When all the Christmas bills start rolling in in January, the annual Just for Laughs comedy event can be a real bright spot on the calendar.

Tickets have just gone on sale for the eighth year of the show which brings well known comedians to our shores to perform. The event is associated with the famous Just for Laugh comedy festival in Montreal, Canada.

This year’s line-up will include Wil Sylvince, Robert Kelly, Steve Patterson, local talent Jonathan Young, and Alonzo Bodden.

Mr Bodden has hosted the event several years in a row. He is an international headliner, who has performed worldwide and entertained American troops everywhere from Iraq to Greenland. His brand new one-hour comedy special, ‘Who’s Paying Attention?’ premiered on the Showtime channel. He can be seen as a host of the new ITV show ‘Inside the Vault’.

This year, in addition to hosting the show at the Fairmont Southampton Princess, he will also return to share the stage with Robert Kelly for Double Bill at City Hall, where both comedians will perform extended sets. Different material will be presented for the shows at the Fairmont Southampton Hotel.

“Mr Sylvince is one of the most explosive comedians performing around the world today,” said Just for Laughs Bermuda organiser Robert Simon. “His comedic performances on BET’s Comic View, HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, and Showtime at the Apollo all garnered standing ovations by the audiences, a feat rarely seen accomplished by many performers. He was also a contributor to sketch shows such as The Chapelle Show on Comedy Central and Damon Wayan’s The Underground.”

Robert Kelly has travelled across the United States in the Tourgasm Live tour with Dane Cook and Gary Gulman, has just finished a cross-Canada Just For Laughs tour, and has performed at the Just For Laughs Festival (Montreal 2010 and 2013). He was recently seen as Louie CK’s brother Robbie on FX channel’s Louie and on CBS’s drama NYC 22.

Steve Patterson is a well known Canadian comedian who was host of CBC Radio One’s wildly successful The Debaters since 2007. He has become a household name, with more than half a million weekly listeners. He most recently launched his first solo theatre tour show entitled This is Not Debatable.

Local star Jonathan Young first appeared at Just for Laughs Bermuda by winning the inaugural Fresh Faces of Comedy contest in Bermuda. This will now be his fifth appearance.

“His take on all things Bermudian, particularly politics, keeps the audience in stitches,” said Mr Simon. “The amazing thing is that Jonathan creates his material from scratch for Just for Laughs every year and is performing it for the first time when he steps on our stage.”

The show kicks off on January 8, with Double Bill! Alonzo Bodden, Robert Kelly and opening act Jonathan Young at 8pm at the Earl Cameron Theatre, City Hall. Tickets are $45 with reserved seating. Gala shows will be held at the Fairmont Southampton Mid-Ocean Amphitheatre featuring host Alonzo Bodden, Robert Kelly, Wil Syvince, Steve Patterson and Jonathan Young on January 9 at 8pm with reserved cabaret seating at $87, January 10, 8.30pm and on January 11 at 7pm and 10pm with tickets $77 or $87 with reserved seating.

Tickets are available at www.bdatix.bm, in person at Sportseller (Washington Mall) and Fabulous Fashions (Heron Bay Plaza). Order by phone at 232-2255 ($3 extra charge per ticket applies for phone orders). For additional event information, visit www.comedyevent.bm or call 232-8499. For more information on Just For Laughs events, visit www.hahaha.com.