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Monday - Friday 8-4 & Saturday 10-4.
Run for Resilience Lace up and move for something that matters. Hosted by Embodied Resilience Wellness Equity Initiative, a not-for-profit arm of Embodied Resilience, the first Run for Resilience, features 1K, 5K and 10K and options for runners and walkers of all abilities. Proceeds help make therapy more accessible for low-income neurodivergent individuals in the London community. This first annual run reflects their belief that movement, connection, and community care belong together.
@arteastlondon arteast.ca
Oct 11, Springbank Park Fall 2026 Live London 9
My London
Beyond the Veil
Medium Shannon Flynn talks spirit encounters, intuition, signs from loved ones and the growing world of spiritual wellness in London and area.
F
or many, autumn carries a sense of mystery. As the days grow shorter and Halloween approaches, the season has long been associated with reflection, remembrance and the idea that the distance between our world and the spirit world feels just a little thinner. We asked Shannon Flynn, a Spiritual Medium, Reiki Master, Spiritual Teacher, and Crystal Healer based in Komoka, Ontario about her craft, her early experiences with Spirit and how someone can tell if they have a gift to see beyond the veil. Her journey with Mediumship began at a young age, when she experienced seeing spirits and sensing energies that others could not. These early experiences eventually led her to discover that some of the spirits she encountered were her own departed grandparents. In 2006, Shannon began an extensive journey of studying Mediumship, Psychic Development, Channeling, Meditation, and Reiki. Over the years, she has continued to expand her knowledge through workshops and training with respected teachers, while also becoming a Life Skills Coach and Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner. Today, Shannon offers Mediumship Readings, Reiki, Spiritual Guidance, Past Life experiences, and spiritual workshops and events throughout Ontario. Through her work, she strives to provide people with comfort, healing, and a deeper connection to themselves and the spirit world.
10 Live London Fall 2026
Q. How did you first realize you were a medium, and was there a particular experience or moment that made you understand this was something more than intuition? A. When I was young, I remember
seeing people in my bedroom at night. I didn't completely understand what I was doing at that young age. I thought everyone could see these people too. After a few encounters with my grandmother who had passed, I realized I was connecting to Spirit. Then I was completely fascinated and hooked to learn more. I dove into reading Sylvia Browne books at a young age, listened to meditations, and joined spiritual communities around the age of 18 to learn everything I could.
“The images I saw during that reading were like scenes from a CSI television show. When I say I've seen it all, I really have. Spirit will show me things any way they can to get their messages across the veil. ” Q. For someone who wonders whether
they may have intuitive or mediumistic abilities, what signs do you think they should pay attention to?
A. The signs you should pay attention to are always the ones we ignore or feel are too simple. For example, seeing your loved one's birthdate on a licence plate in front of you at a stop light. I would suggest following your gut instinct or your own intuition. If it feels like a sign to you, then it probably is. Simply ask your loved ones to show you certain signs, give them a few days, it will appear. Q. London has a growing wellness, psychic and spiritual community. How would you describe that community, and how has it changed since you first became involved in this work? A. I'm fairly new to the London/Komoka area, so I haven't jumped into the spiritual community here. I do offer
events in the area, including St. Thomas, Port Stanley, Tillsonburg, and Strathroy. I feel like the community is growing but also fairly close knit.
Q. People are naturally curious about mediumship. Is there a reading, encounter or experience from your career that has stayed with you or surprised even you? A. There are so many. For example, during a large group gallery reading with over 100 people, I had a Mom come through in Spirit for her daughter in the audience. She gave me her exact birth date, down to the year. That surprised the audience and me, as they don't always give me such specifics. In another reading, a woman came to see me to connect with her murdered daughter. The images I saw during that reading were like scenes from a CSI television show. When I say I've seen it all, I really have. Spirit will show me things any way they can to get their messages across the veil. Q. Your work also includes Reiki and NLP. How do those practices connect with your work as a medium, and what do you hope people take away from a session with you? During a Reiki session with me, I allow messages to come forward. Sometimes I end up talking through the entire session allowing my client to not only relax but also receive messages they need to hear to heal, get some life guidance and leave my office feeling lighter. I use my NeuroLinguistic Programming during my Spiritual Guidance or Mediumship Sessions. This can help a client of mine find new ways to cope, heal, and use beyond a session with me.
Q. If you were planning the perfect “Shannon Flynn day” in London and area, where would you go, who would you bring and what would be on the itinerary? A. The perfect Shannon Flynn day in London would look like this: I'd bring a close friend to tag along. We'd stop at Komoka Massage, then down to Black Walnut Bakery for an amazing sandwich and dessert. Make our way to Purdy Natural to take a stroll through their peaceful store and score some amazing products. Then a visit to Mandala Books to find the latest spiritual books and tools. www.powerfulsoul.com
Q&A
SHANNON FLYNN Spiritual Medium
Fall 2026 Live London 11
EAT
CHEAP. We asked some of London’s favourite food influencers and local tastemakers to share the places they turn to when they want to eat well without spending a fortune.
Their picks took us all over the city from long-time London institutions and neighbourhood staples to food trucks, new restaurants, tuckedaway counters and under-the-radar gems you might drive past without ever knowing what you’re missing. The result? More than 40 budgetfriendly picks, with a few clear favourites appearing on more than one list and plenty of surprises we hadn’t seen coming. Consider this your guide to eating your way through London for less one great bite at a time.
PHOTO: MAI TILSON • MODEL: KEZIA HARLEY • PHOTO ASSISTANT: AVELEA THORNE • DT/RETOUCHER: DANIELA HERMANN HAIR AND MAKEUP: CHARLINE ROBICHAUD • FOOD: RENES SANDWICH SHOP
OVER 50 BELLY-BUSTING
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B&B Snack Bar Wow Shawarama
Souvlaki Boys
B&B Snack Bar
Fitzray’s
High Lunch
EAT CHEAP
Big Flavour, Small Bills London for Less - Where to find some of London’s best cheap eats, diner classics and wallet-friendly drinks By SARAH GILETT
E
ating out in London doesn’t have to mean blowing the budget. Across London, longtime diners, neighbourhood pubs, bakeries and food trucks are still serving up meals and drinks that leave a little dinero in your pocket for more important things.
For a taste of old-school London, B&B Snack Bar, at 529 Pall Mall St., is hard to beat. Open since 1939, the classic diner has built generations of regulars around affordable breakfasts, sandwiches and weekly lunch specials. The friendly counter-service atmosphere feels almost untouched by time, making the experience as much a draw as the prices. Over on Dundas Street, High Lunch offers another dose of diner nostalgia. Sit at the counter, order from the chalkboard and watch breakfast, burgers and sandwiches being prepared right in front of you. Add a milkshake and you have the kind of simple, satisfying meal that has kept neighbourhood diners going for decades. Archie’s Fish and Chips, meanwhile, has grown from its original Wharncliffe Road location, established in 1985, to three London restaurants. Fish and chips may be the headline attraction, but the menu also stretches from breakfast skillets and sandwiches to burgers, wraps and clam chowder, making it a reliable option throughout the day.
PHOTO B&B SNACKBAR, FITZRAYS - KENDRA WILSON / KENDRA&KENDRA
London’s bargains aren’t limited to food. Downtown, Fitzray’s remains a popular pre-game and pre-concert destination across from Canada Life Place, with rotating specials on local draft, cocktails and wine. In south London, Mustang Sally’s has built a following around inexpensive daily drink features, while McCabe’s Irish Pub & Grill on Richmond Street pairs pub atmosphere, entertainment and regular specials on beer, wine and cocktails. And some of the city’s best values can be found outside the traditional diner-and-pub circuit. From inexpensive manakeesh and sliders to food-truck specials, Jamaican comfort food and Tuesday night deals, London still rewards anyone willing to hunt for a bargain.
Zaatarz Bakery and Sweets' Manakeesh
10 Quick Appetizers Under $5 Zaatarz Bakery and Sweets 639 Southdale Rd. E. Try the Kishek Manakeesh, a traditional flatbread option priced around $5. Winks Eatery 551 Richmond St. The Roast Beef & Cheddar Slider offers a quick downtown bite at about $5. Burt’s Bar 629 Richmond St. Look for Toonie Tuesday, featuring select $2 food and drink specials. Malabari 215 Dundas St Mon-Thursday 4-7 pm $3 shots, half price wines and $5 dosas everyday from 4-7 pm Around $6–$10 Mundy’s Catering 400 Adelaide St. N. Known for walletfriendly Jamaican comfort food, including burgers, fries and jerkinspired dishes.
Souvlaki Boys 709 Richmond St. Watch for value combos such as kebab wraps, fries and a drink. Souvlaki Bro London Brewing Co-op, 521 Burbrook Pl. Greek favourites include gyros, pitas and loaded fries. Around $13 & Local Favourites Nooner’s 436 Clarence St. A longtime family-run favourite known for sandwiches, including its slow-roasted beef. Sonya Restaurant Bistro 489 Highbury Ave. Ukrainian dishes are sold by weight, making it easier to control both portion and price. Wow Shawarama 434 Clarence St One of the tastiest downtown falafel and shawarma places in the city. Hands down. Great owners and great prices and daily specials.
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S E T A L P T HO ROS GO TO P E H T E R E H W LESS EAT WELL FOR
The Bag Lady
Morning Bites
Ben Thanh
Cappadocia Breakfast & Cafe
Xy Castillo @xyzcastillo
Xy Castillo is a Filipina lifestyle & travel content creator who share her Top 10 Must-Try Food Spots in London.
Morning Bites Great food and excellent service! They offer a soup of the day, which is actually one of the reasons I keep coming back. But the Eggs Benny was definitely my favourite. @morningbitesca
Cappadocia Breakfast & Cafe I tried their sausage platter and absolutely loved it! Authentic Turkish flavours with ingredients sourced from Turkey. @thecappa.ca
Bryne Eats TAPSILOG! My go-to for Filipino comfort food. Their tapsilog and halo-halo are two of my go-to orders. @byrne.eats
London Pie Co. Hear me out! I don't even love pizza, but this place converted me! The crust, cheese, and flavours are seriously next level. @london_pie_co
Taco Loco As a Latina by blood and heart, I can't say no to their tacos! Affordable, delicioso, and the atmosphere is such a vibe. @tacoloco.ca
Ben Thanh As a Filipina, I LOVE lumpia, but their deep-fried spring rolls definitely impressed me! Their laksa soup is also a must-try. @benthanhlondon
WingsUp! I've tried so many wings around London, but these are definitely some of the most flavourful I've had. @wingsuplondon
16 Live London Fall 2026
Kunafa's London This place seriously raised my standards for kunafa! The flavour and texture are exactly what I look for. @kunafas_london The Bag Lady Their Big Stack Daddy is seriously filling! Plus, the interior has a retro feel that takes you back in time. @thebagladylondon Lil Slice of Heaven Located at Gibraltar Weekend Market! I've tried plenty of cheesecakes around London, but this one stands out for me. A local gem worth discovering and your visit helps support a small business. @alilsliceofheavenbakery
EAT CHEAP
Kenzo Ramen
Piero's Pizzeria
Nick at Forest City Content @forestcitycontent
Nick from Forest City Content picks his top 10 cheap eats in London. Bahn Mi Express Pho Dip Banh Mi has slow-braised beef brisket and other traditional pho ingredients in a crispy French baguette and comes with a concentrated broth to dip it in. Warning, it will be tough to go back to normal banh mi after this. @banhmi_express Viet-Thai Plus Chicken Laksa is your new favourite Asian soup, if you can handle the spice. A unique blend of rich, creamy coconut milk and umami packed curry paste with a hint of limey tang. @vietthaiplus Piero's Pizzeria I feed my whole family for under $15 with their large three topping pickup special. Their two slices and a pop combo for $4.99 is my go-to late night food. @pierospizza
Kenzo Ramen
Viet-Thai Plus
Kenzo Ramen Tan tan, tsukemen, and black garlic tonkatsu are all incredible. Free parking at Central Library if you have a card when they are open. @kenzoramen
Shelby's I've tried all the popular shawarma places in London, but I think I am done experimenting. With freshly baked saj bread, Shelby's downtown on Horton has my favourite chicken shawarma. @shelbyscanada
Pupuseria Rosa's Latin Food Pork and cheese pupusas for under $5 that come with a tasty pickled cabbage slaw. If you can't afford plane tickets, this place feels like a vacation to Latin America! @ pupuseriarosaslatinfood Hakka Chinese Kitchen Truly a hidden gem with a $12.50 lunch special that comes with a lot of food. They have a massive menu of different Asian dishes and my favourite so far is their spicy chicken soup dumplings! @ hakkachinesekitchen Hot Oven Fresh burek, which is a Balkan crispy phyllo pastry filled with cheese, spinach, or meat. Being Yugoslavian, having this place in Covent Garden Market makes it feel like home! @hotovenburek
So inviting Run by the nicest lady that is always giving free samples. An Old East Village staple that has amazing dumplings and pot stickers at an incredible price. 876 Dundas St Costco If you have a membership, the price is tough to beat. Everyone knows about the $1.50 hotdog and pop, but under $3 for a pizza slice and $7.99 for chicken fingers and fries is a steal. @costco
→ Fall 2026 Live London 17
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Addis Ababa Ethiopian Cuisine
Pizza Quest
Britney Williams @urgirlbrit
Britney Williams is a content creator who showcases local restaurants, hidden gems, and fun experiences across London. “I’m always on the hunt for spots that deliver amazing flavour without breaking the bank. These are my go-to places I genuinely come back to for quality, portion size, and value.”
SoHo’s Tacos & Tequila A standout spot on South Street known for its tacos but I go for the pupusas. They’re big, filling, and priced so well. A great choice when you want something flavorful and satisfying without overspending. @sohostacosntequila
Bangkok Pad Thai One of my favourite spots for Thai food in the city. Generous portions and rich flavour. @bangkokpadthairestaurant
So Inviting A hidden gem with a wide variety of comfort food options. Great portions and perfect for when you want something satisfying without spending too much. The owners are fantastic! #soinviting #bestdumplings Pizza Quest Known for “The Thing” a massive, stuffed, cheesy creation that’s easily shareable and worth every dollar. But also, their slices are massive and loaded with toppings! @pizzaquestlondon 18 Live London Fall 2026
Hanata Sushi A go-to spot on Oxford for fresh, high-quality ACE sushi at a great price. Reliable, well-portioned, and perfect for a casual sushi meal. hanatasushi.urbaneater.ca
Grill 23 A great spot for Mexican food with solid portions and flavour. Their taco sampler is my favourite! @grill23mexican
Island Flavour Caribbean comfort food done right. Big portions, bold seasoning, and well worth the price. Get the curry chicken roti! It’s the best! @authenticislandflavour
Addis Ababa Ethiopian Cuisine A welcoming spot at 465 Dundas serving authentic Ethiopian dishes at fair prices. The generous portions and shareable plates make it a great experience. LR Sushi A family-owned spot with fresh sushi and great pricing. Perfect for a casual sushi night without the high bill. lrsushi.com
Little Lion Kitchen A cozy local favourite known for comforting, well-portioned Sri Lankan food at approachable prices. Perfect for a hearty, satisfying bite. @littlelionkitchen
Nini
@local.voices Nini is a London-based digital creator with a local following for foods, vibes, community.
