5 Shows Make a Full House
Spitfire’s adding a handful of new shows between now and December, featuring the top comics and improv actors in the Bay area along side a whole new generation of performers, writers and comics. 9 stand up hosts and 30 new performers join what is already the largest pool of comedy talent in Tampa Bay.
“People are starting to realize that you don’t have to live in a big city to see and do great comedy,” says Nick Rigs, Spitfire’s Art and Education Director. “We’ve never seen growth or interest like we’re seeing right now.”
The new shows will fill out Thursdays and Fridays with different kinds of comedy, and Saturday’s Closeline Comedy Machine will be retired until next summer. The new lineup is eclectic, including improvised stand up, live sketch comedy, heads-up contests, and an improvised sitcom that will “remix'“ the hit show Friends.
Scroll down and check out what’s coming up through December, including more new additions to our stand up Headliner Series.
STAND UP UNSCRIPTED | 2nd Thurs @ 8p
Improv comedy takes over the mic! Stand up comics go head-2-head, making it up on-the-spot for 2 and a half minutes. The top 5 comics make it to the end, but only one takes home the $100 cash prize. Based on audience suggestions, with 3 audience judges picked that night.
“I’ve always thought unscripted comedy was comedy in its purest form,” says show creator & host Jay Legend. “I think this show will be different because it will force comics out of their comfort zone and make them work. Nothing comes easy and this show will definitely will prove that.'“
TICKETS: $20 or 2-for-$15 each
spitfirecomedy.com/unscripted
HEADS-UP COMEDY SHOWDOWN|Fridays @ 10p
It's a head-to-head comedy showdown every Friday night as two local acts square off for a $50 cash prize. Each show features an opening act and showcases some of the best improv, sketch and stand up comedy talent in Tampa Bay. It’s a different match up every week.
“This show is finally our opportunity to get returning performers and current students back on stage in a way we haven't since the start of the pandemic,” says Director and Improv Instructor, Zach Mouriz. “It'll also be ground zero for getting our pro long form teams back in front of a crowd, which is what the heart of our business was initially built on.”
TICKETS: $20 or 2-for-$15 each
spitfirecomedy.com/showdown
THE LAST SHOW EVER | Sat @ 9p Oct
Written by Warren Buchholz, Carey Parsons, Coleman O’Toole, Mike McNeil & Pat Connelly, Directed by Nick Rigs
Live from the main stage, it’s an all original show featuring over 20 sketches! Each show is different, so every night is the last show ever. This season, it’s sketches about drug dealers, marriage, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a murder house, James Bond, used cars, bad parents, and so much more!
”It’s been insanely fun and rewarding to see what started out as ridiculous ideas end up as live, performed sketches. It’s like if you had a baby and it ended up being funny,” says Mike McNeil, who’s been an actor and writer in all of Spitfire’s sketch shows to date. You can see McNeil once again, along side 13 other Spitfire veterans and newcomers, making a changing lineup every night.
TICKETS: $20 or 2-for-$15 each
spitfirecomedy.com/sketchshow
FREINDS: AN IMPROVISED REMIX OF ‘FRIENDS’ Saturdays @ 9p Nov-Dec
A top cast of Spitfire's improvisers take on one of the greatest sitcoms of all time! Each show, the audience will choose the episode number and we'll improvise a brand new version of that episode, based on its title. We'll be recording each show mini-series style, so week-to-week it will all build up until the finale show.
The show is planned to be a ‘serial’ sitcom with improvised storylines and dialogue, all stemming from an audience picked episode title. The show returns 7 professional improvisers to the stage, flexing their timing and acting chops to portray convincing renditions of the original characters in new stories developed live, on stage.
Audiences can buy tickets to any single show or get a package deal for multiple shows while seats are available and save over 60% on tickets.
TICKETS: $20 or 2-for-$15 each
spitfirecomedy.com/freinds
SPITFIRE HEADLINER SERIES | Dec 3rd & Dec 17th
KYLE RUSE - Fri Dec 3rd @ 9p
JEFF LEESON - Fri Dec 17th @ 9p
Next up on the mic in the Spitfire headliner series is local comedian Kyle Ruse and Canadian crowd-work king, Jeff Leeson. Bringing two nights of laughs, you can see Ruse in the Matchstick Lounge shooting part of his new comedy special, and Leeson the following week on the main stage, who’ll be looking to turn the room into on-the-spot hilarity.