John Cotrocois is a Montréal comedian whose captivating stand-up has earned him a spot on Just For Laughs Montréal 2023. John found his way to the stage as a storyteller where he became so popular, he got his own t-shirts. Then he migrated to comedy, endearing the Montréal scene at ZooFest & OffJFL and all kinds of clubs across the city. In 2020, the Comedy Nest named John Comedy’s Rising Star. And now the star has risen. Congratulations, John! Your fans are so proud of you. Within seconds, John had me laughing impossibly hard. For best results, please laugh right along with us.

Bean Nunnerley is an artist, massage therapist, self-taught, builder, mother, swimmer, and long-time singer in the Montréal women’s choir Choeur Maha. I knew Bean would be the perfect guest when, during an unbridled discussion about boundaries, Bean asked me, “What colour are yours?” In this wholehearted episode, we dive into boundaries, mental health, neurodivergence, PMDD, what it’s like to be diagnosed with ADHD at 49, and how to find the healing we all seek.

Here come more of our favourite and fabulous Fringe performers. Today, we have Francesca Esguerra, writer, performer, and cherished member of the Montréal storytelling community. Enjoy Francesca’s unrivalled wisdom rocking your life as an only child, making as much shit as possible, weeding out boring peeps on online dating, plus pro tips on heartbreak, procrastination, online dating, chlamydia, and more.

In Part 2 of my interview with Paul de Tourreil, we return to Attached’s Letter, where Paul offers zero-bullshit advice. (. . .) the ensuing revelations left Paul with magnificent fodder for his fringe show which we all can’t wait to watch. And for our last topic, we delve into ROUTINES. Morning routines, creative routines, cleaning routines. If you’re stuck on a creative project, or just looking to get things done, this is your episode.

This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life is delighted to welcome Paul de Tourreil. Paul is a writer, fight choreographer, non-practising biologist, retired kung fu teacher, and self-described Swiss-Indian weirdo. In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Paul shares his theories on adult default settings and how to avoid becoming a bitter and resentful human when you grow up, plus how to be a loving partner, friend, and parent, even if you didn’t get everything you needed when you were a kid. Paul has written, produced and directed countless plays as part of the Montréal Fringe Festival. This year, 2023, Paul is thrilled to be performing his first ever solo show, 9 Lives, 8 Near Misses: Life Lessons from near-death events.

Everyone says they have the best grandma. Not everyone is right. I am right. My grandma is the best. Her name is Mary Louise Adamson Owen, and back in March, she agreed to be my very first guest on This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life. “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” she said as we started recording. (…) This episode is so special, I tear up just thinking about it. Love you, Grandma!

It’s a miracle! I managed to launch my podcast. Welcome to This Is Your Strange and Beautiful Life, a podcast where I talk to people who may—or may not—have had the chance to transform their lives into a spectacular TED talk. In this debut solo episode, I introduce the show and do my best to interview myself. (. . .)