Bad Dog Theatre Company

Our workshops and shows are dynamic, engaging and experiential. We work on keeping things fun and light so your team can focus on letting go in a playful and supportive environment

What a workshop might look like:
Group members will participate in improv exercises in small groups and pairs so they can hone their skills and practice key soft skills like listening, collaboration, patience and communication.

Once everyone has been able to participate in the exercise, our workshop facilitators will take a few moments to go over discoveries and challenges people had, as well as explaining the real-world applications that are tailored to your goals before moving on to the next exercise. We will work with your group’s pace to ensure everyone learns together.

Depending on the length of your session, we may build in a break for water and for casual chat - these help the information percolate and gives people time to recover some energy - laughing can really take it out of you sometimes!

At the end of the workshop, participants will walk away with key learnings and are encouraged to reach out to us for further learning if they would like.

What a show looks like:
Our improvisers get ideas, suggestions and occasionally volunteers from the audience and create instant scenes, stories and characters on the spot! Because we're using the audience directly it becomes a very intimate and personal comedy experience. We also get some basic information about the group to bring an even more personalized touch.

For example, we may present a day in the life of one of your employees, a Shakespearean adventure featuring the CEO as the hero, or a choose your own adventure type story where the audience always gets to decide what happens next!

Bad Dog Theatre Company is an artist-run charity that has produced Toronto’s best improvised comedy for 40 years.

Starting as Theatresports Toronto in 1982, our stages have been graced by notable alumni such as Colin Mochrie (Whose Line Is It, Anyway), Kids in the Hall, Mike Myers, Keanu Reeves, Lauren Ash, Bruce Hunter (Puppets Who Kill), Pat McKenna (The Red Green Show), Gary Campbell (MadTV), Sandra Shamas (Playwright), Linda Kash (A Mighty Wind), and Tim Sims (The Red Green Show).

From location to location, we have continued to produce critically lauded (that’s right, not just acclaimed, LAUDED) shows such as Toronto I Love You, La Grande Jatte, and the sell-out hit Hook Up. Our education center is currently located at 392 Spadina Avenue, and we continue to make audiences laugh with our Friday-night residency at Comedy Bar with our flagship show Theatresports.

Facilitated by the best teachers (and funniest comedians) in the city, every year our Academy helps hundreds of adults and youth experience the joy of improvising. The classes aren't just fun, they also develop listening skills, build confidence and improve creative thinking. From beginners to advanced, we believe that everyone has something to learn from improv!

Now in our 40th year, but we’re only getting started. Want to join in? Come see a show. Take a class. Bring us to your office for training. Our mission is to create top quality performances and training for our audience, performers and students, to reflect the artistic value of improvised theatre and its ability to provide live shared experiences!

Bad Dog can perform anywhere with any set up - as long as there is a performance space that can comfortably fit 4 people, we can make it happen! A stage is ideal, but not required. Lighting in the performance space is good, but we can source lighting if needed, as well as speakers/lapel mics for larger spaces.