“Good food is usually attached to good memories, bright flavours and a bill that won’t break the bank. As a self-proclaimed food enthusiast, I can say I have tried a little bit of everything, but these five are the ones I come back to any time I need a pick-me-up.”
EAT CHEAP
Katie Grundt @katie.grundt
Katie Grundt is a digital marketing and content creator.
Early Bird
So Inviting
Early Bird Jalapeño Popper Sandwich $18: even if jalapeños intimidate you, let this delicious combination of cream cheese, sweet pepper jelly, jalapeño, and corn chips, on Portuguese bread take over your senses. At $18, this sandwich is sweet, spicy and a whole experience for breakfast. Served with a side of sour cream to cool you off and your choice of fruit, fries or home fries. If you don’t make it to this place for the food, then do it for the decor.
Willie’s Cafe Kickstarter Sandwich & coffee meal $10: anything from Willie’s could have made this list, because they have so many options under $15, and that’s rare in today’s cafes. That being said, my heart belongs to their portobello Kickstarter sandwich - a beautiful one-egg omelette with portobello mushrooms, spinach and espresso mayonnaise served perfectly toasted. I can’t think of a better way to start my day, especially because drip coffee is bottomless. @williescafe
@theearlybirdldn
@thewholegrainhearth
Holy Diver These guys have a rotating $5 weekly special that they call the “Holy Diver highfiver” and their nachos are my favourite without question. They also have a handful of local beer options on their happy hour menu! Super shareable, super cost effective. @holydiverldn
New Delhi Deli Deli’s Combo Meal $16.90: Bahn, the owner of this charming shop inside the Covent Garden Market, is not only a super nice lady, but she will make you feel at home and feed you wonderful Indian food. The portions are generous; you get your choice of rice, meat and veggie, and my personal favourite is the curry chicken, potatoes and rice with beans. If you eat in, you eat at a communal table and you are bound to have the most wonderful conversations. One thing though! This place is cash or debit only. So Inviting Dumplings and Potstickers cooked $2.49 for 100g or frozen $8.99 for 500g: I wish this place existed when I was still in college because one bag of frozen potstickers can easily feed you for a full day, and the lady is so sweet that she might sneak you a couple of free dumplings if you are grabbing any cooked item. They do things by weight here so it is easy to adjust for your budget, and their dipping sauces are phenomenal.
The Whole Grain Hearth My favourite bakery in the city! Reasonably priced, especially considering the extremely high quality ingredients that go into their beverages and baked goods. De Mello espresso, local dairy, house-made syrups, locally grown grains and produce, the list goes on!
Rebel Layne A Wortley Village patio gem with half price appetizers for happy hour. The quality is great, their menu selections are tasty and unique (like fried maitake mushrooms I’ve yet to find anywhere else), and those happy hour prices can’t be beat. @rebel.layne
Roxbury’s Bar & Grill All-You-Can-Eat Wings $21.95 + a drink purchase: this might be a technicality in the sense that not everyone wants wings or all-you-can-eat, but in my humble opinion, these are the best wings in town. Yes, they are bonein and breaded, with more than 20 different flavours to try, and it makes for a cost-effective Monday night football outing or just a good way to feed a crew on a budget. @roxbury.bar.and.grill
Covent Garden Market The place I call home five days a week! The market has a ton of reasonably priced eats that I tend to frequent during my lunch breaks at work: honourable mention to The Piping Kettle (@thepipingkettle), Hot Oven (@ hotovenburek), and New Delhi Deli as my personal favourites. , @coventgardenmarketcanada
Pupuseria Rosa’s Latin Food An easy “yes” when you’re looking for something comforting yet fresh at the same time. This is a great option for an individual meal or as an inexpensive crowd pleaser. @pupuseriarosaslatinfood Fall 2026 Live London 19
Food&Drink
A Taste of Lebanon in London Yasmine’s blends family recipes, modern Lebanese cuisine and warm hospitality into a dining experience rooted in tradition.
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or Farah Benni, Yasmine’s Restaurant has always been about more than serving great food. It is about sharing a piece of Lebanon with London. “We wanted to share the real taste of Lebanon with London; our family recipes, our culture, and especially the warmth and hospitality we grew up with,” says Benni, owner of Yasmine’s.
PHOTO: KENDRA WILSON / KENDRA&KENDRA
That sense of hospitality is at the heart of the restaurant. Yasmine’s combines traditional Lebanese flavours with a modern approach, creating a space where guests can settle in over a meal, enjoy a cocktail and experience the food and culture that have shaped Benni’s family. A large part of the menu draws inspiration from recipes and traditions passed down through generations. Among the restaurant’s most popular dishes is the Chicken Tawook, while the Kibbeh Blaban holds a particularly personal connection for Benni. 20 Live London Fall 2026
“It reminds me of my mom’s cooking growing up,” she says. Those family influences are refined and brought to life by Yasmine’s Chef Ashton Rahal, who has helped shape the restaurant’s menu while staying true to its Lebanese roots. For first-time diners, Benni recommends the Sayadieh, a classic Levantine dish featuring aromatic rice and pan-fried sea bass. “It’s always a crowd favourite and a chef’s kiss,” she says. While the food may bring guests through the door, Benni wants the experience to extend well beyond the plate. Lebanese hospitality, she says, is centred around making people feel at home. “We want Yasmine’s to feel warm, welcoming and a little special. That’s something we try to bring to every table,” she says. Yasmine’s is also part of an increasingly diverse London restaurant scene, one that has seen independent operators introduce diners to flavours and culinary traditions from around the world. “London has become such a diverse and exciting food city. We’re proud to be part of that growth by introducing more people to Lebanese cuisine while continuing to put our own modern touch on it.” And there is more to come. Benni says Yasmine’s plans to continue adding new dishes, participating in local culinary events including Londonlicious and expanding its role as a gathering place. An open-mic night featuring local musicians and artists is also in the works. For Yasmine’s, it is another way to combine food, culture and community with a distinctly Lebanese welcome. @yasminesrestaurant
Q&A
YASMINE'S CHEF ASHTON RAHAL Q: What dish do you most enjoy cooking? A: I particularly enjoy cooking traditional Lebanese dishes. I love how each dish has its own story and details and how it brings people together around the table. I also enjoy the social aspect of cooking because it reminds me of my family and my roots in Lebanon. It’s hard to choose one dish, but I really like making Raw Kibbeh (Beef Tartar) and seafood. Q: What ingredient could you not work without? I really couldn’t cook without olive oil and garlic. I use them in almost everything I make, from sautéing onions as the base of a dish to drizzling olive oil over the finished plate. They add so much flavor and are essential to the way I cook.
Q: Where do you eat in London on your day off? Honestly, on my day off, I like to keep things simple. I enjoy sushi, so I might go somewhere like 168 Sushi Buffet when I’m in the mood for fresh rolls and miso soup. Other times, I prefer something warm and comforting, such as a homestyle Lebanese stew served with rice. It really depends on my mood, but I generally enjoy food that is simple, flavorful, and not too heavy.
Q: Can you share a favourite but simple recipe? Tabbouleh would be a perfect choice. It’s fresh, healthy, and very simple to prepare. You’ll need parsley, mint, ripe tomatoes, fine bulgur, lemon juice, and good-quality olive oil. Soak the bulgur until it softens, then finely chop the herbs, dice the tomatoes, and combine everything with the lemon juice and olive oil. The key is to keep the balance light so that the parsley remains the star of the dish. It’s fresh, refreshing, and perfect for sharing! Fall 2026 Live London 21
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22 Live London Fall 2026
Food&Drink
DIY Cocktails
Fall in a Glass
The Black Manhattan
Recipe: Take 500ml of apple cider, the good stuff you get at the apple orchard or in the grocery store.
Sean Dupree the Midnight Mixologist trades summer refreshers for bold, warming cocktails and a creative zero-proof sip made for cooler nights.
Add 3 black tea bags and 1 Ginger Tea bag
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s the heat of summer fades and London settles into fall, the flavours behind the bar are changing too. For Sean Dupree, better known as the Midnight Mixologist, autumn is the perfect time to move beyond light, refreshing drinks and lean into cocktails with more depth, spice and warmth. This season, he serves up two very different options: the dark and herbal Black Manhattan, and the Appletandi, a thoughtful alcohol-free drink.
The Black Manhattan Who doesn’t love a Manhattan? What I love about Manhattans is that each ingredient matters, much like the Cuba Libre, with only three ingredients it’s important that each one does its role. A classic Manhattan is whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters. Drop a cherry in the drink and you’ve got yourself a sophisticated good time. A Black Manhattan swaps out the sweet vermouth for some Earthy Amaro. Amaro is similar to Vermouth in that they are fortified wine. However, where vermouth
tends to be sweet, Amaro goes for bitter and herbal notes. Here’s the recipe to get you started, but feel free to experiment with different brands and styles. Recipe: 2oz Rye Whiskey 1oz Amaro Montenegro 2 Dashes Midnight Mixologist Canadian Bitters 1 Dash Midnight Mixologist Citrus Bitters In a mixing glass, combine all ingredients and stir with ice. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a brandied cherry.
Appletandi (mocktail) For too long we have been complacent with two families of mocktails: Adding sugar to pop (like the classic Shirley Temple) or mixing three different fruit juices together. Luckily for us, a lot of talented bartenders are starting to approach mocktails the same way they approach full strength cocktails. Creating new drinks isn’t about what can get you drunk the fastest. It’s not about HIDING the flavours of alcohol either. It’s about layering interesting and complimentary flavours with each other to create a brand new experience. There is absolutely no reason we shouldn’t apply that same philosophy to a nonalcoholic drink.
Add 3 cinnamon sticks and put it all in a big jar. Refridgerate it for one day and you’ll have half a liter of Appletandi for you or any of your teetotaler friends who may come to visit. When you’re ready to serve it, take 3oz and add a dash of chocolate bitters. Shake with ice and strain into martini glass. Garnish with a cherry and you will have one VERY impressed and sober guest. The natural sweetness of the Apple cider plays with the black tea’s bold and aromatic characteristics to create a flavour distinctly autumn. You can find Sean at the Western Fair Market every weekend serving up bitters, syrups and books and all the gear you need to make the perfect cocktail. @midnight_mixology
Fall 2026 Live London 23
Food&Drink
Craft Breweries, Distilleries and Drink Makers
Anderson Craft Ales Location: East London Deals/specials: Save $5 on pitchers of Gold Lager from 3-6 pm on Fridays. Cheers to: Pumpkin Ale (5.0% ABV), available this fall. Highlights: Tag this onto a trip to the nearby art gallery, record store, bookstore, thrift store or climbing gym. Pair their classic beers and seasonal favourites with events almost every day of the week from live music to game nights to Sunday brunch. @andersoncraftales
Pleasure Craft Fall in London brings cooler nights, changing leaves and plenty of reasons to raise a glass. With Oktoberfest celebrations and London’s growing beer-festival scene putting local makers in the spotlight, it’s the perfect season to explore what the city is pouring. By ELIZABETH HARRISON
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cross London, craft breweries, distilleries and independent drink makers are creating everything from crisp lagers and rich seasonal stouts to ready-topour cocktails, ciders and alcohol-free kombucha. Many of these businesses have also become gathering places in their neighbourhoods, hosting live music, trivia nights, markets, food pop-ups and special events throughout the fall.
24 Live London Fall 2026
And patio season doesn’t necessarily end with summer. Many local spots keep their outdoor spaces open well into the cooler months, while cans, bottles, growlers, howlers and kegs make it easy to bring a favourite local drink home. Here are some London-made pours and the people and places behind them worth discovering this fall.
Beer Kitchen Location: East London Deals/specials: Get any pint of housemade beer for $4 on Sundays or $3 on Mondays. Grab a pint of the weekly special on Wednesdays for $5. Cheers to: Festbier (5.4% ABV), intended for festival enjoyment with friends and family. Highlights: Next door to The Factory, the massive indoor playground and gaming complex, Beer Kitchen keeps things exciting with monthly themes for their cocktail and food menus (e.g., Southeast Asian, Italian American, etc.). Pair your favourite beer with events like Juke Box Bingo, Latin dancing nights, live music, DJs, or trivia. @beer.kitchen
Check livelondmag.ca for more breweries and beer events. London Brewing Co-operative Location: East London Deals/specials: Grab a pint of their lager, light lager or Front Porch IPA for $8. Cheers to: Pink for Pride, a light lager made with raspberry and hibiscus, in partnership with Pride London (4% ABV) Highlights: Their events include live music on their stage, Euchre, karaoke, as well as private functions like retirement parties, birthdays, and even weddings. @londonbrewingca
Side Launch Brewing Company – London Taproom Location: East London Deals/specials: $6 drafts on Tuesdays from 3-6 PM during baseball season, with $20 pitchers of Northbound Lager and free popcorn during the games (from 7 pm). Cheers to: Shake Lager (4.7% ABV), as it celebrates the power of friendship, family, and never losing your spark. A portion of the proceeds go towards fighting pancreatic cancer. Highlights: Based out of Collingwood, Ontario, this London location has a new, outdoor beer garden and rotating food trucks from March to October. They also host events like Euchre, cornhole, board games, and live music. @sidelaunchlondon
Supply & Demand Beer and Pizza Location: Downtown Deals/specials: $6 beers from 3-5 pm daily, ½ price select pizzas and bottles of wine on Wednesdays (dine-in only) Cheers to: People Don’t Change IPA (6.5% ABV) Highlights: Grab a beer after a show at Canada Life Place, paired with their signature sourdough pizza, album releases or vinyl nights with a DJ. @supplydemandbrewery
Paradigm Spirits Co Location: East London Deals/specials: Buy any bottle of Paradigm spirits on their website and get 20% off any Bull in China barware item. Cheers to: Pulp Fiction, a ready-topour grapefruit martini (20% ABV) Highlights: A local distillery, they produce spirits and ready-made drinks. They have an event space next to the Hard Rock Hotel as well as a storefront in the complex at 100 Kellogg Lane nearby.
