IF LAUGHTER IS the best medicine, then a two-hour dose of the Too Much Comedy show may just be what the doctor ordered – for comics and club-goers sickened by the conventional stand-up experience. George Hamilton Braithwaite, the show’s creator and host, suffered from just such symptoms, causing him to stop performing at clubs altogether two years ago. He’s back now with Too Much! Way better than none.

With its focus on drink and ticket sales as primary revenue sources, proprietors of old-school comedy clubs opt for ‘tried and true’ routines and time limits to keep customers laughing and buying. The resulting jokes can often be stale or self-censored. As Too Much regular John Hastings explains, “Stand-up comedy is the only art form dedicated to selling beer. This [show] takes that element away.” With the beer shills go the stale material, allowing independent stand-up comedy to be at the forefront of innovating what makes us laugh.

The show offers precisely “the freedom outside the club atmosphere” that Braithwaite and his fellow comics crave. “I’ll never tell people when to stop,” says Braithwaite. “Just get off when you stop being funny.” As a result, zaniness abounds, and nothing is taboo. Which is not to say there isn’t something for everyone. Comics of varied senses of humour are honing their wits on-stage. So while some continue to push the limits of what’s funny, others are making things funnier. With such range, you might even find yourself surprised at what you’re laughing at.

For the audience, Braithwaite says he and the Too Much! crew aim to “make the room as comfortable as possible so [you’re] ready to laugh.” To achieve this informal atmosphere, the show is actually set in a living room. The venue is artist Steven Shellenberger’s apartment; seating consists of couches and folding chairs; alcohol is BYO; and the room is a politically-incorrect smoking-friendly. Paintings hang from the walls and are regularly changed. As for cover, patrons are asked to pay what they want, although no amount of cash will get you past Mooshie the canine bouncer if she doesn’t like you. (Fortunately, I’ve never yet seen her refuse anyone). Afterwards everyone is invited to join the cast in post-show revelry. Performers and regulars are so welcoming that you can’t help but be charmed into at least chuckling.

The show is still young and yet is already expanding. While weekly performances began only last January, a Too Much! show is already taking off in Griffintown. And Braithwaite has been forced to start screening comics given the number of acts that want stage time. When approached with an open mind, Too Much! provides a glimpse of stand-up comedy as art, divorced from the oppressive influence of booze sales and immense overhead costs. “The formula of the comedy show is going to change,” Braithwaite says – and, with Too Much, it seems the transition has already begun.

Each joke on its own may not be enough to heal what ails you. But the sound of sweet laughter in a warm environment like Too Much! always helps.

Too Much! runs every Friday night starting at 9:30 at the Comedy Loft (3655 St-Laurent Blvd., #205)