Second City’s 91st mainstage revue ‘World’s Gone Wild’ is a comedy slam dunk

Yes, the show includes some obligatory political jabs and social commentary — there’s one strong sketch about the Epstein files and another that name-drops Joe Rogan — but one of the primary joys of this revue is that it’s almost entirely filled with nostalgic, escapist fare. 

Whereas previous Second City shows tended to take their cues from current events (like Toronto’s condo boom or the pandemic-induced inflation crisis), “World’s Gone Wild” draws its inspiration from far more evergreen ideas that, in many ways, feel even more relatable (like, say, how the Leafs always suck).

It starts right from the top, with the revue charging out of the gate with a series of ingenious sketches. Chelsea Larkin and understudy Lance Oribello, on for Anthony Hall at the show I attended, opened with a hilarious sketch about first dates and red flags. A bit later, a full-group scene about a bathroom manager (Tim Blair) trying to teach people how to use a bidet, left my fellow audience members and I in belly-jiggling stitches. 

Some of the sketches toward the middle of the show occasionally flag. One poking fun at frat bros with limited vocabularies far overstays its welcome. Another about getting bangs after a difficult breakup feels like recycled material. And several more lose their energy as they drag on, ending more with an ellipsis rather than the necessary exclamation mark. 

But these lapses in writing can be excused thanks to the talent of this extraordinary cast. 

Monica Garrido Huerta is like an Energizer Bunny who’s just downed five cans of Red Bull, bounding across the stage, bouncing and twirling to and fro, all while contorting her face in ways that seem anatomically impossible.

In one sketch about a hyperactive student who can’t stop sharpening his pencils (portrayed by the incredibly physical Gillian Bartolucci), it’s impossible to peel your eyes away from Huerta, who plays the class gerbil, hands tucked to her breasts and puckered lips quivering in terror. 

So much energy does Huerta possess that I was beginning to wonder when Red Bull-style wings would pop out of her back. 

Oribello is another standout, one of those comedians who makes you want to cover your eyes with your hands, yet simultaneously peek through your fingertips. “Is he really going there?” I found myself asking, particularly throughout the show’s third-act improv set. 

Oh, yes he does. And Oribello doesn’t wade into these taboo subjects so much as he canonballs into them. But he does so with such impressive confidence and swagger that you can’t help but follow his lead. 

The other ensemble members also have their moments in the spotlight. Blair steals one sketch as a wannabe Footlocker sales associate with an undeniable foot fetish. Larkin is a hoot as a philosophical pigeon who meets an unfortunate end. And Gavin Pounds exudes pathos and humour in a scene where he plays an evil German scientist who wants to unleash a pandemic of male loneliness but is really just in need of a pal to chill with.

Director Kyle Dooley captains this ship assuredly. Longer scenes are juxtaposed with shorter sketches, occasionally punctuated with improv sets inspired by audience prompts.

And much like a boat setting sail toward uncharted waters, leaving the chaos of civilization behind, “World’s Gone Wild” is a perfect escape. Even if it’s only a two-hour reprieve, it’s a trip worth taking.