Crashing through the comedy scene with unstoppable force, Big Chick Energy (BCE) is an all-women sketch comedy troupe that’s rewriting the rulebook on laughter. With razor-sharp wit and a joy-based approach to humour, these hilarious women are not just breaking the glass ceiling – they’re smashing it to pieces, one gut-splitting sketch at a time.
The award-winning BCE – who are Emily Decloux, Alicia Carrick, Jo Anne Tacorda, Sam Sexton, and Julia Jones – are bringing their award-winning sketch revue “My Best Friend’s Sketch Show” to Toronto Sketchfest 2024. Hailing from Toronto and Hamilton, they create their comedy from a unique blend of glee, music, and friendship – with the simple goal of offering their audience an uproarious and uplifting experience. At a BCE show, you can expect to see silly and satirical sketches delivered through a feminist lens that clucks the status quo, ruffles a few feathers . . . and may even feature an egg shaker or two.
To the five comedians of BCE, the opportunity to perform comedy professionally is an honour and an essential outlet for their runaway individual and collective creativity (something which I experience firsthand in the five different answers the five members provide for many of the questions I pose to them!). “We are so grateful that we get to be silly goofballs for other people! It is a joy to create and perform comedy: it’s like we won the lottery, being able to do this for other humans to enjoy, as well!” says Emily. For Jo Anne, Big Chick Energy is where the troupe can express their creative voices: “A lot of our sketches have a strong point of view and draw from our real-life experiences, insecurities, and accomplishments. We share a lot of ourselves through our work.” And Alicia uses BCE as a proxy for her lifelong dream of being in a girl band: “Luckily, Emily and Jo play instruments and love being musical, while Julia, Sam and I say ‘yes and’. Big Chick Energy IS my girl band dream come true.”
BCE met at The Second City through their improv and writing programs. When Sam, Jo Anne, Emily and Alicia started The Second City conservatory program, a natural grouping with distinctly woman-centric energy started to emerge. Emily then invited Julia to join, the group did a photoshoot, they performed one single show before the pandemic shut the world down . . . and the rest is history! Alicia describes BCE’s genesis algorithmically: “Second City meet + made each other laugh + probably all wanted to be in a girl band at some point in grade school = Big Chick Energy” Jo Anne offers a more qualitative assessment: “We all have our own individual creative drives, and when we met each other, we realized that something magical can happen when you collaborate with friends.” Now, she continues, “we try to help amplify each other’s vision and keep one another motivated to keep creating.”
For Julia, these are “not only the sweetest and funniest people I’ve ever met, but they get stuff done!” And this is especially important because “it’s not easy running a troupe. And with five people, you need to be dedicated and love every second of it.” Sam adds that each member brings a unique voice to the group, creating a dynamic and unpredictable blend of humour and camaraderie: “Each person’s brand of comedy complements one another really well, I think, and this means our shows have a little something for everyone.“
A quick peek at their website reveals that the members of BCE are prolific and versatile. The troupe received TOSketchfest’s 2023 Producers’ Pick Award, and their Halloween sketch comedy revue, “Ghouls Just Wanna Have Fun” was a sold-out success. Audiences in Toronto and Hamilton have opportunities to enjoy BCE performing in a variety of notable sketch and improv shows, such as Beer Beer Comedy, Wide Variety, and Staircase Comedy Cabaret. And off stage, they also have a robust catalogue of webseries on YouTube, including Venture Shark and Date Kate (2019), plus the music video SPANX (2020). Emily’s comedy music album Take Your Life More Seriously features all of the Chicks, and is available on all the usual platforms.
Not only do the quintet draw energy from each other – they are also motivated and moved by a murderers’ row of big chick comedy predecessors who paved the way for their success:
- Jo Anne is galvanized by the examples of Mindy Kaling and Amanda Bynes – specifically in She’s the Man;
- Sam worships at the altar of Catherine O’Hara, Meredith MacNeill, and Laura Ramoso;
- Alicia traces her comedy origins back to watching Ana Gasteyer and Molly Shannon on Saturday Night Live in 1998, then to seeing Kristen Rasmussen and Ann Pornel perform on The Second City stage in 2013 or 2014 after she first moved to Toronto; then to being inspired by Aba Amuquandoh, Stacey McGunnigle (“making This Hour the best it’s ever been”), Laura Ramoso and Aurora Browne;
- Julia notes how “seeing Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host Weekend Update . . . changed everything for me” – so much so that “I named my boobs after them (once they came in, of course).” She also cites as influences actor-comedians Maya Rudolph, Julia Louis- Dreyfus, Christina Applegate, and Penny Marshall.
- Emily mentions Carolyn Taylor and Nicole Byer as significant influences.
When asked about the significance of comedy in their lives, the Chicks offer heartfelt reflections. For Emily, comedy is a means of shaping the world into a brighter, more joyful place. Jo Anne highlights the importance of collaboration and camaraderie, while Alicia expresses gratitude for how it enabled her to garner the unwavering support of her parents.
But what, you ask, can audiences expect from BCE’s show at this year’s Toronto Sketchfest? According to Sam, it’s simple: “spectacle, sass, satire and song”! A slightly more specific explanation is this: an uproarious exploration of women’s friendships, delivered through energetic sketches and (of course) a minimum of one song. While the show centres around the theme of friendship, it also explores diverse topics ranging from women’s health and burnout to . . . Baywatch? (“Come to the show to find out,” winks Sam).
As they gear up for a whirlwind year of performances, BCE are excited to take their show on the road. Their mission is simple: to spread joy and laughter wherever they go – from Toronto Sketchfest to Newfoundland and Labrador Sketch Fest to the Hamilton Fringe, and places beyond.
As they take the stage at Toronto Sketchfest, three things seem certain: the energy will be BIG, the laughter will be infectious, and audiences will leave with smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts.
Catch Big Chick Energy: My Best Friend’s Sketch Show on March 6 as part of the Toronto Sketchfest Opening Night Gala, and then in their own shows on March 8 and March 13. Click here to reserve tickets to their shows.
© Arpita Ghosal and Scott Sneddon, SesayArts Magazine, 2024
