Devon Henderson’s comedy is smart, strange, and just a little bit unhinged—“very cerebral until I decide to start screaming,” as she puts it. A lifelong SNL fan shaped by the early 2000s cast, Devon cut her teeth at the late Bad Dog Theatre and is now helping build The Second City’s new Mainstage Revue in Toronto.
How would you describe your comedy style?
Very cerebral until I decide to start screaming.
Who are some of your influences?
I was an SNL fanatic as a kid. The cast of the early 2000s (Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Rachel Dratch, etc.) probably did the most to shape my sense of humour.
Who was your favourite comedian growing up?
If Tina Fey never existed, I would not be doing this right now. It’s impossible to overstate how influential she was for me.
Who is your favourite comedian now?
Honestly, it hasn’t changed from those early influences. I will follow them wherever they go.
What is your pre-show ritual?
The Second City show is changing every night right now as we build our new revue, so pre-show at the moment is gloriously chaotic and absolutely not conducive to ritual.
What is your favourite place you have performed? Why?
I will forever miss Bad Dog Theatre’s old space on Bloor, a casualty of the pandemic. It was completely dedicated to improv as an art form. The shows I did there felt really special. I think of that theatre as the place I went from a student to someone who actually knows what she’s doing.
What is your favourite bit you have written and why were you proud of it?
My duo had a sketch where I played a dusty old bank book, begging to be used again. It hit every time we performed it and always cracked us up. We also had an improvised 50s sitcom in our last Fringe show that I think about a lot. Those were both really polished bits that also had room for play and surprise.
What is your favourite medium for listening or finding new comics/comedians?
Do I sound like Father Time if I say live shows? I don’t have TikTok. I love to stand at the back of Comedy Bar and be surprised by a comedian I’ve never seen before.
Tell us a joke about your city.
Transit. The transit here is a joke.
Where can we follow you?
I’m on Instagram, posting roughly three times a year
PAY IT FORWARD: Who is another local comic/comedian we should know about?
The last person I saw on a show that made me lean in and go “oooh who’s THAT?!?!” is Glenna Walters. We were on the same improv show, and I watched her set and cackled at everything she said. So if you see her name on a bill, go to that show!
