The Improv Theatre in Mission Hills That Runs Four Nights a Week, Every Week

Overview

National Comedy Theatre is at 3717 India Street in Mission Hills, and it does the same thing every week: unscripted comedy, made up on the spot, at 7:30.

Thursday through Sunday. Every week.

The whole thing is built from audience suggestions — you shout things out, the cast builds scenes from them, and nobody in the room has seen the show before, including the performers.

Which means the usual question about a night out — "is it any good this week?" — doesn't really apply. There is no this week. There's just whatever happens in those hundred minutes, and it won't happen again.

The Shows

Three different programmes across the four nights:

NCT MainStage — Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.

The main event, with the professional cast. Fast-paced, audience-interactive improv, running about 100 minutes. This is the one to book if you're going once.

Sunday Company — Sundays, 7:30 p.m.

The next generation of performers, mixing short-form and long-form improv. Short-form is the games-and-suggestions format most people picture; long-form builds longer connected scenes from a single prompt. Getting both in one night is a decent education in what improv actually is.

House Teams — first two Thursdays of the month, 7:30 p.m.

Advanced performers who've come up through the theatre's own training programme, in rotating ensembles.

The theatre's own summary is that there are shows at 7:30 Thursday through Sunday. The House Teams listing specifies the first two Thursdays — so if you're planning a Thursday later in the month, ring ahead and check what's on.

What It's Actually Like

If you've never been to improv, the format is the thing to understand.

Nothing is written. The performers come out, ask the audience for a suggestion — a job, a place, a relationship, a first line — and then build a scene out of it in real time. When it works, it's the funniest thing you'll see all year. When it doesn't, it's over in ninety seconds and they're onto the next one.

That's the deal, and it's why people come back. A stand-up set is the same set on Tuesday as it was on Saturday. This isn't.

It also means the audience matters. Shout something interesting and you get an interesting scene. The room is part of the show in a way it isn't anywhere else in San Diego.

About a hundred minutes, no interval worth planning around, and you're out by nine-thirty.

Practical Bits

The theatre doesn't publish ticket prices on its website, and its online calendar runs on a booking system we couldn't read.

So for prices and the specific line-up on a given night, call or email:

• (619) 295-4999
• SanDiego@NationalComedy.com

The venue is 3717 India Street, in Mission Hills just north of Little Italy — which is a genuinely good part of town to build an evening around. Dinner on India Street or in Little Italy, then a 7:30 show, is about as easy as a night out gets in San Diego.

How to Go

• 3717 India Street, San Diego, CA 92103
• (619) 295-4999 · SanDiego@NationalComedy.com
• MainStage: Fridays and Saturdays, 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday Company: Sundays, 7:30 p.m.
• House Teams: first two Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.
• Runs about 100 minutes
• Ticket prices aren't published online — call

Good to Know

• Everything starts at 7:30. Four nights a week, same time.
• Friday and Saturday is the professional cast. Start there.
• Call about Thursdays — House Teams are listed for the first two of the month.
• Prices aren't published. Ring (619) 295-4999.
• Eat on India Street or in Little Italy first. You're a few minutes from both.
• Sit where you can be heard. The suggestions come from the room.
• No two shows are the same, which makes it a decent repeat visit.
• Done by about 9:30 — it leaves the rest of the evening open.

Why It's Worth It

Because it's reliable in a way almost nothing else in San Diego nightlife is.

Four nights a week, every week, same place, same time, for years. You don't need to find out what's on, book six weeks ahead or check whether the touring act is any good. It's Friday, it's 7:30, it's India Street.

And improv rewards going more than once. The first time you're watching the format; by the second or third you're watching the performers, and you start to notice who takes risks and who saves a scene that's falling apart. That's a different and better kind of enjoyment, and it costs the same.

It's also one of the easier things to bring people to. No one needs to know anything beforehand, it's short, it's done by half nine, and because the audience shapes it, nobody feels like a spectator.

Go on a Friday, eat first in Little Italy, and shout something strange when they ask.

Making an evening of it: our Local Picks cover where to eat nearby, and Liberty Public Market is about ten minutes away if you want options before the show.

For more neighbourhood finds, browse our Local Picks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is National Comedy Theatre? 3717 India Street, San Diego, CA 92103, in Mission Hills just north of Little Italy.

When are the shows? Thursday through Sunday, all at 7:30 p.m. MainStage runs Fridays and Saturdays, Sunday Company on Sundays, and House Teams on the first two Thursdays of the month.

How long is a show? About 100 minutes.

What kind of comedy is it? Improv — unscripted comedy built from audience suggestions. Nothing is written in advance, so every show is different.

Which show should I go to first? MainStage on a Friday or Saturday. That's the professional cast and the theatre's main programme.

What's the difference between the shows? MainStage is the professional cast. Sunday Company features newer performers mixing short-form and long-form improv. House Teams are advanced performers from the theatre's own training programme, in rotating ensembles.

How much are tickets? Prices aren't published on the theatre's website. Call (619) 295-4999 or email SanDiego@NationalComedy.com.

Do I have to participate? You don't have to perform, but the show is built from suggestions shouted from the audience, so the room is part of it.

Is it on every Thursday? The House Teams show is listed for the first two Thursdays of the month, while the site also says shows run Thursday through Sunday. Call ahead if you're planning a later Thursday.

Where should I eat beforehand? India Street and Little Italy are both minutes away, which makes a 7:30 show easy to build a dinner around.