Shows are Friday & Saturday nights at 7:30 & 9:45 pm
The National Comedy Theatre, San Diego’s long-running show, will reopen on Friday, September 3rd, after an 18-month shutdown due to Covid.
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| Gordy, Mel, Jess, and Sharon. Photo Courtesy of the NCT |
The National Comedy Theatre is an improvised comedy show, where the entire performance is developed on the spot, all based on audience suggestions. Since its original opening in 1999, the show has played continuously, with almost 6000 performances to date, making it the longest running show in San Diego history.
“The cast has been anxiously awaiting news of our return to the stage for a year and a half”
reports Artistic Director & “Big Cheese,” Gary Kramer.
“We finally all went back into rehearsal in early August, and we cannot wait to present the show in front of a live audience again.”
Created entirely based on audience suggestions, the cast of the National Comedy Theatre weaves a 100-minute performance, which runs the gamut from improvised sketches to instantly created Shakespeare scenes, storytelling and musicals.
Like many performing arts groups around the country, NCT utilized Zoom during the lockdown.
“We were able to run classes on Zoom, and they were surprisingly well-received, fun, and constructive,” says Kramer. “The show itself, however, absolutely relies on the interaction and relationship between the audience and performers, and we felt that the quality of that in a virtual environment wasn’t what we desired in our show. As such, we are over the moon to be returning to in-person performances.”
“We were able to run classes on Zoom, and they were surprisingly well-received, fun, and constructive,” says Kramer. “The show itself, however, absolutely relies on the interaction and relationship between the audience and performers, and we felt that the quality of that in a virtual environment wasn’t what we desired in our show. As such, we are over the moon to be returning to in-person performances.”
The theatre is following all recommended Covid protocols, including a vaccination and mask policy. All performers and staff are vaccinated and vaccine cards and masks will be required of all audience members.
“We know that it’s a bit uncomfortable to be in a mask, especially with requirements loosening this past spring. However, with the current situation, we want to ensure that our guests, cast and crew remain safe so that we don’t have to lockdown for another 18 months. We appreciate the understanding and patience of our guests, and know that we are all in this together – which is very much the spirit of our show.”
The show will be opening with the Mainstage cast for the initial two weeks, with performances
on Friday & Saturday nights at 7:30 & 9:45 pm. The shows are appropriate for all audiences, with the exception of the Friday, 9:45 pm performance, which is the “NCT UnRated” show, designed for audiences 16+.
The upcoming schedule is as follows:
Friday, 7:30 PM – Mainstage Cast
Friday, 9:45 PM – NCT UnRated
Saturday, 7:30 PM – Mainstage Cast
Saturday, 9:45 PM – Mainstage Cast
Sunday, 7:30 – Sunday Company (beginning September 19)
Friday, 7:30 PM – Mainstage Cast
Friday, 9:45 PM – NCT UnRated
Saturday, 7:30 PM – Mainstage Cast
Saturday, 9:45 PM – Mainstage Cast
Sunday, 7:30 – Sunday Company (beginning September 19)
The National Comedy Theatre is located at 3717 India St., next door to Shakespeare’s Pub.
Tickets are on sale at www.nationalcomedy.com
Tickets are on sale at www.nationalcomedy.com
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