The Poly Mic, led by the “Polycule” Alo Azimov, Lauren Mallory, Aurora Knaut, Kaja Levy and Raquel Maestre, has been a staple on the queer comedy scene since its conception in July 2023.

Held Wednesdays at the charming Notre-Dame-des-Quilles in the Mile End, the Polycule set out to provide a safe space where queer, trans and BIPOC performers would be welcomed to try out new material of any artform in a weekly open mic. The rotating Polycule hosts each bring their own unique energy to the line-up, ensuring a novel experience every time.

Forget The Box has covered The Poly Mic before, but recently, the series has undergone a transformation. The original open mic component was moved to an earlier start time of 7PM, to create space for a 9PM slot, which is responsible for a new wave of experimental shows being developed in what’s being called “an open mic for producers.”

The new time slot has already seen a wide range of offerings. From the “Hypothetical” Hypothetical Show, The Last Comedy Open Mic on A Rocketship into the Sun, and some of Montreal’s best comedians showcasing their 30/30 specials, the addition to the calendar is proving an invaluable space for aspiring producers who might otherwise be intimidated by the time and work involved with production.

Raquel Maestre knows the effort that goes behind producing shows. Running her own monthly- A Very Pretentious Comedy Show- she’s well versed in the difficulties new producers face, especially with the closure of so many venues across the city.

A powerhouse in the Montreal comedy scene, Raquel stays busy. Juggling Poly Mic commitments, comedy, work, and rehearsals for her upcoming Fringe show, Admiring Librarians, she kindly gave me some of her scarce time to discuss the new format. We met in Hochelaga, Raquel having just finished working for the day, busying herself with tasks for her just-as-full comedy career.

The inspirations behind launching the second hour were to create an accessible space for producers to experiment, and to help save those producers the time of hunting for a venue. “I knew a lot of producer friends that had new ideas and wanted to try them out, and there were comedians that I wanted to see giving it a try.”

When asked about the changes to the Poly Mic scheduling, Raquel said that the timeslot is a way to combat the scarcity of stage time in Montreal. “I think that [the scarcity] affects creativity and the artistic outcomes of comedians in a specific way. Because everybody is doing their best to have a tight 5 [minutes], a tight 7… and that’s what you have to do if you want to continue getting stage time.” Indeed, it can be daunting to try new material, and sometimes it feels nearly impossible to piece together a longer set.

By offering the one-off showcases, the Poly Mic is opening the door for people to take chances - with format, or content- in a supported environment. “I would like that when someone has an original idea, they can try it out- and that’s something that I try to make happen. It can be experimental ideas, or it can be comedians doing longer sets.”. The shows are limited only by the imagination; although for those wishing to submit a show, Raquel recommends going to a Poly Mic first to see what the vibe is.

“The Poly Mic is a community event… It's a queer event. Most of the audience is queer, it’s in a queer bar that has certain policies and expectations. It doesn’t mean straight producers haven’t done shows there and I’m very happy to have them, because not everyone who does it has to be queer but in the end. When I choose to give a slot to someone, I take into account if the audience of the show is going to enjoy it.”

It’s extremely poetic that two and a half years ago, Raquel was attending the monthly Big Fruity Show at Notre Dame des Quilles as a fledgling comedian, and now she’s back in the same venue offering the community chances to develop. When she was first toying with the idea of a weekly open mic with the Polycule, she stressed the importance of having a regular event to make it easier for people to attend without having to remember the specific signup dates and showtimes. Performers of any genre are encouraged to sign up to the Poly Mic through their Google Form available on their Instagram page, and right here.

Those wishing to try their hand at producing can access a document here to submit their requests. Producing a show through the Poly Mic also has the additional bonus of making use of the Poly Mic’s growing fanbase for promotion, with shows being added to official social media posts and shared prior to the event. With an audience of regular attendees, it’s also no challenge to convince people to stick around for the second show.

It’s extremely easy for one to focus on the loss of JFL to the Montreal comedy scene, but Raquel sees the silver lining. “There’s a lot of exciting things happening in montreal comedy right now, and I hope that The Polymic 9PM [slot] is going to contribute to that… maybe this summer there’s no big fancy festival in Montreal, but I think that what were doing in the comedy scene right now is more exciting than just one festival. And over the next year we will see some really cool things come out of it.”

The Poly Mic Open Mic is 7PM every Wednesday, followed by a 9PM show at Notre Dame Des Quilles.
32 Rue Beaubien E, Montréal QC H2S 1P8

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