Kevin McDonald leads improv workshop at Algonquin College

Laughter echoed across the Algonquin Commons Theatre as a group of students tried to turn their improvised chaos into comedy gold. Standing in the middle of it all was Kevin McDonald, a legend from The Kids in the Hall, pacing with energy and warmth, tossing out lines like, “​​Biggest secret of the world: everything is funny.”

Sixteen students were seated in chairs on a wide stage, enjoying the mentorship from a Canadian actor, comedian and writer who has appeared in several stage productions, television shows and films.

“I’m excited about students’ excitement about their energy,” McDonald said.

The Improv to Sketch with Kevin McDonald workshop was a four-hour sketch-writing class that guided participants in transforming scenes by developing their characters and comedy into complete sketches.

“Students may not want to be a comedian, especially since this is a writing class. But who knows,” McDonald said, “Maybe I like to look for talent, and I think my talent is knowing when someone’s talented.

“But even if your talents aren’t the same, it’s just fun to have everyone together. And the younger you are, the more creative you are, and we get less creative as we get older, unless you’re like me.”

McDonald has spent over 30 years in the comedy industry. To some students, he’s considered an icon of Canadian comedy or even a household name across Canada. The workshop is inspiring students like Nessa Hopkin.

Hopkin, a Level 1 student in the film and media production program, has focused on drama and theatre since her time in arts high school. She is particularly interested in script writing and exploring comedy writing.

“I feel like comedy is something you can easily just go to and get a laugh out of or have a good time, especially if you’re not happy in the moment. Comedy is something that brings joy,” Hopkin said.

“The workshop is very funny and entertaining, because he’s random. He’s just all over the place. I enjoy that a lot.”

Josh Mackay, a film and media production program Level 1 student, loves improv and wants to learn more about it.

“Comedy is not one of my strongest suits, so I think I’m here to improve,” Mackay said.

“It’s really good to have someone who actually knows the ins and outs of the way that these things get produced and made that’s coming out,” Mackay said.

“Because that’s one of the biggest hurdles for a student, is actually getting into the industry.”

By the time the class reached the improv stage, students were performing in groups, and the theatre echoed with laughter, claps and cheerful humming.

At first, students seemed hesitant and unsure of themselves, but as they set up their improv scenarios and McDonald offered his guidance, the atmosphere grew increasingly energetic and vibrant.

Mackay had experience in improv, which he said wasn’t new to him, but he hadn’t done it in a while. He enjoyed getting back into the improv shoes.

“Kevin has got good advice, he knows what he’s talking about. It’s good to see,” Mackay said.

Groups of students were scattered across the stage on both sides and in the middle, discussing their improv and rehearsal.

The theatre seats were empty, but laughter filled the room as everyone enjoyed their own performance.

“Every scene and every improv is different. You may ask, ‘What’s the secret of learning?’ I say, by improvising all the time,” McDonald said.