Bad Dog Theatre (Toronto)

Bad Dog Theatre Company traces its roots to 1982 when it was originally founded as Theatresports Toronto, directly inspired by Keith Johnstone's competitive improv format that had already taken hold in Calgary. The company underwent a significant reinvention on May 1, 2003, when co-artistic directors Kerry Griffin and Marcel St. Pierre, along with workshop director Ralph MacLeod, relaunched the organization as Bad Dog Theatre Company with a renewed focus on high-quality improv training and performance. Over the following two decades, Bad Dog grew into Toronto's most important independent improv institution, operating alongside Second City Toronto but carving out a distinct identity focused on artistic risk-taking and community building. The theater's dedicated performance venue at 875 Bloor Street West became a beloved home for the Toronto comedy community, winning Creative Loafing's Best Small Theatre in 2017 and Best Comedy Club in 2018. Unfortunately, Bad Dog lost the Bloor Street venue during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since adapted to a model where classes are held at a dedicated training space while shows are performed at various partner venues across the city. Despite the venue loss, Bad Dog has maintained its central role in Toronto's comedy ecosystem and continues to produce some of the most innovative improv in Canada.

In 2025, Bad Dog Theatre Company operates its training program from 392 Spadina Avenue in downtown Toronto while staging performances at various theater venues across the city. What distinguishes Bad Dog from Second City Toronto — the other major improv institution in the city — is its commitment to independent, artist-driven comedy that prioritizes creative exploration over commercial polish. While Second City's Toronto operation focuses on its revue-style sketch-improv shows and a curriculum tied to the Second City brand, Bad Dog cultivates a wider range of improv forms including narrative long-form, experimental formats, genre work, and hybrid performance styles. The theater's programming reflects Toronto's multicultural identity, with shows and classes that actively recruit diverse voices and perspectives. Bad Dog has also become a significant player in the international improv festival circuit, participating in exchanges with theaters across North America and hosting visiting performers from improv communities worldwide. The company's ability to thrive without a permanent performance venue demonstrates the strength of its community — Bad Dog is less a building and more a network of hundreds of active improvisers who define Toronto's independent comedy culture.

Getting started at Bad Dog begins with the Improv Foundation Level 1 class, which is open to complete beginners with no prior experience required. Registration is handled through the theater's website, with new class sessions starting throughout the year at the Spadina Avenue training space. The core curriculum progresses through four Foundation levels, covering the fundamentals of scene work, agreement, listening, character, and ensemble dynamics. After completing the Foundation track, students can advance to the Longform program (Levels 1 through 3), which dives deep into sustained improvised narratives, pattern work, and advanced structural techniques. Students must attend at least two-thirds of a preceding level before advancing to the next, ensuring everyone has a solid foundation before progressing. Bad Dog also offers specialized programs including the Studio Series — an advanced, multi-term program for committed improvisers who want intensive training beyond the standard curriculum — as well as standalone workshops in acting for improvisers, sketch comedy, and stand-up.

The training experience at Bad Dog emphasizes emotional honesty, genuine connection between performers, and the courage to make vulnerable choices on stage — values that reflect the theater's artistic philosophy and distinguish its graduates from those trained in more game-focused or structure-heavy traditions. Classes are taught by Bad Dog's roster of experienced instructors, many of whom are active performers on the Toronto comedy circuit and members of Bad Dog's house teams. Beyond the structured curriculum, Bad Dog offers improv drop-in sessions — two-hour workshops priced at C$25 plus HST that provide a low-commitment way to practice skills, meet other improvisers, and stay connected to the community between class sessions. The theater's house team system gives advanced performers a regular rehearsal and performance schedule, and Bad Dog stages shows at partner venues across Toronto most weeks of the year. One of the most valued aspects of training at Bad Dog is the community itself — the theater functions as a hub where Toronto's improv performers connect, collaborate, and create new work, and the relationships formed in Bad Dog classes often lead to independent projects, festival collaborations, and professional opportunities throughout the Canadian entertainment industry.

