Laughing at Death: Some Solace in Comedy

While death is not funny, there is still some possibility of laughing at it. With that in mind, the recent Century House event, Dialogue on Death and Dying, invited a group of senior jokesters to find some hilarity about the topic. Called 'The Last Curtain Call', the event showcased the talents of five seniors who have been taking Zoom classes with the city's well-known comedian, Janice Bannister. They took on a range of topics, from the loss of well-loved gold fish, the death of a kidney named George, getting no respect at age 90 and more. Century House Association, New West Hospice Society, and Century House with some funding help from the City of New Westminster put on a series of events on the topic of death and dying. The intent was to get people to open up about a somewhat taboo subject, particularly in the mainstream culture.