Think You're Funny? Where To Take Comedy Classes Online

Photo by Patrick Robert Doyle

Photo by Patrick Robert Doyle

Since many of us are staying safe and Staying Home™ there has been a lot more time to consider professional development through classes and workshops. Many comedy spaces across Canada quickly adapted and created online opportunities for comedians and stage artists to learn the comedy craft from performance to writing skills. It is also a way for these organizations to earn revenue while their performance spaces are closed.

Whether you are a comedy hobbyist, or an established comedian who just wants to keep sharp, check out these Canadian comedy classes and workshops.

The Assembly
Toronto

The Assembly is a game-based longform and sketch company who have been presenting virtual workshops online throughout most of 2020. Upcoming classes include Monoscenes, where you can sign up solo or with a partner, and DIY Sketch, where you can learn to write, film, and edit your own video sketches.
Sign up here

Bad Dog Theatre
Toronto

Bad Dog Online offers classes in improv, sketch, screenwriting and other essential comedy skills. They are taught by some of the top comedy minds in Toronto and beyond. They have a unique selection of classes including: Check the Rhyme, to help improve your improvised rhymes in musical improv; Genre in Comedy, how to use commonly known tropes to tell familiar stories and make engaging satire; and Writing Web Content, where you'll learn about writing and pitching video sketches, articles and other types of web content.
Sign up here.

Blind Tiger Comedy
Vancouver

Blind Tiger is Vancouver’s home for improv and sketch comedy classes and coaching led by legendary comedy collectives Hip.Bang!, The Sunday Service, and more. They offer intro and intermediate improv classes and drop ins such as Don’t Let The Game Play You, Harold and His Many Friends, and Mono Scene. Currently they have sketch comedy classes running including Full Metal Sketch, and Versatility.
Sign up here.

The Grindstone Theatre
Edmonton

Grindstone Theatre in Edmonton offers classes for adults, in a wide variety of disciplines including acting, burlesque, improv, Sketch and stand up. Their winter term will include in-person and virtual classes, in addition to their improv conservatory and programs for kids and teens.
Sign up here

Improv Niagara
St. Catharines / Niagara Falls

Improv Niagara is an improvisational comedy ensemble based in Ontario's Niagara Region. They provide workshops, jams and shows including the upcoming in person class Mindful Improv, which teaches the fundamentals with a particular emphasis on being fully present and in the moment. Stay tuned for their Winter 2021 classes as well.
Sign up here

The Making Box
Guelph

The Making Box is a hub for improv education and live comedy in Guelph the Kitchener-Waterloo region. They offer a wide range of classes for all ages including drop ins, and speciality classes including Improv for Business, and Clown for Improvisers.
Sign up here

Rapid Fire Theatre
Edmonton

Rapid Fire Theatre Improv Academy offers in person and online classes throughout the year. Upcoming classes include Kidprovisors Online, where kids 6-12 will learn the basics of narration, character, and scene work, and Online Improv for Beginners, a six week classes with a focus on agreement and confidence-building.
Sign up here

The Second City Training Centre
Toronto

The Second City Training Centre in Toronto is currently offering all of their classes online, not only due to COVID, but because they are in the midst of building their new location. This means that comedy students from across North America now have access to teachers from The Second City's three main hubs: Toronto, Chicago, and Hollywood.
Sign up here

Social Capital Theatre
Toronto

The Social Capital Theatre has been running online drop-in classes several days/nights per week since the summer time. Classes include Duo Scene Work, Dramatic Improv, and Improv For Mindfulness.
Sign up here