Toboggan Brewing Company Location: Downtown (Richmond Row)
@paradigmspirits
Powerhouse Brewing Company Location: East London Deals/specials: Free popcorn all day long Cheers to: Low Voltage Cream Ale (4.7% ABV), described as smooth and golden, reminiscent of baked bread and light honey. Highlights: They have trivia, bingo and live music, and offer tours of their brewery. @drinkpowerhouse
Storm Stayed Brewing Company Location: Near Wortley Village Deals/specials: They have specials for every day of the week. On Tuesday, all drafts are $6 all day.
Deals/specials: They have specials for every day of the week. On Mondays, grab $17 pizzas and $20 pitchers of Holy Roller Lager (4.7% ABV) all day. Cheers to: Blackfriars Bridge Vanilla Stout (6% ABV), named after the picturesque London bridge across the Thames.
Highlights: Grab a soft, Bavarian-style pretzel with your beer.
Highlights: This spot is like a large Muskoka cottage in the middle of the city. Pair your beer with their Neapolitan, wood-fired pizza or housesmoked BBQ meats.
@stormstayed
@tobogganbrewery
Cheers to: the Patina Irish Red Ale (4.2%) Scrumptious and really red.
Fall 2026 Live London 25
Music Lindsey & The Lonelies
and Sarnia, and they had already met their initial fundraising goal. Each city will feature their own local, female-fronted bands, female guest speakers and female-owned and operated business partners. The focus of the bands across all the cities is rock music, but the lineup is eclectic.
PHOTO: PREVAIL
Supporting Women in Music and Yellow Brick House
Warrior Women Take to the Stage Rose Cora Perry is spotlighting local female talent at shows across six Ontario cities this fall. The concert series is called Warrior Women, and all proceeds will be donated to a leading domestic violence charity, Yellow Brick House. The London Warrior Women show will feature Perry’s band, The Truth Untold, along with Blue Herring, My Artifice, Nostalgic Brightlights and Lindsey & The Lonelies. We dive into the story behind Rose’s ambitious project and the bands on the setlist for London. By ELIZABETH HARRISON
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hen Rose Cora Perry’s touring schedule with her band, The Truth Untold, opened up due to U.S Visa delays, an opportunity presented itself for her to take on something new. She wanted to connect with local bands and fans and tap into the power of music to heal and bring people together. “I myself am a survivor, so I've written many songs
26 Live London Fall 2026
Rose Cora Perry
about my own personal experiences,” she says. “I thought, what can I do that goes beyond the music, really makes an impact and is really all about women's empowerment, allyship and coming together.” Sponsors, businesses and artists rallied around the idea, and soon Warrior Women was a six-city concert series across Niagara Falls, Windsor, London, Toronto, Hamilton
Unsurprisingly, women continue to face barriers in music. “I think it goes without saying, I know we're in 2026, but the rock and roll industry is still very male-dominated,” says Rose, who notes her ambivalence about even using the term ‘female-fronted bands’. Her platform is part of a grassroots movement to support women in music and provide funds to directly support women and children impacted by abuse. “Part of this is promoting the fact that there is so much female talent out there,” she says. “They just don't get the exposure and the recognition that they deserve.” All proceeds of the concerts will go to Yellow Brick House, a leading Ontario charity for survivors of domestic violence and abuse. Their core services include emergency shelters, a 24/7 crisis and support line, public education, community counselling and support services for women and children. There are many staggering statistics about violence against women that echo and support anecdotal stories. For example, as per Believe/TuneCore Be the Change’s 2024 Gender Equality Study, 60% of women in the music industry have experienced sexual harassment.
The Bands
Rose Cora Perry and The Truth Untold The Truth Untold is a four-piece band formed in 2016, fronted by Rose Cora Perry. The band consists of Rose Cora Perry (lead vocals, guitar, and songwriter), Jessie Taynton (bass and backing vocals), John-William Kostecki (lead guitar and backing vocals), and Steve Skrtich (drums).
They come together around a wide range of influences, including Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, while Eloise is heavily inspired by storytelling in folk music.
They play 90s-inspired, alternative rock music, tour widely and are known for their energetic performances. They have opened for major acts like Big Sugar, SmashMouth, Saliva, Platinum Blonde and The Killjoys.
They will be releasing a new music video for their single “Shatterproof”, a song exploring liberation from abuse, in tandem with the Warrior Women concert series. They will also be releasing their new EP Battlecry this fall. @rosecoraperry
Blue Herring This three-piece band is made up of Eloise Harrington (bass, vocals), Jack McCartney (drums) and Owen Lewthwaite (guitar). They identify as bluegaze, a nod to shoegaze music. “It's kind of a joke because we're not exactly shoegaze per se, but we definitely have a lot of blues influences… we're kind of a mixed bag,” says Eloise. Like many contemporary artists, they struggle to label themselves within traditional genre categories. The band formed about a year ago. Eloise explains, “We’re all Western students, and in our first year, all of us were on the music floor. Jack wasn't, but he would come around to the music floor a lot, in Delaware, where everybody was kind of always jamming… and then through the summer, it became a streamlined thing.” They recently released their first single “Guess Not” in July 2026 and will be releasing their first full-length album in fall 2026, Blue Herring. They
Nostalgic Brightlights
PHOTO: PAUL LATORRE
Rose previously played in HER, a band reminiscent of riot grrrl bands like Sleater-Kinney, the grunge band Anti-Hero, and has several softer solo albums under her belt. The Truth Untold has released four records, the first of which came out in 2019.
@blueherring_band
PHOTO: PKORY ADCOCK
describe the self-titled album as having a youthful, fun-loving vibe, though there are heavier songs with a tongue-in-cheek sensibility. The project was very DIY, recorded in Jack and Owen’s basement with their friend Callum Foxcroft, the Londonbased studio engineer.
August Lily Wickman (vocals), Tyler Nichol (guitar) are the core members of the four-piece band, Nostalgic Brightlights.
My Artifice My Artifice is a four-piece band comprised of Rosie (lead vocals, guitar), Evie (guitar), Keira (bass), and Renee (drums), all in their early teens. They met when they were 10-years-old at London Girls Rock Camp, Rosie explains. “We decided it'd be fun to hang out and practice some more after it ended. Once we got better, we started getting booked for a few shows.” A lot what they’re writing is based on intuition. “I feel like a lot of it just like doing what sounds right to us,” Rosie says. Their songwriting is collaborative, and often it starts with a riff that Evie has come up with, which they then build upon to make a song. “Or sometimes I'll randomly write lyrics on how I can't sleep or something, and we’ll base it off of that,” she says. Their first full length album is in the works, and they expect to release it later this year. They have finished recording and are working with Planet of Sound Rock School on the mixing and mastering. On being a part of the Warrior Women series, Rosie says, “I’m really excited to get to play a show that represents what they're supporting… we've never gotten to play for charity before, so I think that's super cool.” @myartificeband
Their sound is alternative rock, with influences including Garbage, Metric, The Kills, AC/DC, Billy Talent and Rush. They are currently working on their fourth album, Resilient, set to be released in November 2026. This album marks a new era for the band, with an intentional focus on empowering, lighter songs compared to their previous works, the latest of which was grounded in struggles of the pandemic. Resilient was heavily inspired by The Interrupters, the LA-based ska punk band, lead by Aimee Allen, explains August. They worked with Myke Penny from Tonehenge Recording on this record, and the songs centre on the theme of resilience. For example, “You Deserve This” is about hard work and perseverance, and “Illusion”, August’s favourite track on the album, reflects on the arbitrariness of timelines and milestones. Other songs touch on themes of friendship, celebrating dreams, mental health and family challenges. “Each song has an underlying sense of hope,” August says. Fans may also be interested to know about their mascot, Mr. Lamb’s Nephew, who has been with them for 10 years. “He appeared on stage at a Halloween show in 2016 at Norma Jean's in London, and he never left,” says August. @mr.lambsnephew @ostalgicbrightlights Continued on page 34
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Fall 2026 Live London 27
Music
New & Emerging Local Artists
Turbo Tusk
ON THE RADAR London’s music scene has always been powered by the artists willing to start small playing local stages, building an audience one show at a time and creating music that deserves to be heard well beyond the city limits. On the Radar is LiveLondon Magazine’s spotlight on the local independent bands and artists helping shape that scene right now. By BRENT JACKSON
28 Live London Fall 2026
Turbo Tusk Formed in 2025, Turbo Tusk is a four man detonation of grit, attitude, and unfiltered rock and roll chaos. Built from the collision of some of London’s loudest underground exports, the band unites Jared Ellul, the thunderous force behind Heart Attack Kids; Michael Steeves, the melodic firestarter from So Young; Nick McMillan, carrying the raw nerve energy of Tuned Out; and Spencer Kring, the rhythmic architect of Hunter Gatherer. What they create together is something wild, fast, and unmistakably their own. Turbo Tusk’s sound can be described as the “Bronx smoking a cigarette with the Hellacopters while fist fighting Danzig” — a snarling collision of punk rock danger, garage rock grit, and heavy-handed, sweat dripping riff worship. It’s music built for dark bars, blown speakers, and anyone who believes rock should feel like a punch in the mouth and a kiss on the cheek at the same time. Loud, fast, and unapologetically alive. Currently recording with Kyle Ashbourne at Sugar Shack recording studio. First single releasing late 2026. @turbo_tusk
Junko Daydream Formed in 2018, Junko Daydream has become one of London, Ontario’s most prominent musical artists. Sharing the stage with acts such as Protest the Hero, Dead Tired, The Number 12 Looks Like You, Choke, Ready the Prince, letlive., and local legends Single Mothers, Junko have cemented themselves as a staple in Ontario’s heavy music scene and won an FCLMA for “Best Punk Band” in 2023. In a less formal capacity, the band describes themselves as follows when introducing their collective to a new audience: balanced between confidence and insecurity, the London, Ontario outfit finds its footing in your discomfort. In fashioning honest music for dishonest people, Junko Daydream becomes a tumor you can't cut out. FFO: crying, etc. @junkodaydream
MVLL CRIMES MVLL CRIMES are a London-based post-hardcore band known for ferocious live shows, politically charged lyrics, and relentless touring across Canada. Since forming in 2019, the band has built steady national momentum through self-releases, major festival appearances, and support slots with some of punk and hardcore’s most respected acts. With a new lineup, a new single, and a full-length album already recorded, MVLL CRIMES are entering their most ambitious release cycle to date. @mvllcrimes
Yeti on Horseback Yeti on Horseback is an almighty roaring musical beast that refuses to be silenced and lives to give audiences an alternative perspective on modern metal. Their sound contains howling vocals over doom-laden riffs that slice through the heart of formulaic music and hail bands like Sleep, Electric Wizard, Yob and the Melvins. Yeti on Horseback hail from London, Ontario and live to fill a void left in heavy metal because of their merciless ability to forge a sound as unique and original as it is lethal and intoxicating. Their misanthropic sonic sludge and macabre lyrics are laid over a musical
Gold Tongue
foundation of soul-crushing riffs that flow freely from their dedication to all that is heavy. They aim to keep their sound wretched rather than allow it to become a satirical abomination of itself through the annihilating atmosphere and visceral lyrics they inject into every track. @yeti_on_horseback
Gold Tongue Give me venues, give me friends, give me Rock n' Roll! The medicine, the constant. Humanity always turns to music to help get us throughenter Gold Tongue, the phoenix rising from the ash and rubble of this decade's raging tire fire. Gold Tongue is electrified songs fueled by fiery riffs, with belting lyrics laden with the weight and conviction to overcome our collective struggles. Mental health, addiction, grief—it's all there, it's all real, and this music screams,
"Together we will all overcome!" Gold Tongue carries with it the familiarity of great rock music while forging a fresh perspective of what good music sounds like as we emerge from these dark times. From within this saturation of disinformation, the raw truth-telling of Brent Jackson (vocals, guitar) and the massive sonic landscape of Danny Schultz (guitar), Josh Torrence (bass), and Thom Perquin (drums), together cut through as a beacon of brighter days—a better future where we all stand together and celebrate our collective victories. Gold Tongue are releasing their debut album in 2026. The album is mixed and mastered by industry heavyweights Brian Moncarz and Brian Lucey. Four singles, and three music videos, are out in the world, with notable plays on Sirius and Hockey Night in Canada. The newest single is Make It Real. Stay tuned for full length coming in 2027. @gold.tongue
s!
tion a c o l o Tw 236 Dundas St 519-640-6714
London’s coolest indie record store
135 Wortley Rd 519-518-2544
Shop online or in store groovesrecordstore.com Fall 2026 Live London 29
PHOTOS: ALLISON BROWN
Music
Open Mics & Jams
MIC DROP
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Joey Letdown hosts No Wonderwall at the Holy Diver
From first-time performers to seasoned musicians, London’s open mics and jam nights are building confidence, community and the next generation of local talent. By ALLISON BROWN
30 Live London Fall 2026
or weeks now, you’ve been practicing guitar chords, singing the lyrics to your favourite songs or quietly crafting your own original music… are you ready to break out of the basement and share your sound with a live audience? London’s open mics and jams offer opportunities for new performers, ambitious amateurs and seasoned professionals to take the stage, meet other musicians and have fun developing confidence. The audience can often hear new music performed for the very first time. There are generally two styles; the ‘open mic’ style where performers sign a list and play songs individually as solos or duos, and the ‘jam’ style which encourages players to lead songs along with full band backing instrumentalists who join in. Joey ‘Letdown’ is the host of the No Wonderwall open mic Mondays at The Holy Diver. The often overplayed Oasis song is strictly banned. “I will cut the power if someone tries to play it,” says Joey. Aside from that, anything goes. “I want this to be for starting musicians or musicians that have been playing forever, playing songs they wrote,” says Joey. “This is a place for someone who’s never played a song before in front of anybody. I want them to be able to come here and rip a tune out and not feel judged.”
Rick Todd and Craig Manning prepare at the Wortley Roadhouse
Danny Mac and Derek (Mac) McIntyre co-host the open mic at London Brewing, where all songs are welcome. “I haven’t heard Wonderwall in forever,” says Derek. The Tuesday open mic offers a hybrid of both individual performances and a jam, where players can perform as soloists but have the option of inviting full band players to hop on stage. Derek’s favourite part of hosting is “seeing joy in a new performer’s face when they finally worked up the courage to get up in front of people. You see them light up and have a really great first experience on stage.” London Brewing’s open mic is all-ages and occasionally features poetry and comedy but music is central. Danny says, “as long as the music continues to flow, we’re open to anything.” Jess Jones hosts an open mic at the Leisure Learning Lab Cafe which offers a listening environment in an all-ages, alcohol-free space. “It is a social space, but I think people know when they walk in, there’s a cue to pay attention,”she says. Much like NPR’s Tiny Desk concerts, she describes the space as a Tiny Corner. As an open mic host, she “sets the pace, showing up as a strong woman using my voice, when other women musicians see that, the visibility automatically makes you feel that safety.” Filipe Andrade performed for an audience for the very first time at Leisure Learning Lab and might already be hooked on the thrill of live
Korva Chevalier at East West Bar & Grill
A Shortlist of London’s Music Open Mics and Jams: Mondays:
Danny Mac and Derek Mac invite you to sign up at London Brewing
Wortley Roadhouse (190 Wortley Rd.), ‘Kitchen Party Jam’, 7:00pm to 10:00pm, acoustic semiunplugged
performance. “I survived tonight and didn’t die behind the microphone so, yeah, I’d do it again,” he says.
