Toronto comics on punchlines and punching up in divisive times

Clockwise (left): Tamara Shevon, Brandon Hackett, Aisha Brown, Ashley Cooper, NOW's Radheyan Simonpillai, Thurka Gunaratnam and Ophira Calof. 

In a round table with six Toronto comedians – Aisha Brown, Ophira Calof, Ashley Cooper, Brandon Hackett, Thurka Gunaratnam and Tamara Shevon (full bios at end of article) – at the NOW Magazine offices, we discussed the state of comedy today as well as the challenges ahead for new voices trying to be heard amidst the noise created by C.K. and Cherry.