Bad Dog Theatre attracts a diverse cross-section of Toronto's creative community, from professional actors supplementing their skills to corporate professionals seeking creative outlets to aspiring comedians taking their first steps on stage. The theater's roots in the Theatresports tradition mean it draws improvisers who appreciate both competitive short-form and artistic long-form, creating a versatile community of performers. Bad Dog's alumni network is remarkably deep for an independent theater, with graduates including Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It Anyway?), members of The Kids in the Hall, Lauren Ash (Superstore), Franco Nguyen and Tim Blair (TallBoyz on CBC), Ajahnis Charley (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), and Lisa Gilroy (The Studio). The theater has also trained many of the performers and writers who staff Canadian television productions, Toronto's thriving sketch and stand-up scenes, and the city's corporate entertainment sector. Bad Dog's connection to the broader Canadian improv community — including Second City Toronto, the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, and the Canadian Comedy Award circuit — means training here opens doors throughout the Canadian entertainment landscape.

Bad Dog Theatre's pricing in 2025 varies by program type. Improv drop-in sessions cost C$25 plus HST for a single two-hour workshop, making them one of the most affordable ways to practice improv in Toronto. The Studio Series Shortform program runs C$325 plus HST per term, covering three consecutive levels of advanced training. Foundation and Longform level pricing falls in the C$275 to C$350 range per level, with each level typically consisting of eight weekly sessions. The complete training path from Foundation 1 through the advanced programs represents an investment of roughly C$1,500 to C$2,500, depending on how many specialized programs a student pursues. Bad Dog periodically offers scholarship opportunities and has worked to keep pricing accessible relative to Toronto's cost of living. Compared to Second City Toronto, which charges premium rates for its brand-name Conservatory program, Bad Dog offers a more affordable path to comprehensive improv training — and unlike Second City, Bad Dog's community-driven approach means students gain access to a network of independent performers and creators, not just a corporate comedy pipeline.

Bad Dog Theatre is the clear first choice for Toronto-based performers who want independent, artistically ambitious improv training outside the Second City corporate system. If you value creative freedom, emotional depth, and community over brand-name credentials, Bad Dog will serve you exceptionally well and connect you to a loyal network of Toronto's most dedicated improvisers. The theater is also an excellent choice for performers from other Canadian cities who want to train in Toronto's improv scene without committing to Second City's more structured and expensive Conservatory track. However, if your primary goal is maximizing brand recognition on your resume for the American entertainment market, Second City Toronto's name will carry more weight with US casting directors and agents. If you are visiting Toronto temporarily and want to sample the city's improv culture, Bad Dog's drop-in sessions are the perfect entry point — affordable, welcoming, and a genuine window into the community. For American performers considering training in Canada, Bad Dog offers a distinctive alternative to the UCB/Groundlings/Second City circuit that will broaden your artistic range and expose you to Canadian comedy's unique sensibility.

Start with the drop-in improv sessions before committing to a full class series — they are an affordable way to experience Bad Dog's teaching style and community, and the improvisers you meet at drop-ins often become your classmates and collaborators for years to come. Make it a priority to attend Bad Dog shows at whatever venue they are performing in that week — the effort of tracking down the rotating venues is worth it, as watching experienced Bad Dog performers will accelerate your learning and inspire creative risks in your own work. If you are training at Bad Dog alongside Second City Toronto classes, use the contrast intentionally — the different philosophies will make you a more versatile performer who can adapt to any improv context. Connect with the broader Toronto comedy community through the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, Comedy Bar, and the Canadian Comedy Award circuit, all of which intersect with Bad Dog's network and will expand your opportunities beyond improv. Ask your instructors about the house team audition process early in your training — understanding what Bad Dog looks for in its performance ensembles will help you focus your development and prepare for the audition when you are ready.