The Holy Diver (353 Talbot St.), sign-up 8:30pm, house guitar available
Stuart Warrick hosts an acoustic open mic on Thursdays and an electric open jam on Sundays at the East West Bar & Grill. His advice to new performers, “get yourself three or four solid songs, and don’t just practice them until you get them right, practice until you can’t get them wrong.” Korva Chevalier is a regular at the East West Thursdays and says, “I played on my own for so long and it was time to take my music and put it in front of people and get started on my music career.”
Tuesdays:
The Poachers Arms features the Juice Jam on Wednesdays, a mainly jazz open jam that highlights instrumentalists hosted by keyboardist Nathan Nykor. No sign up sheet - the house band begins the night with a half-hour set, then Nathan invites jammers to the stage. The Wortley Roadhouse offers a Kitchen Party, on Mondays where performers sit in a circle and take turns sharing songs and joining in. Monthly on-campus open mics happen at Fanshawe’s Outback Shack and at The Grad Club at Western University. Full-time musician Jamie Shrier hosts Wednesday open mics at Winks. Jamie’s experience with open mics reaches back decades. “I got my start going to any open mic I could find. To me it’s been an integral part of the music community, which is why I’ve been consistently hosting an open mic for over 20 years. I don’t know where I’d be today if open mics weren’t a thing, she says.
The Scot’s Corner (268 Dundas St.), Traditional Irish Session Hosted by Forest City Comhaltas, 7:00pm London Brewing (521 Burbrook Pl), sign-up 7:00pm, house guitar and band backline available, all-ages Leisure Learning Lab Cafe (1535 N Routledge Park), 7:00pm, acoustic, all-ages Outback Shack (Fanshawe College), monthly (September 15, October 27 and November 17), 4:00pm to 7:00pm Byron-Springbank Legion (1276 Commissioners Rd. W), 6:00pm to 9:00pm, unplugged song circle
Wednesdays: The Poacher’s Arms (171 Queens Ave), “Juice Jam”, jazz and more, 9:00pm house band, 9:30pm jammers invited
Winks (551 Richmond St), sign up 9:30pm, swag prizes for performers, house guitar available East Side Bar and Grill (750 Hamilton Rd), 7:00pm Koozy’s Pub and Eatery (769 Southdale Rd. E), signup 7:30pm, full band jam
Thursdays: East West Bar & Grill (1205 Dundas), acoustic, sign up 7:00pm. Xuux Studios (455 Horton St. E), Monthly (September 17, October 15, November 19), 7:30pm The Grad Club (Western University), monthly (September 17, October 15, November 19), 7:00pm, presented by the Western Graduate Students’ Music Club, sign up in advance on @ uwogradmusic’s Instagram
Fridays: Pete’s Pad (609 Clarke Rd), 7:00pm, open mic and karaoke host Vinnie Vincenzo
Sundays: East West Bar & Grill (1205 Dundas), electric full band jam, 6:30pm to 9:30pm Pete’s Pad (|609 Clarke Rd), 3:30pm to 6:30pm, full band jam
Jess Jones hosts hosts open mics at Leisure Learning Lab
Fall 2026 Live London 31
Music
Album Feature visuals or music, everything that I take in as a person, as an artist, is feeding into what I’m producing.” MacLean mentioned finding inspiration in the aforementioned Aphex Twin, as well as fellow IDM artists Rival Consoles and Max Cooper. As I probed more into MacLean’s musical background he mentioned he only somewhat dove into making electronic music. Prior to his current work as Sunntack, MacLean played prog-rock and prog-metal, which makes more sense that it might initially sound. “Coming from that, where there’s a lot of experimentation, genre switching, it led more into progressive electronic music,” explains MacLean, as you listen to “Small Vibrations” with that musical background in mind you can hear the influence it had on the album’s creation.
The Sound of Vibration Sunntack turns the secret life of insects into an immersive journey through sound and vision By NICK GILETT
I
know what you’re thinking, “Does London really need another conceptual IDM/Ambient album about insects?” The answer is yes. I recently found myself fortunate enough to attend a listening party/album launch for the new Sunntack album entitled “Small Vibrations” at Studio Coffee (great pastries, by the way). I went in with, admittedly, little knowledge of the artist before hand. Alex MacLean (known as Sunntack) put together a project that far exceeded the scope of what I realized going in. MacLean created visuals to correspond with each track, not in the sense of making music videos, but more abstract and open to interpretation (think more along the lines of Animal Collective’s “Oddsac” and less Beyonce’s Selt-Titled visual album). This open-ended nature, of both the visuals and music itself, was very intentional. “It’s experimental ambient music without and lyrics,” says MacLean. “I’ve kind of laid hints about where it’s coming from, but if someone
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wants to it another direction and be inspired to connect with it in another way, then that’s incredible.” MacLean’s willingness to let the music and visuals speak for themselves is one of my favorite things about both the album, and MacLean himself. I found myself connecting dots that might have only occurred in my head, I sat down with MacLean and began rifling off artists, movies, even video games that I thought may have been touchstones in the album’s creation. Vangelis, Jon Hassel, Aphex Twin, even old PlayStation startup screens and “Goldeneye” on the N64. Somewhat surprisingly those are almost entirely absent in MacLean’s cultural backlog. That isn’t to say there aren’t nods to other artists in MacLean’s work though; “I definitely try to be an antenna,” says MacLean. “Everything that I am exposed to is what leads me to my artistic practice. Whether I’m working on
As I’d alluded to at the beginning of the piece, the album is structured around the lifecycle of an insect. There are certain pieces that harken more to specific insects, bees, butterflies, etc. but as the album came together, MacLean explained, it became less track focused and more of a conceptual piece. “I was like ‘Let’s make it more of concept album than that’, more like a showcase of different pieces and different species. That turned into less about these individual insects and more about the evolution and life, and then disappearance, of them all.” This is where, in my opinion, the album shines the most. Each track stands up on its own (particularly Icky Sticky released as the lead single from the album), but the record truly stands out when listened to in its entirety. The album concludes with my personal favorite track, Sterile Breath. It’s arguably the darkest piece on the album, at times creeping into an ominous ambience. MacLean sums up the sound quite well in explaining the thought behind the track. “All that’s left is a barren wasteland, there’s no life that exists at all and we move into dust and wind, all those living sounds disappear,” he says. It feels like not only the death of the insect, but in some ways the death of the album itself. A sweeping and emotional conclusion to an album much bigger than its relatively short length might lead one to believe. If you are interested in checking out this album (which I highly recommend you do), you can find copies via Sunntack’s Bandcamp or at Grooves Records. www.alexmaclean.ca @alexjsmac
→ Warrior Women Take to the Stage Continued from page 28
Lindsey & The Lonelies Lindsey Burns (lead vocals, guitar) started Lindsey & The Lonelies about 12 years ago, shortly after she moved to London from Stratford, where she had been working on solo projects. Dawn Redskye (lead guitar, vocals) and John Huff (drums, vocals), have been there since the beginning, and their current bassist, Geoff Jarvis (bass, vocals) has been with them for about a year. Though their work is often lumped into the category of alt-country, it defies genre and will be an interesting addition to the heavier bands at the Warrior Women London show. “Altcountry… doesn't even quite describe what we do,” Lindsey says. “I call us cactus country, but we've been called cow punk. We can be on the heavier end of alt-country. We've been compared to what you might hear in a Quentin Tarantino film: a little surfy, cinematic, sort of spaghetti-Western vibes.” They released their first album Lonely is a Dirty Word in 2018, recorded at the London-based studio, The Sugar Shack. Their second album Neon Moon is set to come out late summer or early fall 2026, an album they have been working on for the last three years. Lindsey is drawn to themes of desire, death, and loss in her songwriting and uses characters for storytelling, which she feels helps her to maintain a certain distance from the emotionality of the songs. For example, she has a song about a horse named Trigger, Roy Rogers’ horse. “I do a lot of research in my writing as well because a lot of the figures that I'm writing about are historical figures,” she adds. On being part of the Warrior Women series, Lindsey says, “I'm happy to do just about anything that involves promoting women in music… there's just not enough representation out there for women and non-binary folks. I think we have to try so much harder to be seen and to be heard and to be taken seriously.” They will be releasing a Christmas EP called Very Lonely Christmas this winter. @lindseyandthelonelies
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Find new and extended stories, current events, exclusive content and more, at livelondonmag.ca
Live Music This Fall! HARRY MANX September 20th
MACDOUGALL MACISAAC | MACLELLAN September 23rd JIMI : Bar Stars & Beauty Queens September 27th LOGAN STAATS September 29th THE GOOD BROTHERS October 17th REUBEN AND THE DARK October 20th THE PAIRS October 25th RUM RAGGED October 29th ALAN CROSS presents UNCHARTED November 15th BLACKIE AND THE RODEO KINGS November 18th & 19th BASIA BULAT November 27th Tickets at aeolianhall.ca/events 795 Dundas Street 519 672 7950
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NOT SORRY. London’s growing Sorry! Comedy Fest returns this November with big-name headliners, rising talent and a citywide celebration of funny.
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e don’t laugh because we’re happy. We are happy because we laugh. And London will be a little happier this November.
The Sorry! Comedy Festival returns from November 4–7, 2026, bringing together nationally and internationally recognized comedians, emerging performers and local talent for four days of stand-up, club shows, workshops and industry events at venues across the city.
This year’s Main Stage lineup includes Matteo Lane, Steph Tolev and Chris Fleming at Centennial Hall, while a broader slate of Spotlight and Club Series performances brings comedians including Jiaoying Summers, Mike Rita, Brendan Sagalow, Chloe Radcliffe, Jeremiah Watkins and London-raised Jason Allen to smaller venues around the city. But the festival is becoming more than a string of comedy shows. Organizers are building a festival that connects performers, audiences and the comedy industry
while creating opportunities for the next generation of Canadian comics. For instance, Next Best Comic Search is drawing hundreds of comedians from cities across Canada for a chance to win the top prize and gain a national festival credit, new fans and new opportunities. Festival Executive Director Mitchell Van Kannel says, “I think the festival gets more interesting every year because we’re not just asking, “Who are the biggest comedians we can bring in?” We’re also asking, “What are the coolest comedy experiences we can bring to the city?” Besides the stand-up and improv shows, there are also free industry panels and workshops aimed at helping performers learn everything from finding their place in the comedy scene to developing film projects and taking a comedy career to the next level. Read more about what goes into creating the festival with Executive Director Mitch Van Kannal, visit with home grown comedian Jason Allen and see our top picks for shows and the performances.
PHOTO: MAI TILSON • MODEL: KEZIA HARLEY • PHOTO ASSISTANT: AVELEA THORNE • DT/RETOUCHER: DANIELA HERMANN • HAIR AND MAKEUP: CHARLINE ROBICHAUD
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Y! From left, Kaitlin Shuvera, Jason Allen and Mitchell Van Kannel
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FUNNYMAN FOREST CITY
COMES HOME JASON ALLEN got his start in London’s bars, open mics and comedy rooms. Now, after years on the road, the London comic is coming back with bigger credits, better stories and plenty to laugh about.
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efore the festivals, SiriusXM airplay and opening spots for some of Canada’s bestknown comedians, Jason Allen was working London’s open-mic circuit.
The Roxbury. Poachers Arms. Richmond Tavern. Scot’s Corner. He also hosted at 765, in the old Town and Country. Those were the rooms where Allen learned how to make a crowd laugh and presumably, how to survive when they didn’t. Now, after years performing across North America, the London-born comedian is coming home this November for the 2026 Sorry! Comedy Festival, with two shows at Laser Quest downtown. And performing at home still hits differently.
“It’s nice to come back home and really show people I know what I’ve been doing. People hear you’re a comedian and think, ‘Oh, that’s cool,’ but don’t really know all that comes with it,” he says. For Allen, London is filled with family, longtime friends and plenty of memories from well before comedy became his full-time job. “I may be dating myself, but I think about the Wick. It was a dive bar and somewhere I hung out way too much in my late teens and early twenties,” he says. Today, his London favourites include Poachers Arms and Wink’s, while a perfect free day back home would begin with breakfast at The Early Bird, include a stop at Los Lobos on Talbot Street some time hitting golf balls at Tin Cup with his dad.
“I’m definitely going to spend time with my Dad and also my friend of over 20 years, Linsey,” he says. Allen’s path from those early open mics to making comedy a career was much less relaxed. There wasn’t one big break that suddenly changed everything. Instead, he says it was a collection of smaller wins. He began getting booked into clubs he once wasn’t sure he would ever crack. Festival appearances followed. Having his wife firmly in his corner made the leap easier. “My wife has always been so supportive. That really helped with the transition,” he says. The challenge, he says, isn’t only making people laugh. It’s getting them to remember you once the show is over.
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“I absolutely feel a great amount of energy and pressure anytime I’m performing in front of friends and family.”
“Sometimes people will see a comedian, think they’re great, but never follow them or even remember their name,” Allen says. “It really helps so much if people stay invested.”
There is also a little pressure.
Slowly, those moments of recognition started arriving.
“I absolutely feel a great amount of energy and pressure anytime I’m performing in front of friends and family,” Allen says.
One of the biggest came when veteran Canadian comic Jeremy Hotz and his team reached out and asked Allen to become a regular opener on Hotz’s Ontario dates. For Allen, who had been a fan for years, it meant something. So did hearing his albums on SiriusXM and having people tell him they had caught his television appearance on Comedy in 5. But returning to London offers something those gigs can’t. “I started comedy in London. Showing other people and myself the growth over the years is really special too,” he says
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Performing for strangers is one thing. Performing while your family and friends are sitting somewhere in the room is another.
Allen’s comedy is fast, candid and personal. He isn’t afraid to make himself part of the joke or take an audience somewhere slightly uncomfortable before finding the laugh. So, what should London expect when he walks onto the stage this November? “A great show,” he says. “I’m pretty honest in my comedy, so the plan is for you to laugh and maybe learn a bit more about me too.” Jason Allen performs Nov. 7 at Laser Quest in downtown London, with shows at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Follow him at @jasonacomedy.
