This year is the ninth annual SiriusXM Top Comic Competition. The winner will be crowned as Canada’s best comic. There are 18 semi-finalists and three of them are Ottawa natives. They are Sophie Buddle, Kyle Brownrigg, and Roman Mancini.
Learn more about the competition and catch Apt613’s interviews with all three Ottawa native finalists here. Don’t forget to vote for your favourite between July 27 and August 17.
Roman Mancini. Photo provided.
This year, Roman Mancini is one of three Ottawa natives that has made it to the semi finals. He’s now based out of Vancouver, where he’s come into his own as a comic and as a live performer. His laid back performances feature a mix of improvisational and well crafted material. He derives his material from a broad range of sources, delighting audiences in his humour all across Canada. He’s been nominated for Best MC at the Ottawa Comedy Awards, performed across North America and Asia and has recently featured at the Tall Tree Music Festival.
In the lead up to the voting period, Apt613 sat down with Roman to talk about his life and career in comedy.
Apt613: When and why did you start doing standup comedy?
Roman: I started doing comedy in May 2014. I thought I wanted to be a writer, but figured out I really liked the immediate feedback that you get with stand-up.
What would you do if you won the $25,000?
Pay for more therapy. Also travel, make a modest charitable contribution, put the rest in the bank. I’m also planning on moving back to Ottawa sometime soon so the money would help with that.
What is the current Canadian comedy scene like and what’s it like to be part of it?
There’s so much talent in Canada right now, it’s pretty crazy. This is really probably the best time for comedy in Canada. I hope people start to see that and go out and check more shows locally. It’s really cool to see people I know who are super talented and hard working start to get some recognition.
What are some of the reasons that hometown fans should vote for you?
I’m honestly not telling anyone they should vote for me. Check out the website and vote for who you think is funniest. And after that, check out more local and Canadian comedy. This year is a really good showcase of Canadian talent. The sorts of comics you can see any given night across the country. Check out the website, check out some shows near you. That’s what’s most important to me.
How did you become a semi-finalist for the Sirius XM Top Comic competition?
I didn’t think I would even make it this far, so honestly I don’t know.
