Mile End Improv - The Place for Good Comedy on St. Laurent Near Maguire’s
By Bhavna Patel
November 4, 2025
Performers during an Improv show at Theatre VME.
Tucked away in a small pocket of the historic Mile End, surrounded by bars, bagel shops and cafes, stands the 50-seater Theatre VME, home to Mile End Improv. The venue has come to be known for its welcoming atmosphere, entertaining shows, and affordable prices. “When you come to our shows, there's a high percentage chance that you will have an impact on the show that isn't just related to ‘Hi folks! We need a location,’” said James McGee, Mile End Improv in-house producer. The show begins the moment the lights turn on and the host comes out to greet the audience; it’s an interactive experience for the audience.
Improv, or improvisational theatre, offers live performances where actors spontaneously make up scenes, dialogue, and characters, all whilst incorporating themes suggested by the audience. This allows actors to stimulate new ideas and creativity, explained McGee. It’s a type of theatre that some would argue barely falls on the cusp of the artistic milieu.
“[Improv is] comedy, but it’s not stand-up, and it's certainly not sketch” McGee said. “I think if something happens on stage and there's a performance, it skews more towards theatre than not,” he explained. Perhaps improv is a hybrid of sorts, albeit a “dorky” hybrid, according to McGee. “When I watch improv, I'll be sitting there thinking, ‘This is the most nerdy thing I've ever seen in my life.’… It's grown-ups playing make-believe… But I think, just like anything, it's about how you do it and how it's presented.” You may or may not feel uncomfortable during the show, but either way, you’re guaranteed at least a few laughs.
Mile End Improv hosts shows on most weekends, including the offbeat comedy, Every Thursday Improv Show, which has the one guarantee that, rain or shine, the show must go on each Thursday night. Every week of November will host a slightly or fully different one-hour show from the previous one, with a rotating cast that will keep things fresh for the audience and the actors on their toes. The theme of the show can be a mixed bag of sorts and only gets revealed to the cast 30 minutes prior to being on stage. “One Thursday we might do a completely improvised play inspired by audience suggestions and then the week after that you might see a show where we cover the soundtrack to your life” — where the actors cover favourite musicians suggested by the audience.
“One Thursday we might do a completely improvised play inspired by audience suggestions and then the week after that you might see a show where we cover the soundtrack to your life.”
Graphic for Theatre VME’s Every Thursday Improv Show
One has to hand it to the actors, who put themselves out there for possible judgement with little to no preparation. Working with a blank slate in improv acting can be daunting, especially for beginners, but it also offers a unique foundation for performers to build on. Along with hosting shows, the theatre also provides improv classes for students of varying levels who are looking to gain experience.
Some students sign up to practise getting more comfortable in social settings, while others want to uncover their raw potential; whatever the reason, there’s a class option for everyone. “The workshops are always a fun time, and the classes are incredible and inspiring,” one online reviewer noted.
Apart from being fun, improv has its other benefits, like helping to boost one’s confidence. Improv audiences can be more forgiving during shows, allowing actors to take on more risks during a live performance. “I think you need to walk the tightrope and enjoy the possibility that you could fall,” McGee said. While working with unscripted lines and scenes, subjecting oneself to the criticism of an audience is an inherent risk for improv actors. This element of risk can be unnerving for performers but also rewarding in other ways. Studies on the benefits of improv acting over time have found that “it boosts creativity and confidence and decreases anxiety and uncertainty intolerance” for performers.
For McGee, the goal for Mile End Improv is to be recognized for stimulating the taste buds of locals, and to build an atmosphere like Cheers — “where everybody knows your name.” Rather than being seen as mere customers, he wants show goers to be an inherent part of the growth that’s taking place right now at the venue. Whether it’s stopping at Cafe Olimpico for coffee, or visiting Wilinski's for lunch, McGee wants Mile End Improv to roll off the tongue just as easily as a go-to spot for good comedy in the area.
The Every Thursday Improv Show
By Mile End Improv
Running November 6-27, 2025
At Theatre VME