Chris Fleming Chris Fleming is a comedian, actor, writer, and one of the most distinctive performers working today. As a standup, Fleming has toured theatres nationwide with Chris Fleming Live, Showpig, Boba Everyday, and Tricky Tricky, earning widespread critical acclaim. His work has earned praise from The New York Times, The New Yorker, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Cosmopolitan and HuffPost. Variety named him one of its “Top 10 Comics to Watch,” while Vulture included him among its “Comedians You Should and Will Know.” In its “Best Comedy of 2025” roundup, The New York Times recognized Fleming for “Best Range.” Most recently, his stand-up special Chris Fleming: Live at the Palace premiered on HBO and is now streaming on HBO Max. His debut special, Hell, produced by Jax and Jen Statsky, is also available to stream on Peacock. Nov 7 – Centennial Hall 7 pm – Sorry! Comedy Festival chrisflemingfleming.com @chrisflemingfleming
LANE NOV MATTEO STEPH TOLEV 4-7 CHRIS FLEMING
JIAOYING SUMMERS • CASEY ROCKET
BRENDAN SAGALOW • CHLOE RADCLIFFE MIKE RITA • STAND UP ON THE SPOT WITH JEREMIAH WATKINS
KEVIN MCDONALD • JASON ALLEN • REBECCA REEDS CHAD NOONAN • DOUG KONING • BRADLEY FUNG • MITCH VK
GIRL NIGHT WITH RENEE GROUX & LINDSAY ENDERSBY • ROBBIE VINO BENJI ROTHMAN • KATIE YONER • ANTON MATYUSHIN • RADIO HAHA YOUR HOOD’S A JOKE • HERE: THE (IMPROVISED) MUSICAL & MORE
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aitlin Shuvera was trying very hard not to forget what she was about to say.
After months of competition, the London, Ontario comedian had made it to the national finals of the Next Best Comic Search, where comedians from across Canada had arrived in her hometown with five minutes to make their case.
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She was up after Toronto comic David Foggia, whose “wild antics,” as Shuvera puts it, were going over well. Watching him had an unexpected effect. Instead of making her more nervous, it made her want to go for it. Then there wasn’t much left to do. “I was mostly just trying not to forget what I had planned to say and trying to enjoy the moment,” she says, “and not freak out that it was finally happening after all the months of lead up.” For Shuvera, who has also appeared on CBC’s The Debaters, reaching that stage meant more than advancing through a comedy contest.
PHOTO: MAI TILSON
She had been there before. Sort of.
FIVE MINUTES
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London comedian Kaitlin Shuvera entered Canada’s Next Best Comic Search looking for a little redemption. Six months later, she was standing in a national final, trying to remember her jokes. By MITCHELL VAN KANNEL
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The previous year, Shuvera entered the competition and was eliminated in the first round. A few months earlier, she had quit drinking and was adjusting to something that felt surprisingly new after years in stand-up: performing sober. When the contest returned, she wanted another shot. “I was looking for some redemption,” she says. “I was much more confident about my stage presence and had some new jokes I wanted to test out as well.” Comedy careers rarely come with report cards. There are no belts to earn, levels to unlock or annual performance reviews explaining that your crowd work is up 13 per cent. You write. You perform. Hopefully you get better. For Shuvera, that had started to feel like a problem. She had been doing comedy longer than many of the comics around her and felt her motivation and growth had plateaued. The competition gave the endless cycle of open mics a target: build the strongest five minutes possible. And five minutes, it turns out, can require a surprising amount of surgery. Shuvera had noticed that joke-heavy performers tended to fare well in competitions, where longer stories can be difficult to land before the light comes on. She leaned into her oneliners, punched up newer material and
hunted for extra tags. The goal was ruthlessly simple: more laughs, less fat. “I tried to get the laughs per minute as high as possible,” she says. Then, during the London finals, something clicked. Early in her set, Shuvera improvised a joke. It landed. “From that moment I felt pretty confident about the set in general,” she says. “I knew that I was proud of myself no matter what else happened.” Being at home helped. She had performed on the Toboggan Brewing stage several times during the competition and knew many of the comics cheering from the audience. Soon, though, the circle got much wider. The national final brought together performers from comedy scenes across Canada. Shuvera expected differences in style. What surprised her was both how pronounced those differences were and how strong the talent was across the country. What she didn’t find was much rivalry. “It honestly did not feel competitive at all,” she says. “Everyone was super nice.” For Shuvera, there was another layer to it. She wasn’t simply a national finalist. She was a national finalist from the city hosting everyone else. “It felt like an honour to be from the host city and to help show off London to the other comics,” she says. The visiting performers got restaurant recommendations, places to hang out and, perhaps most importantly for a comedian, directions to more stage time. On Monday, out-of-town finalists joined London comics at the regular open mic at Poacher’s Arms. “It was neat to show off our main hang and have everyone join in on the routine.” Shuvera jokes that London sometimes gets dismissed simply for being “not Toronto,” but watching a national competition unfold at home challenged that inferiority complex. So did seeing established comics become part of the same ecosystem. During the festival, performers including Jon Dore, Rory Scovel, Sophie Buddle and Ali Macofsky weren’t distant names on posters. They were around the shows, talking to comics and hanging out. For Shuvera, Buddle was a particularly tangible example of where Canadian comedy can lead. The Canadian comic went on to become a regular at Los
Angeles’ Comedy Store and write for After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson. “Having people like that at the Aeolian definitely makes it seem like legit success in comedy is not necessarily a pipe dream,” Shuvera says. Shuvera ultimately became the only woman among the national finalists. The experience also gave her the credit of opening for Buddle and Ali Macofsky, something she says she wears proudly. But ask what she remembers most and the résumé starts to fade into the background. At the end of festival week, a group of the comics went to Tilt and stayed out together until early morning. “Those memories with some of my favourite people are definitely things I hold on to.” That may be the strange thing about trying to measure a comedy career. A contest promises something unusually concrete: a score, an advancement, eventually a winner. But the useful parts are harder to quantify. A sharper five minutes. The confidence to improvise when an idea arrives. A room full of comics from cities you have never performed in. A professional comic you admire suddenly seeming less like an unreachable figure and more like another person who decided to keep going. Shuvera’s advice to comics wondering whether they are ready is correspondingly uncomplicated. “It really doesn’t hurt to try,” she says. “Every minute of stage time in comedy counts.” Even the nightmare scenario isn’t much of a nightmare. “Even if you get scared and run off stage after the first minute, you will learn something and be glad you did,” she says. “Chances are that’s not gonna happen anyway and you will become addicted to your first laugh like the rest of us.” Five minutes might not tell a comedian exactly where they stand. But sometimes five minutes is enough to make them want to find out what happens next. Kaitlin Shuvera has been displaying her dry wit and unique perspective on comedy stages across the country since REDACTED. She can be heard on CBC Radio’s LOL and The Debaters. She has appeared at the Halifax Pop explosion where she performed with Mark Little and opened for Eric Andre. Last year she was a London finalist in the Sorry! Comedy Festival national search competition and opened for Sophie Buddle and Ali Macofsky. She recently listened to Red Wine Supernova by Chappell Roan 27 times in a row.
LiveLondon Must-See Pick
Jiaoying Summers Jiaoying Summers is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable voices in contemporary comedy. Named one of Variety’s “10 Comics to Watch” in 2025, Summers recently released her Hulu special What Specie Are You?, a sharp and personal hour exploring identity, culture, motherhood and what it means to belong. A first-generation immigrant, Summers draws on cultural clashes and lived experience to create comedy that connects with audiences around the world. She also made history as the first Chinese comedian to headline and sell out New York City’s Apollo Theater. With more than 1 billion social media views and over 5 million followers, Summers has built a massive digital audience through viral sketches and cultural commentary. She is also the creator and host of the podcast Tiger Mom and owns The Hollywood Comedy and The Green Room Comedy Café, providing stages for emerging and underrepresented performers. Nov 5 Aeolian Hall – 8 pm – Sorry! Comedy Festival @jiaoyingsummers, @tigermommypod
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MITCHELL VAN KANNEL
Sorry! Comedy Fest Executive Director
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iveLondon Magazine asked Festival Executive Director Mitchell Van Kannel (known as Mitch VK) where the idea came from, why London was ready for its own comedy festival and how big do they hope the laughs and the festival can eventually become.
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Q. Take us back to the beginning. Where did the idea for the Sorry! Comedy Festival come from, and when did you realize London could support a festival devoted entirely to comedy? A. The idea for a comedy festival
really started with local comedian (and legend) Pat Tiffin in 2023. He launched the London Comedy Festival with a group of local comedians, myself included, who wanted to create something that celebrated the comedy scene here. In the second year, we added more people to the team, including our current operator, Colin McDougall. Colin had a much bigger vision for what the festival could become, and it quickly expanded into 25 shows over three days.
Q. Sorry! has grown into much more than a few stand-up shows. What was your original vision for the festival, and how has that vision changed as the event has grown? A. Sorry! has become a really great launching pad for comedians in the region. It gives local comics a chance to perform alongside people they look up to, make connections and be part of something bigger than a normal club show. The vision has always been pretty simple: put on the best comedy
I think we learned pretty quickly that Londoners love to laugh, but what has been even more exciting is seeing the festival become a tourism draw. Last year, roughly 60% of our ticket buyers had postal codes from outside London. People are actually travelling here for comedy.
shows we possibly can. As the festival has grown, we’ve been able to bring in bigger acts, but we’ve also been able to get a lot more creative with what a “comedy show” can be.
It’s become this really great week where we can celebrate comedians from London and the surrounding region while also bringing major international acts into the city.
In the early years, it was almost entirely stand-up. Since then, we’ve added improv and sketch, and this year we’re pushing that even further. We have HERE, which
“Those smaller shows are also where you can stumble into something you had no idea you were going to love. That discovery is a huge part of what makes festivals fun."
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converge in London during the same three-day window. We put out a lot of offers, have a lot of conversations, move a lot of puzzle pieces around, and eventually you start to see a lineup come together.
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There are always acts you chase that don’t work out, and sometimes an opportunity comes together that you weren’t expecting. That’s part of the fun of building it.
Q. One of the interesting things about the festival is the mix of large Main Stage shows and smaller Spotlight and Club Series events. Why is it important to give audiences both of those experiences? A. We’re incredibly proud to bring in major comedians who might not otherwise have London on their touring schedule. For a lot of people, those Main Stage shows are what first gets their attention. You’re watching people who are masters of their craft, in a big room, putting on an incredible show. But I think a lot of the true spirit of a comedy festival lives in the smaller rooms. Those are the shows where things can get a little weird, experimental or unpredictable. We really try to highlight Canadian producers and performers who are doing something different.
PHOTO: MAI TILSON
You might see Radio HaHa, which is this music-comedy experience that is part comedy show and part psychedelic experiment. There’s Your Hood’s A Joke, which is a territorial roast battle where comedians representing different cities and countries roast each other. Then you have shows like Girl Night, which showcases female voices in comedy. Those smaller shows are also where you can stumble into something you had no idea you were going to love. That discovery is a huge part of what makes festivals fun. is a fully improvised musical, and Stand Up On The Spot with Jeremiah Watkins, where comedians perform completely improvised stand-up based on audience suggestions. That show is also filmed for YouTube, where episodes regularly get hundreds of thousands of views, so we’re really proud that one of those episodes is going to be taped here in London. I think the festival gets more interesting every year because we’re not just asking, “Who are the biggest comedians we can bring in?” We’re also asking, “What are the coolest comedy experiences we can bring to the city?”
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Q. This year you’re bringing comedians such as Matteo Lane, Steph Tolev and Chris Fleming to London. What goes into building a lineup like this? A. We try really hard to curate a lineup that showcases different voices, styles and types of comedy. It starts with a giant wish list. We basically make a list of all the comedians and shows we would love to bring to London, and then the rest becomes a labour of love. You can imagine how difficult it is to get everyone’s tour schedules, travel plans and availability to somehow
Q. The Next Best Comic Search is reaching beyond London and attracting comedians from across Canada. Why was creating a pathway for emerging comics such an important part of the festival? A. There really isn’t a clear path in this industry for comedians. You can be incredibly funny and work really hard for years, but getting that first meaningful festival credit or opportunity can still be difficult. A lot of those decisions are traditionally made by a very small group of people, and naturally every judge or booker has their own taste in comedy.
The Next Best Comic Search gives us a way to find comedians from across the country who are right on the brink of becoming bigger names, while giving the audience a real say in who advances. The results are completely decided by the crowd. Instead of a small panel deciding what type of comedy is “best,” we’re crowdsourcing that decision to thousands of comedy fans. For us, it creates a really exciting pathway into the festival. Somebody could enter one of these competitions as a comedian most people haven’t heard of yet and leave with a national festival credit, new fans and new opportunities.
Q. London’s comedy scene has developed considerably in recent years. How would you describe the scene today, and where does Sorry! fit into that growth? A. London’s comedy scene is growing really quickly right now. The comedians here are passionate, they work hard, they produce their own shows and they are constantly trying new material and creating more places to perform. Sorry! has a huge amount of buy-in from the local comedy community, and the festival honestly couldn’t function without them. A lot of local comedians volunteer during the week, whether that means working the door, helping set up and tear down rooms or doing whatever needs to get done. In return, they also get a lot of opportunities to perform during the festival and learn from comedians coming through town. The networking side has been huge too. You have comedians, producers, bookers and performers from different cities all in the same place for a few days. This past year, several London comedians were able to build relationships at the festival that eventually helped them put together national tours. That’s really exciting to see because you’re not just putting on shows for three days. You’re hopefully creating opportunities that continue long after the festival is over.
Q. If you could look five years into the future, what would you like the Sorry! Comedy Festival to have become—and what would success look like for you? A. I think everybody involved with the festival has their own “white whale” comedians they would love to bring in someday. Personally, I’d love to see us reach the size where we could bring arena-
level acts like Dave Chappelle or Shane Gillis to London as part of the festival. The dream would be for that weekend to become a genuine destination. Every hotel in the city is packed, restaurants and bars are full, people are coming in from across Ontario and across Canada, and London becomes known as a comedy-tourism destination. If we can grow to that scale without losing the community feeling that made the festival exciting in the first place, I think that would be a pretty incredible version of success.
Q. For someone who has never attended Sorry! before, what would you tell them to expect when the festival takes over London this November? A. You’re going to have a blast. The big shows are probably what will catch your attention first, and absolutely go see those, but I’d really recommend taking a chance on one or two of the smaller shows too. You’re seeing rising comedians from across the country in really intimate rooms, and because it’s a festival, you genuinely never know what’s going to happen. Last year, Rory Scovel, Jon Dore and Mike Rita all unexpectedly dropped in on the same club show. These were three headliners from three completely different festival shows suddenly performing together on one lineup. The audience had no idea it was going to happen. Those are the moments I love about comedy festivals. You can buy a ticket for one thing and suddenly end up seeing something completely unique that will probably never happen in exactly that way again.
Q. Finally, the obvious question: why the name “Sorry!”? A. Sorry! is a bit of a double
entendre.
