You can’t help but take notice. Cathy Boyd hasn’t even uttered her first joke when a few audience members whisper to each other, pointing discreetly to the stage.

And Boyd — on the other side of 60, with thick, silver locks pulled back with a hairband, prescription glasses perched atop her head — does what most newbie standups do: she exploits those first impressions.

Poised, calm and almost quiet — a trait not common amongst her fellow rookie standups (especially the quiet part) — she describes her recent watershed moment: “Ever have the bus driver lower the platform for you?”

The crowd laughs, not uproariously, but consistently throughout her set on this night at Absolute Comedy’s New Talent showcase. There’s a palpable sense of relief from the mostly under-35 audience, thankful that Boyd frequently confronts the obvious during her act. But it’s more than just polite chuckles. Boyd, less matronly grandmother and more like that free-spirit aunt, is endearing if still a bit unpolished. The confidence, however, is already there; her comic voice is close, too.

Read the full article from Toronto Star here: https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2017/10/22/when-the-newest-comedian-is-the-oldest.html