Ayumi Iizuka (left), Nile Séguin and Kristeen von Hagen are among the local comics looking for Fringe laughs.

DICKWHIPPED: THE KRISTEEN AND LAURIE STORY written and performed by Kristeen von Hagen and Laurie Elliott, directed by Lisa Merchant. Presented by Caviar and Lace at the Poor Alex. July 2 at 6 pm, July 4 at 8:30 pm, July 5 at noon, July 6 at 5:30 pm, July 7 at 10 pm, July 8 at 2 pm, July 10 at 6:30 pm.

FEAR OF A BROWN PLANET written and performed by Nile Séguin, directed by Aaron Berg. Presented by Third Man Entertainment at the Factory Studio. July 3 at 9:30 pm, July 4 at 7 pm, July 5 at 12:30 pm, July 7 at 11 pm, July 8 at 1:30 pm, July 10 at 6 pm, July 11 at 3 pm.

THE KUPPS RUNNETH OVER written and performed by Doug Morency and Ayumi Iizuka. Presented by Zuka Box at Artword Theatre. June 30 at 9 pm, July 3 at 8 pm, July 4 at 2:30 pm, July 6 at 10:30 pm, July 9 at 10 pm, July 10 at noon, July 11 at 2 pm.

There's a reason why comedy clubs aren't so popular in the summer. All the comics are in Fringe shows. The Fringe can mean many things to working comics, everything from having a laugh or two with their stand-up buddies to trying out their "serious" side.

The experiments don't always work – the "I'm tired of making you laugh, damn it!" show can be dreadful – but most comics just like performing for a different crowd.

"Frankly, I'm looking forward to an environment that's not like the rough-and-tumble crowds at comedy clubs," says Kristeen von Hagen, one of the big stand-up names at this year's Fringe. "And it's gonna be great not to have to make people laugh every two seconds."

Not that von Hagen's show is all serious. Written and performed with gal pal stand-up Laurie Elliott, Dickwhipped looks at stories about dating, from the pickup to the breakup and including all the humiliating stuff in between. Including the title.

"Dickwhipped is the female equivalent of getting pussywhipped," explains Elliott. "It's when you change your behaviour because you think you're in love."

"For example," says von Hagen, "you buy your boyfriend a Leafs jersey because of the playoffs and stay in and watch sports and pretend like you care."

The two comics are obviously drawing on personal pain. They admit there's a bit of scandal to the show and don't care about burning bridges.

"Those two exes I'm not very nice to and who don't speak to me can put this in their pipe and smoke it," quips von Hagen.

Although it's set in today's world, the show's costumes have a retro 50s look – for a reason.

"What's ironic is that women over the years have strived to become dickwhipped," points out Elliott. "That's how you grew up, to please your man no matter what."

Stand-up Nile Séguin also uses personal experience in his show, Fear Of A Brown Planet, but his target is the comedy community itself.

In the business for nearly a decade, Séguin, who was born in Ottawa and is part Rwandan, part French-Canadian, was shocked when he was told early on by a club owner that he could be a "black guy who isn't black."

"That was a great note for my career to start on," he jokes. "In retrospect, it was foreshadowing."

Séguin says it's hard being a brown man in a black-and-white industry. His first Toronto agent, he says, tried to get him on Yuk Yuk's monthly All-Black Comedy Night, even though he didn't want that.

One of the low points came when Séguin auditioned for an audio gig but was only allowed to read for the urban American hiphop character and not the French chef, even though he considers himself more French-Canadian than black.

"I guess I never wanted to be a comic who did nothing but race material," he explains.

"The first rule is that you write about what you know. Sure, I'm brown, but I deal with a lot of other stuff during the day. I like to think that if we were all to wake up and find we're all from the same race, I'd have more than 15 minutes of material."

Séguin keeps the facts straight but tries to avoid naming names.

"I want the show to be funny and intelligent. I don't want to blame. The last thing I want is club owners cowering in the back feeling insulted. That's not fun for anyone."

The most promising comic shows at the Fringe usually come from sketch artists, who are used to a certain theatricality. Séguin, von Hagen and Elliott have all tried their hands at sketch, but Second City vets Doug Morency and Ayumi Iizuka are sketch vets.

Their show, The Kupps Runneth Over, is about Jim and Daisy Kupps, a singing and praying couple who run a religious-themed TV cable show out of their Timmins home.

"I have a big problem with religious zealots seeking money and fame in the name of God," says Iizuka. "These are dorkier, nerdy versions of them.

"I'm an agnostic and Doug was raised Catholic, so there have always been debates about issues," says the actor about the origin of the characters, who have appeared in lots of comedy nights over the past couple of years, from Eclectic Circus to Neil Muscott's Comedy Debates.

The show is scripted, but there are opportunities for ad libbing – Morency's one of the city's top improvisers. Which leads to another plus for comic performers. Don't you dare heckle them.

"We can totally take you on," laughs Iizuka.