Obviously, it pays homage to being a Canadian comedy festival by using probably the most stereotypically Canadian word imaginable. But there’s another side to it too. Comedy can be raw, honest and unapologetic. Sometimes a comedian is going to say something that pushes a button or makes somebody uncomfortable. So, if a joke offends you, then, very sarcastically, we’re “Sorry!”
LiveLondon Must-See Pick
Kevin McDonald Canadian comedy icon Kevin McDonald comes to London for a special evening of stories, memories and laughs from his years with The Kids in the Hall. A founding member of the acclaimed Canadian sketch troupe, McDonald helped create some of the show’s most memorable characters during its groundbreaking original run and its 2022 revival. His London appearance will revisit the comedy, characters and behind-the-scenes moments that helped make The Kids in the Hall a cult favourite, with new perspectives and plenty of hilarious true stories. Beyond sketch comedy, McDonald has built a wide-ranging career as an actor, voice performer, improviser and teacher. His credits include Lilo & Stitch, Catscratch, Invader Zim, That ’70s Show and Arrested Development. Known for his unmistakable delivery and wonderfully offbeat style, McDonald continues to tour, perform and create new work. Saturday, Nov 7, 8:00pm Grand Theatre - 8:00pm
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CELEBRATING OUR BICENTENIAL
PHOTO COURTESY OF MUSEUM LONDON
200
LONDON 1826-2026
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When Crystal Hall Came Down
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ne of downtown London’s darkest disasters unfolded in 1907, when the east wall of Crystal Hall collapsed onto Dundas Street during renovations. Built in 1873 between Richmond and Clarence streets, the landmark was known for its fine glass and chinaware before plans were made to convert it into a pool hall and bowling alley. Workers had been cutting new windows into the east wall when it suddenly gave way, burying people beneath bricks, glass and timber. Seven people were killed and 40 injured.
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Culture T H E AT R E | C O M E DY | DA N C E | ART | M U S E U M S | L E C T U R E S | FAS H I O N | E V E N T S
QUEER FASHION
Fashion Without Boundaries
Lumina brings queer fashion, performance and culture to the runway in downtown London
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By JAMIE MONASTYRSKI
PHOTO COURTESY: JADA SHADA HUDSON
n September 27, London’s fashion scene will take a bold step into the spotlight with Lumina 2026 – Canada’s Queer Fashion & Culture Experience, an afternoon dedicated to fashion, performance, creativity and 2SLGBTQIA+ talent. Presented by Queer Hive Magazine, Lumina takes over the Delta Hotels by Marriott London Armouries from 2 to 7 p.m., transforming the downtown venue into an immersive fashion and cultural experience featuring runway collections, live entertainment, a curated vendor marketplace, cocktail reception, media wall and opportunities to connect directly with designers and artists. For producer Barry Lawrence, the idea grew from a desire to create a larger and more intentional platform for queer creatives.
Jada Shada Hudson
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“I started Lumina because queer designers and artists deserve more than a small mention or a place on the sidelines,” Lawrence says. “They deserve a professional platform
Culture
Art Artist Profile
where their work is presented with intention, where people are there specifically to see them, and where that visibility can lead to something beyond one evening.” The event brings together both emerging and established designers, with collections spanning couture, contemporary fashion and other styles. Lumina’s current roster includes designers from Canada and abroad, while its performance lineup features host Dust Cwaine, headliner Danny Vynova, and special guest performers Sanjina DaBish Queen and Jada Shada Hudson. But Lawrence says the goal extends well beyond producing a memorable runway show. One participating designer will receive a portion of event proceeds to support education, materials or the next stage of their creative work. A portion of proceeds will also support a 2SLGBTQIA+ charity in London. “I wanted to create the kind of queer event I felt was missing in our city: elevated and exciting, but still welcoming and rooted in community,” Lawrence says. “Lumina is meant to show that queer art and fashion belong in major venues and deserve serious investment.” That vision has attracted support from businesses, community organizations and partners, while Tourism London also lists Lumina among the city’s arts and culture events taking place this fall. Guests will be able to take in designer collections and live performances while exploring vendors and connecting with the creative community. VIP ticket holders receive priority front-row seating, lounge access, complimentary cocktails, a gift bag and opportunities to meet participating designers. Above all, Lawrence hopes audiences walk away remembering the people behind the clothes, performances and creative work. “Guests should leave knowing the names of designers and artists they may not have known when they arrived,” he says, “and feeling that they witnessed something London needs more of.” Lumina 2026 takes place Sunday, Sept 27 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Delta Hotels by Marriott London Armouries, 325 Dundas Street. Tickets and event information are available through the Lumina website. luminacanadaqueerfashioncultureexperience.ca
Grazed and Confused - Donna Colbourn
Art Inspired by Place Donna Colbourn is a contemporary Canadian artist known for interpretations of landscapes and architecture inspired by destinations around the world. Trained in Fine Art and Interior Design at Fanshawe College, she works across acrylic painting, black and white ink drawing, graphite and photography. Her work has been exhibited in galleries, juried shows and art festivals across Ontario, including Art Comp at 100 Kellogg Lane, where she was selected as a Top 100 artist from 2022 to 2025. Colbourn has also received a first-place jury award at Toronto’s Jack Pine
Gallery Fall Art Exhibit. Based in London, Ontario, she creates commissioned works for national and international clients, aiming to capture meaningful experiences and evoke wonder, positivity and lasting memories through art. @donnacccol
Follow the Path - Donna Colbourn
Fall 2026 Live London 49
Culture
PHOTO COURTESY: MUSEUM LONDON
2026-2027 THEATRE SEASON PRIMER
Theatre “The Grand Theatre is the place to be in London. We create world-class theatre and we bring Londoners together for entertainment. We are World Curious. London Made."
RAISING THE CURTAIN A
s the days grow shorter, nights turn cooler, and leaves begin to fall, autumn also marks the start of a new season for London’s professional and community theatre groups. What follows is a preview of some of the great performances Londoners will have the opportunity to enjoy this year.
By RICHARD YOUNG 50 Live London Fall 2026
Grand Theatre's Artistic Director, Rachel Peake
The Grand Theatre The Grand Theatre, London’s premier professional theatre company, has a full slate of diverse productions planned for its new season. Built around the theme, All In Grand Time, the 2026/27 season takes audiences through time and space. “As we were putting the season together, we realized that none of the shows are actually set in the present day. So, we started playing with how that plays into a theme across the season. What it really became is a season of time travel in which we taking people through time,” says Rachel Peake, the Grand’s Artistic Director. “There’s something really interesting about seeing a play set in another era as it gives us the opportunity to escape day-to-day and live in a different reality than our own. It also gives us a lens through which to look at things that are happening in the present day and see them slightly differently. I think there’s a lot of joy and pleasure in the idea of time travel.” Through the course of the season, audiences will visit 1640, 1897, the late
1940s, 1959, 1979, and even travel ahead in time to the spring of 2035, says Peake. The 28th annual High School Project returns to the Spriet Stage from September 22 to October 3. This year’s production is School of Rock: The Musical. Based on the 2003 hit movie starring Jack Black, the show is sure to be a crowd-pleaser and will likely sell out quickly like previous high school productions. The High School Project gives area high school students the opportunity to receive education and training in the working environment of a professional theatre. In addition to an all high school cast, students work in all the behind the scenes departments alongside a professional creative team, including a director, music director, choreographer, and designers. “The students get to learn what it takes to create a mainstage musical at a professional level,” says Peake. “School of Rock is the first time that we’re going to have students playing instruments onstage as the central idea about the show is building a rock band with high school students. That’s a really fun new opportunity and as
COMPANY MEMBERS, GRAND THEATRE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT SCHOOL OF ROCK. COSTUME DESIGN BY MEGHAN CHOMA. PHOTOGRAPHY BY MAI TILSON.
School of Rock: The Musical
Hyprov with Asad Mecci and Colin Mochrie
such we’re going to see some new faces we haven’t seen in past shows.”
American city. It could be New York, it could be Toronto, it could be London.”
duels, poetry, romance, and conflict all told in rhyming couplets.
Just in time for Halloween, everyone’s favourite vampire arrives at the Grand in Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors running from October 20 until November 7. It’s a brand new, laughout loud take on Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic tale of the bloodthirsty Count from Transylvania, directed by Krista Jackson, former Associate Artistic Director at the Grand.
“It’s got that 1940s post-World War II feel to it and it’s constructed as a musical using some of the songs we think of as classic Christmas songs from this era like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Walking in a Winter Wonderland, I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas, It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and others. You get that nostalgic feel but it’s for an era that’s more identifiable to us in the contemporary world than the Victorian Age of the original novella.”
The 2026/27 regular season concludes with 9 to 5, a fun musical based on the hit 1980 film, featuring chart-topping music and lyrics by singer-songwriter, Dolly Parton. Directed by Rachel Peake, this hilarious show should send theatre-goers home with smiles on their faces. It runs from May 4 to May 22 on the Spriet Stage.
“We lovingly and jokingly call it ‘sexy Dracula’ and we’re marketing it as age 13+,” says Peake. “It’s sexy, it’s campy, it’s fun, it’s big humour, and big laughs. It’s very funny with a real satirical side to it, making for smart broad comedy.” Grand audience favourite Jesse Gervais (Grand Ghosts and Clue) stars as Dracula in this London-made production. Just for fun, theatregoers are encouraged to dress up in costumes for the show’s Halloween performance on Saturday, October 31. A brand new Canadian musical reimagining of Charles Dickens’s classic novella A Christmas Carol is this year’s holiday show. Directed by Rachel Peake, it runs from November 24 to December 27. The show retains the basic storyline and characters but is set in a late-1940s department store with a big dose of nostalgia. “I absolutely love this adaptation because it delivers all the touchpoints that audiences want to see in A Christmas Carol but really brings a fresh look to it,” says Peake. “It’s set in the 1940s in an undefined North
Peake believes that this show will quickly become people’s favourite adaptation of Dickens’s timeless tale. “People are going to go home smiling and singing the songs,” she says. In the New Year, the Grand will present the world premiere of cicadas, running from January 19 to February 6, 2027. It’s an eerie eco-thriller set in the notso-distant future, written by one of Canada’s most dynamic and exciting playwrights, David Yee. Somewhere, a love letter to midcentury New York City, the golden age of Broadway, and all things West Side Story, by Tony Award-winner Matthew López, follows running from February 23 to March 13. Up next is the classic love story of Cyrano de Bergerac, a new modernverse adaptation by Jessy Ardern, playing March 30 to April 17. Loosely based on the real life of the infamous 17th century novelist and playwright, this period costume drama combines
New to the Grand this year is Grand Laughs, a three-show comedy series on the Spriet and Auburn Stages, featuring top-tier improv, standup, and conceptual comedy from Canada’s leading comic talent. First up is Hyprov on Sunday, November 8, on the Spriet Stage featuring Canadian improv legend Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) and world-renowned hypnotist Asad Mecci, followed by The Soaps starring Rebecca Northan and Kevin Kruchkywich, January 21 to 30, 2027 on the Auburn Stage, and concluding with Does This Taste Funny? with Ali Hassan, March 7, on the Auburn Stage. “The Grand Theatre is the place to be in London. We create world-class theatre and we bring Londoners together for entertainment. We are World Curious. London Made,” Peake says. For more information about the Grand Theatre and its 2026/27 Season, visit: www.grandtheatre.com
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Fall 2026 Live London 51
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Theatre
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Bluebirds' Liv Farqhuar, Jaiden French and Makayla Ashenden.
In addition to the Grand, Londoners have many other choices when it comes to local theatre.
The Children by Lucy Kirkwood, Staged Event – Auburn Stage, Grand Theatre, April 8 to 18, 2027.
Theatre Aezir
For more information about Theatre Aezir and its 2026/27 season, visit: www.theatreaezir.com
For its 2026/27 Season, Theatre Aezir, another London professional theatre company, is curating stories that reflect on history, the complexity of scientific breakthroughs, and what it means to be human in a rapidly changing world. “Our new season opens with Bluebirds by Vern Thiessen, running November 4 to 15, in the immersive setting of the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum at Wolseley Barracks,” says the company’s Artistic Director, Elizabeth Durant. “Set in Etaples, France, in 1918, Bluebirds follows three Canadian nurses, Christy, Maggie, and Bab, who have crossed oceans to care for the wounded. While the world around them is being torn apart by conflict, these women find something unexpected: friendship, independence, and power.” Theatre Aezir is also featuring a special thematic series – The Atomic Plays – exploring the dawn of the nuclear age: Copenhagen by Michael Frayn (Reading): September 20. Farm Hall by Katherine Moar (Reading): December 6. In The Matter of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Heinar Kipphardt (Reading): February 21, 2027. 52 Live London Fall 2026
AlvegoRoot Theatre AlvegoRoot Theatre is an independent, professional theatre company that develops and produces original Canadian plays written by local playwrights that explore the history, culture, and stories of London and Southwestern Ontario.
The company’s fall production, Beasts of Burden by Artistic Director, Adam Corrigan-Borowitz and Associate Artistic Director, Kydra Ryan, is being staged November 4 to 11 at The Manor Park Memorial Hall, 11 Briscoe Street West. "This play tells the true and powerful stories of Canadian animals who experienced war first-hand. At our performance home, The Manor Park Memorial Hall, is one of the oldest cenotaphs in Canada. We have wanted to create a piece of theatre that connects with the significance of this site and that pays homage to the significant impact the World Wars had on our communities. Kydra Ryan has been developing this brilliant idea for several years. I am honoured to be collaborating with her on this play,” says Corrigan-Borowitz. For more information about AlvegoRoot Theatre and its offerings, visit: www.alvegoroottheatre.com
Musical Theatre Productions (MTP) Musical Theatre Productions (MTP) first show of the 2026/27 season is Next to Normal, being staged on the Grand Theatre’s Auburn Stage November 12 to 22. “The Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning musical with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt explores how one suburban household
copes with mental illness, loss, and grief as the mother has been fighting bipolar disorder for years,” says MTP President, Mike Jewison. “It offers a raw and unflinching look at a family in crisis and presents their story with love, sympathy and heart.”
Musical (October 29 to November 8) on the David Long Main Stage. London Community Players, It’s A Wonderful Life: The Dramatic Stage Adaptation (November 26 to December 6) on the David Long Main Stage.
The remainder of MTP’s 2026/27 season is currently being finalized and a formal season announcement will be released soon. Visit MTP’s website at:
London Youth Theatre Education (LYTE), Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr. (December 18 to 20) on the David Long Main Stage.
www.mtplondon.ca
Silver Spotlight Theatre (SST) London’s first 50+ community theatre, is staging two productions in 2026/27. “Silver Spotlight Theatre is incredibly excited to be launching its first season as an independent notfor-profit charitable organization,” says SST President, Rick Smith. “We are kicking the season off October 28 to November 1 with Thornton Wilder’s classic The Matchmaker, the inspiration for the beloved musical Hello Dolly, followed up by Stephen Schartz’s musical masterpiece, Godspell, in March 2027. Both shows are being performed on the Grand Theatre’s Auburn Stage. The group is presenting a murder mystery dinner fundraiser, Murder at the Holiday Party, on November 15 at the Hickory Ridge Golf Club. For more information about Silver Spotlight Theatre and its offerings, visit: www.silverspotlighttheatre.ca
Original Kids Theatre Company Founded in 1991, Original Kids Theatre Company provides youth aged 4 to 18 with a safe and supportive environment where cast members are part of a community, made up of peers and mentors who are all there to help and inspire one another. Shows run year-round in the Spriet Family Theatre located on the second floor in Covent Garden Market, 130 King Street. (PHOTO-HAILEY) Here’s the company’s fall playbill: The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza (October 29 - November 1) Junie B. Jones Jr. (November 5 - 8) Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical Jr. (November 12 - 15) Shakespeare In Love: High School Edition (November 20 - 22) The Wind In The Willows: Young@Part (November 26 - 29) Annie Jr. (December 3 - 6)
Original Kids Theatre Company Artistic Director, Hailey Hill
The Actor Grows Showcase (December 5 & 6) The Addams Family: School Edition (December 10 -13) Bright Star: School Edition (December 17 - 20) Titanic (January 7-10, 2027) “Original Kids Theatre Company’s 2026/27 Season is titled Leave Your Mark. To name a few examples from the season's productions: Matilda leaves her mark on the heart of Miss Honey, William Shakespeare leaves his mark on pages of scripts for centuries, the Addams leave their mark of love on their family in a world of darkness, Annie leaves her mark on the lives of the orphans and Mr. Warbucks, and the passengers of the Titanic tragically leave their mark on history, which we continue to reflect on over 100 years later,” says Artistic Director, Hailey Hill. To learn more about Original Kids Theatre Company and its offerings, visit: www.originalkids.ca
Palace Theatre Arts Commons (PTAC) Located at 710 Dundas Street East in the Old East Village, the Palace Theatre Arts Commons (PTAC) is home to London Community Players, London Youth Theatre Education (LYTE), Banished By The King Theatre Productions, and London Fringe. Shows are performed on the 350 seat David Long Main Stage and in the smaller 75-80 seat Procunier Hall.
In the New Year, London Community Players will stage Amadeus by Peter Shaffer (February 8 to18), Calendar Girls by Tim Firth (April 29 to May 9), and We Will Rock You: The Musical by Queen & Ben Elton (May 27 to June 6) – all on the David Long Main Stage. LYTE will present Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella Youth Edition (January 29 to 31) and, in March, Bye Bye Birdie: A Musical Comedy Sr Edition and The Prom School Edition – all on the David Long Main Stage. For more information about the Palace Theatre Arts Commons and its offerings, visit: www.palacetheatre.ca Scooter Productions presents Graceland and Asleep on the Wind, Two One Act Plays by Ellen Byron and directed by Brian Speagle, November 25 to 28, at TAP Centre for Creativity, 202 Dundas Street. Other local theatre groups you can check out for the 2026/27 Season include: LIT Productions presents Rocky Horror – A LIT Experience, October 23 & 24, at the Marconi Club of London, 120 Clarke Rd. www.litproductions.ca Pacheco Theatre presents BUG: The Gripping Psychological Thriller by Tracy Letts, December 3 to 12, at TAP Centre for Creativity, 203 Dundas Street. www.faceboo.com/ PachecoTheatre Theatre Nemesis presents Unreconciled Dark Figure, October 13 to 17, at The Manor Park Memorial Hall, 11 Briscoe Street West. Tickets: www. alvegoroottheatre.com
PTAC’s fall playbill includes:
FP Theatre presents The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, October 21 to October 31, TAP Centre for Creativity, www.facebook.com/fptheatre.
London Community Players, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (September 24 to October 4) on the David Long Main Stage.
Mavis Productions presents The Rocky Horror Show, October 29 to 31, at Wolf Performance Hall. www. mavisproductions.ca
London Community Players, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson
Odesa Company: 2027 Season TBA. www.facebook.com/odesacompany Fall 2026 Live London 53
Culture
History
Check out our complete list of spooky events at livelondonmag.ca
Haunted London ShockStock: A celebration of horror art & culture will be part of London Comic ConSept 26, 27 at Western Fair District.
Ghost stories, notorious crimes and gothic subcultures reveal a darker side of the Forest City, one filled with restless spirits, chilling legends and history that refuses to stay buried. By ELIZABETH HARRISON
54 Live London Fall 2026
L
ondon has no shortage of stories that linger long after the people at the centre of them are gone. From the ghost of a condemned man said to still roam the Old Courthouse to the enduring mystery of Ambrose Small at the Grand Theatre, the city’s past is filled with tales of unexplained sightings, violent crimes and legends that have become part of local folklore. Denise Love (inset photo), who created Museum London’s Culture Walk: Haunted Histories, says researching the city’s supernatural past quickly became a “rabbit hole,” with new stories continually surfacing. But London’s darker side extends well beyond ghosts. It includes notorious killers, the complicated legacy of the Donnelly family, and a modern goth community keeping the
city’s fascination with the macabre alive. Together, these stories she shares with us offer a glimpse into a London that feels very different after dark.
Top Haunted Spots The Old Courthouse
399 Ridout St N
The ghost of Marion “Peg Leg” Brown, who was hanged at the Old Courthouse, can allegedly be heard limping through the corridors, especially around the New Year and the anniversary of his execution on May 17. Though he was sentenced to death, he insisted he was innocent, and to prove it, he said he would never have grass grow above
Jason Rip on London’s Notorious Killers
The Old Courthouse
his grave. “Basically, when they found his body, he was actually under layers of concrete,” Denise says. His body was unearthed during a parking lot renovation, and the peg leg is now in the Museum London collection. Cornelius Burley is not said to haunt the courthouse, though Denise says he should. She explains: “He was actually hanged twice [because the rope broke the first time] and then his skull was taken on a world tour to support a science at the time called phrenology… to show people that if your skull is thicker in certain places, you're probably a murderer or a serial killer, that sort of thing. When his skull came back, it was given to John Harris at Eldon House, who turned it into an ash tray at some point. He sawed off the top of his head, and he used it.”
Eldon House Eldon House is London’s oldest surviving private residence, built in 1834. It was home to the Harris family for generations before they donated to the City of London. Wenman Wynniatt is said to haunt the house, in search of his girlfriend Sarah Harris, daughter of John and Amelia. His body was found in the River Thames nearby. There are other stories, like apparitions of a girl’s beaded slippers and phantom footsteps on the stairs. “I know that there were some paranormal experts that came to Eldon House and did a video recording of spheres and things like that,” says Denise.
The Grand Theatre
471 Richmond St
Ambrose Small is alleged to haunt the Grand Theatre. Denise explains: “Basically, he owned a set of theatre chains… mostly all called the Grand Theatre, and on December 2, 1919, he disappeared. On that day, he sold the theatre chain for $1.7 million and just
The Proscenium Arch at the Grand Theatre
disappeared. He did not take the money… nobody took the money, so he wasn't robbed. His own wife didn't report him missing [for almost a month] because he had a propensity to disappear now and then and had some other lady friends.” Yet, in that time, the night watchman of the theatre reported seeing him. Since then, people report seeing Ambrose, especially in the ladies dressing area of the theatre. His ghost is also rumoured to have saved the proscenium arch during renovations to update other areas of the theatre. During the renovations, a machine shut down, stopping a worker from hitting two bricks that were integral the structure of the arch. As soon as the workers realized they almost hit the bricks, the machine started working again, so people wonder if Ambrose was behind this, trying to save it. “There was a seance done in… 1975-ish at the Grand Theatre. They were trying to contact Ambrose, but he did not come,” Denise says.
H.B. Beal Secondary School 525 Dundas St
“There have been quite a few sightings of a woman on the third floor,” says Denise. “Some people say it's Mrs. Beal visiting her office… It's a woman in white.” There is also a little girl who appears mysteriously in a 1992 yearbook photo of the football team. “This little girl would have had to climb past four rows of football players to get up to the top,” she says. “Nobody knows who this little girl is… Nobody in the picture knows or remembers her even being there.” In the same block, at the address 474 King Street, there are stories of a little girl named Victoria haunting the building there. “That whole block is kind of a hotbed of stories,” says Denise.
Jason Rip, best known as the prolific London-based playwright, is one of London’s go-to people for haunted stories. He shares the stories of some of London’s most notorious killers with us. Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, also known as the Lambeth Poisoner, has been the subject of much discussion. “He was an international serial killer,” says Jason. “He was a doctor, which makes him kind of interesting. He's a Jack the Ripper suspect. He lived in London for about a year, and he killed one local woman named Kate Gardner. He was just sort of passing through and then people started to suspect him.” He was hanged in London, England in 1892. “Phoebe Campbell's like the Canadian Lizzie Borden,” he says. “She's the only woman that was ever hanged at the Middlesex courthouse, and she's an ax murderer. She killed her husband.” Henry Sovereign is another interesting case. “He was the second person hanged in London, and he killed his whole family… The guy literally lost it and chopped up his whole family,” says Jason. George Jervis Goodhue was a London scrooge-like character, without the redemption story. “He's a guy who got cursed,” says Jason. “He was a very rich guy that lent out money at like 20% interest.” He was the first mayor of London. Jason explains: “He kicked an Irish family out of their house. The mother and the child froze to death, so the husband cursed him, and it came true. He came down with tuberculosis. His oldest son died. All these bad things happened. Then when he died, his servants found him curled up at the headboard saying, ‘He's come for me, he's come for me.’ And then he just went stiff and died.” He lived on Bathurst Street in Waverly Place, which is now a retirement home. And most of us know the torrid story of the “Black” Donnellys, a ruthless Irish family who controlled a nearby town and ultimately met their deaths in a vigilante fueled showdown. See story and photos at livelondonmag.ca
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PHOTOS: KENDRA WILSON / KENDRA&KENDRA
Culture
The Miniature Community
Small W Worlds, Big Dreams
Miniature Artist Laura Durston
ith homeownership feeling increasingly out of reach for many, some Londoners are building their dream homes on a much smaller scale, 1/12 scale, to be exact.
The hobby of building miniatures dates back thousands of years, but the dollhouse-style miniatures many people recognize today became popular in the 17th century, when wealthy European households created intricate miniature interiors filled with hand-crafted furniture.
Inside London’s growing miniature community where tiny creations are inspiring big imagination By SARAH GILLETT
56 Live London Fall 2026
Today, the hobby is evolving. In London, miniature-making is making a comeback, drawing in a new generation of makers, artists and hobbyists who are finding creativity, escape and community in tiny worlds of their own. Liz Myers Dieleman owns Grandpa’s DollHouse, a miniature store just outside London. Liz has been in the business for 33 years and has watched the hobby evolve.
“When I first started, everything was Victorian. It was all mahogany wood, and it was a lot of the older generation taking part in the hobby,” says Liz. When Liz opened Grandpa’s DollHouse, she was one of three dollhouse stores in London. Now, she’s one of three in all of Canada. The hobby was once viewed as something for the older generation, and for a while it seemed to be dying out, but now, that’s changing. “During COVID, it started to pick up. It was one of the few things that thrived. It has gone wild with the 30- and 40-somethings. They’re getting into it big time,” says Liz. While there is still a place for Victorian-style miniatures, a younger generation is bringing a big shift toward more modern styles. For many makers, the appeal is not just the finished piece, but the sense of calm and control that comes with creating something small by hand. Artist Laura Durston is a busy mom of three who works as a seamstress with
veterans at Parkwood Hospital. She says creating miniatures helps her take a step away from reality. “Something so small, under an inch, can create such a big emotion,” says Laura. Laura didn’t originally set out to become a miniaturist, the hobby found her. “I was at a thrift store and found an antique dollhouse. I was drawn to it, even though I had never done miniatures before. I thought I would clean it up, but as I was taking it apart, I found one room that had been closed off. When I removed the board, there was a note inside that said, ‘I’m glad you found me. Come play with me.’ There were pendants on the wall that looked just like me and my sister, so I thought the dollhouse was haunted, and I had to finish it,” she said. Since finding that dollhouse, Laura has built many detailed projects, including a veteran’s room inspired by her work at Parkwood Hospital and a pet store complete with a properly scaled model of her dog made using its actual fur. As any artist knows, it can be hard to find time to create with a demanding schedule. That’s why Laura is so happy she found and became a member of the Miniature Enthusiasts of London Club. “Sometimes finding the ambition is challenging. But then you go to the miniature group, and you feel rejuvenated,” says Laura. The club meets regularly to work on predetermined projects. Members often bring kits to share and teach each other new skills they can use in their own miniature builds. Kelly Olson, the club’s current president, has been creating miniatures for years but found herself getting back into the hobby during the pandemic. “It was like falling back in love,” says Kelly. As president, Kelly says her favourite part of the club is the people. “The members are so generous with their materials, skills and expertise. There is no gatekeeping. Everyone is there to help,” says Kelly. One of her main goals is to continue to grow the club and keep getting the next generation of miniaturists involved. “I hope our club can continue to grow, and we can expand club membership,” says Kelly. Homeownership may feel out of reach for many, but through miniatures, London makers are still creating spaces that feel entirely their own, small in scale, but full of imagination. And for Liz, the heart of the hobby is not just what people build, but the community they find along the way. “I do this because I love it, I love the people, I haven’t met a miniaturist that isn’t awesome,” says Liz. “If anyone ever has questions about miniatures, we are here and we’re always happy to help.”
A Brief History of Miniatures Ancient Beginnings Miniature objects go back thousands of years. Ancient cultures, including the Egyptians, created smallscale figures, furnishings and everyday objects for religious, ceremonial and burial purposes. 1600s — Houses in Miniature In 17th-century northern Europe, elaborate miniature houses and rooms became prized possessions among wealthy families. Dutch collectors in particular displayed tiny household objects in beautifully crafted cabinets. These early dollhouses were often intended for display rather than children’s play. The V&A’s Nuremberg Dolls’ House, made in Germany in 1673, is one surviving example. 1700s–1800s — The Dollhouse Takes Shape Miniature cabinets gradually began looking more like actual houses, complete with façades and meticulously furnished rooms. As manufacturing expanded during the Industrial Revolution, dollhouses and miniature furniture became available to a much wider audience.
Victorian Era — Tiny Domestic Worlds By the 19th century, dollhouses had become popular representations of domestic life. Elaborate rooms, furnishings and accessories allowed their owners to recreate the styles and household routines of the period in miniature. 1920s–30s — From Craftsmanship to Popular Toy Miniatures remained showcases for extraordinary craftsmanship — Queen Mary’s famous dollhouse was displayed publicly in 1924 — while massproduced dollhouses became increasingly accessible to children and families during the 1930s. Today — A Miniature Revival Miniatures are enjoying another moment. The hobby gained renewed attention during the pandemic, while social media introduced intricate dollhouses, room boxes and tiny handmade objects to a new generation. Today’s makers are just as likely to recreate a modern apartment, coffee shop or favourite childhood room as a traditional Victorian house.
Tiny Fact: In the popular 1:12 scale, one inch in miniature represents one foot in the real world.
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Culture
Film
London Takes Starring Role
The Forest City Film Festival returns with a record-breaking 144 films over 11 days, spotlighting bold storytelling, filmmaker conversations and the homegrown talent putting Southwestern Ontario on the cinematic map. By JAMIE MONASTYRSKI
F
or more than a decade, the Forest City Film Festival has been helping put London and Southwestern Ontario filmmakers on the screen while bringing audiences closer to the people, ideas and creative work behind the movies. Returning October 15–25, 2026, the 11th annual festival will once again transform downtown London into a gathering place for
58 Live London Fall 2026
filmmakers, industry professionals and movie lovers. With screenings, filmmaker Q&As, special guests and opportunities for emerging creators, FCFF has grown into much more than an annual film showcase. It has become an important part of the region’s creative community and an increasingly visible platform for Southwestern Ontario talent. One of this year’s marquee events arrives on Friday, October 16, when the Canadian feature film Stunt Driver, starring Jay Baruchel, opens the festival’s 11th season. Set in the mid-1970s, the biographical comedydrama tells the true story of Canadian daredevil Ken Carter, nicknamed the “Mad Canadian,” and his attempt to cap a 30-year career with an almost unbelievable feat: a mile-long rocketcar jump across the St. Lawrence River. Following the screening, audiences will have the opportunity to hear directly from Baruchel and London-born director Michael Dowse during a special live in-conversation. The pairing brings an added hometown connection to opening night: Dowse previously directed Baruchel in the 2011
Canadian sports comedy Goon, which Baruchel co-wrote and starred in. This year’s festival will also feature filmmaker Q&As, industry events and its popular Speaker Series, alongside programs designed to help develop the next generation of creators. Among those initiatives is Project Pitch, which will award $30,000 toward the creation of three short films. The festival’s Youth Festival will also continue to give young filmmakers the opportunity to see their work presented on the big screen and connect with a wider film community. The opening celebrations on October 15 will also mark the introduction of FCFF’s new Impact Award, with London-based novelist, playwright and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Emma Donoghue becoming its inaugural recipient. As FCFF enters its second decade, its role continues to expand, not only as a place to watch films, but as a meeting point for established artists, emerging filmmakers and audiences who want to engage more deeply with cinema.
LiveLondon's Festival Picks
So Many Films. So Little Time.
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ith 11 days of films, conversations, premieres, parties and homegrown talent, there’s a lot to choose from at this year’s Forest City Film Festival. We went through the lineup and pulled together some of the screenings and events at the top of our list, from big-name guests and buzzworthy features to London-made films, emerging filmmakers and a few hidden gems. These are LiveLondon’s Top Picks and we could have included plenty more, if we had the space. See the full festival schedule at fcff.ca.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 Tomorrow’s Cinema Shorts 3:45 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall A showcase of emerging filmmakers with plenty of London connections. Inherited Made in London, by London. Director Camilo Andres Giraldo was born and raised here, and shot the film at Fanshawe College.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 Club Kid 7 p.m. | Hyland Cinema
LightenUp
Party boy meets parenthood. Viral comedian Jordan Firstman writes, directs and stars as a late-30s New Yorker whose nonstop nightlife crashes to a halt when the 10-year-old son he never knew existed suddenly appears.
Another local connection: producer Josie Dietl studied at Western University. Portrait Local talent behind the camera, too. Director Dexter Greene and the film’s director of photography are both from London and met through the Forest City Youth Film Festival.
Thunder Queens 7 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall
The Stunt Driver 7 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15 FCFF Gala + Emma Donoghue 6:00 PM | Goodwill Industries FCFF opens with some serious hometown star power. Londonbased author and Oscar-nominated screenwriter Emma Donoghue becomes the festival’s first Impact Award recipient, followed by an onstage conversation with Karen Bruce of Women in Film & Television - Toronto (WIFT+ Toronto).
Big story. Big stunt. Big Canadian names. This wild true story is followed by an exclusive conversation with London-born director Michael Dowse and star Jay Baruchel. Hard Rock Opening Night After-Party 9:30 p.m. | Hard Rock Hotel Nothing like a party to start things off. Movies, music and maybe a few famous faces. Celebrate The Stunt Driver premiere and the official kickoff of FCFF’s 11th year.
London’s own Violet, Lola and Clara go from rehearsals and backstage nerves to full-on rock ’n’ roll machines. Produced by Tegan and Sara, this hometown rock doc is followed by a conversation with the band then an after-party with live music at the Century Building.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18 Part of the Shorts Program: Family Ties 10:30 a.m. | Wolf Performance Hall Between Nations Director Genevieve George-Le Feuvre, from Oneida Nation of the Thames, explores how a mixed Indigenous family navigates a difficult upbringing and history through culture and ceremony.
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Film Women of Wampum Directed by Dr. Kelsey Leonard, this intimate documentary centres women knowledge keepers and explores wampum through governance, truthtelling, responsibility and relationships to land and water. Love In All The Small Places 8:15 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall
For Every Apricot
Run Terry Run 2:30 p.m. | Imagine Cinemas 5 Canada knows Terry Fox. But do we really know his story? This documentary digs deeper through interviews, news footage and previously unseen archival material from Fox’s team.
Director Kaia Fortis Scott turns to family history, telling a story inspired by her London-born grandmother and spanning London and Montreal in the 1970s, with archival footage from London and Woodstock.
A true London production. Rebeka Herron and Sarah Cleveland are from the city, and the film was shot entirely in London.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 Part of the Forest City Youth Film Festival 5:00 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall
Heart To Sole Filmmaker Quoc Viet Ngo, also known as Vietttngo, brings a local connection as a former Fanshawe College student. John van Nostrand: The Long View A Southwestern Ontario connection runs through this film from director Andrew Moir, who grew up in Lucan.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 Part of the Shorts Program: Words & Worlds 4:00 p.m. Wolf Performance Hall That Which Is Heard
The Debut 3:30 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall
This one is a homecoming. Director Ken Pham grew up in London, attended local schools and Western University, and brings the film home following its world premiere at DOC NYC.
One of the festival’s biggest starpowered picks. Directed by Jesse Eisenberg and starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, this one arrives with major awards-season buzz.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19 Part of the Shorts Program: From Here to There 3:45 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall 60 Live London Fall 2026
A stop-motion horror film from London-based filmmaker Irelynn Doherty. The title alone earns it a spot on our list. Part of the Shorts Program: Experimental 7:00 p.m | Museum London wakh^tahslu:nihe: Dressing Up the Garden Created by a collective with roots in London’s SoHo neighbourhood and Oneida Nation of the Thames, including Brooke Chrisjohn, Ruth Douthwright, Kevin O’Connor, Marshall Stonefish and Montana Summers.
Turn It Up! 6 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall From an FCFF pitch to the world stage. Directed by Sam Scott and produced by London’s Jesse Thomas Cook and Liv Collins, the film won FCFF’s 2023 Feature Film Pitch and was brought to life in London. Stay for a postscreening conversation with the filmmakers. *See our story on the film and interview with Jesse Thomas Cook @ livelondonmag.ca
How To Turn into A Vampire In 24 Hours
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 Music Video Night 6:45 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall The Notebook 6 p.m. | Imagine Cinemas 5 Ryan Gosling. Rachel McAdams. 22 years ago. Need we say more? Revisit one of the biggest romances of the 2000s starring two actors who were both born in London.
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 Part of the Shorts Program: Rooted 4:00 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall
Music videos on the big screen, plus live performances. A chance to see some of the city’s creative talent turn up the volume. FC48 Festival Edition 8:15 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall Forty-eight hours. One original short film. No pressure. Local filmmaking teams write, shoot and edit over opening weekend, then premiere the finished results live. Fun!
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24
Born in London in 1973, Dowse spent only part of his early childhood here, splitting his first nine years between London, Ontario, and London, England, before eventually growing up in Calgary. He has lived in Montreal for the past 23 years and says he hasn’t been back to London since 1978.
Root Awakening 10:00 a.m. | Wolf Performance Hall Made entirely in London, Root Awakening follows Faye Simmons, a community leader and co-founder of The PATCH, as she champions food security, accessibility and belonging. Directed by London filmmaker Adam Caplan, the documentary celebrates local people creating meaningful change through gardening, compassion and community.
Dowse’s eventual path into filmmaking began not with movies, but photography. His father had a darkroom in the basement, giving him an early opportunity to experiment behind the lens.
Faking Filmation Noon | Wolf Performance Hall London filmmaker Rob McCallum dives deep into pop-culture obsession once again. The documentary follows James Eatock as he attempts to create his own Masters of the Universe episode until a cease-and-desist from the He-Man rights holders threatens the entire project.
Dolphin Flip 5 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall World premiere. Shot in London. Enough said. Directed by Ben Edelman and starring writer-producer Sylvester Pribil alongside Amanda Arcuri, this heartfelt indie feature gets its firstever screening right here at home.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 Project Pitch LIVE! 9 a.m. | Wolf Performance Hall Think Dragon’s Den for filmmakers. Finalists pitch their projects live to industry experts, with three projects earning funding, resources and support to help get them made. Iron Boy 4 p.m. | Imagine Cinemas 4 Iron Boy mixes delicate watercolour visuals with non-professional voice performances for something strange, charming and completely its own. FCFF Awards Ceremony 6:30 p.m. | Wolf Performance Hall And the winner is... FCFF wraps with its juried awards, including Best Director, Best Performance and Best Cinematography, plus the reveal of the Old Oak Audience Choice Award. Best of all: admission is free.
At the same time, he was developing a love for comedy through influences including SCTV, Saturday Night Live and Mad Magazine.
Coming Home to the Big Screen
London-born director Michael Dowse returns to the Forest City Film Festival with The Stunt Driver, bringing one of Canadian cinema’s most distinctive comedic voices back home.
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ichael Dowse has built a career telling stories that are funny, unconventional and unmistakably Canadian. This fall, the London-born filmmaker is bringing his latest project back to the city where his story began, even if his own memories of London are a little hazy. Dowse returns for the 2026 Forest City Film Festival, where his new film, The Stunt Driver, opens the festival October 16 at Wolf Performance Hall. Following the screening, Dowse will join the film’s star, Jay Baruchel, for a live conversation about the project and its journey to the big screen. “I’m really excited to return and see if I do remember anything of London. I’ll try to go by the old house and see it,” Dowse says.
“I really tried to combine the two passions and turned to making comedy videos and films. I was the guy with the video camera at the party or would try to make a film about something rather than write a paper,” he says. Dowse first attracted widespread attention with FUBAR, the 2002 mockumentary that became a Canadian cult favourite. He followed it with It’s All Gone Pete Tong, hockey comedy Goon, romantic comedy What If, starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan and Hollywood action-comedy Stuber. His latest project keeps Dowse firmly connected to Canadian storytelling. The Stunt Driver stars Baruchel and Ed Helms and is inspired by the true story of Canadian daredevil Ken Carter, the larger-than-life stuntman who dreamed of launching a rocketpowered Lincoln Continental across the St. Lawrence River in the 1970s. Dowse is currently shooting a pilot for a reboot of the classic Canadian comedy Meatballs for Crave, filmed at the same summer camp his own children attended. He is also developing another familiar property: a reboot of The Foundation, the television series he originally created years ago, for CBC. “Jay Baruchel and I are writing it together,” Dowse says, adding that there are several other films in the pipeline that he can’t yet discuss.
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5 QUESTIONS ETHAN HICKEY Executive Director of the Forest City Film Festival
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than is a London-born filmmaker and graduate from Western University who has directed three feature films that have sold domestically and internationally. Having previously served on the festival’s Board of Directors and more recently as General Manager, he brings a variety of experience and viewpoints to the festival’s vision.
Q. How did you first connect with the Forest City Film Festival? A. I’ve had the opportunity to experience the festival in many ways… once as a Youth filmmaker in 2019, then had a few premieres of my films over the years at the FCFF, then as a Board member, then as General Manager, and now I was given the privilege of taking over as Executive Director. It’s been a great journey with the festival to see it from so many different perspectives. Q. The festival has always placed a strong emphasis on filmmakers with connections to Southwestern Ontario. Why has showcasing regional talent remained so central to the festival’s identity? A. Ontario’s film industry is $4 billion. London’s film industry has rapidly grown in the last decade thanks to the city’s investment in the LEDC 62 Live London Fall 2026
and the film office, and now Tourism London’s investment into bringing productions to London. The FCFF’s ability to platform and showcase regional filmmakers gives these artists the opportunity to express themselves in their home markets. Southwestern Ontario has always had great talent in the film industry, but we’re starting to see these filmmakers be retained and stay in London and not move to Toronto or LA.
Q. London isn’t always the first city people associate with Canada’s film industry, yet there is an incredible amount of filmmaking talent connected to this region. How would you describe London’s film community today, and how has it evolved since the festival began? A. My answer above answers a lot
of this. It’s truly a “if you build it, they will come” mindset. The City of London has taken seriously its film industry as of late, and it’s incredible to see. Film productions pay locals, pay restaurants for catering, pay for accommodations for sometimes hundreds of cast and crew, and sometimes these films lead to a boost in tourism. As the foundation continues to be built, the filmmakers are given stronger opportunities to express themselves in a medium that costs a lot of money.
Q. FCFF has provided more than $350,000 in cash, prizes and subsidies to filmmakers since 2016. What does investing directly in filmmakers mean to you, and what impact have you seen that support have on people’s careers? A. The impact is tremendous. Two examples… 18 to 35 is a web series that won our Project Pitch Web Series award. The show was shot in London and went on to be nominated for multiple Canadian Screen Awards (the Canadian Oscars). Turn It Up! is a feature film that won our Project Pitch feature-length award in 2024 and it recently premiered at Tribeca Film Festival, one of the biggest festivals in the world. Q. What are you most excited for audiences to experience this year, and is there anything particularly new or different about the 2026 edition? A. What I really love about this year’s program is the variety. The festival is carefully curated, but also allows for people to participate as much or as little as they want to. In one day, you can go see an afternoon screening of a ground-breaking performance from Channing Tatum, then see an evening premiere of a local film made right here in London. The wide breadth of our programming is a strength of ours that we will continue to lean on.
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