FAQs & Accessibility

There is a limited amount of wheelchair accessible seating available. Please contact us to reserve these seats or to communicate any accessibility needs at boxoffice@theimprovcentre.com. Please note that all of our table seats are step free.

Yes – if you have an Access 2 card, your accompanying caregiver will receive free entry. Contact the box office for the promo code to apply at check out. If you'd like to book our accessible table, please contact our box office to book. Your Access 2 card will need to be provided for verification upon entry.

Parking on Granville Island can be challenging depending on what time of day you arrive. See our “Plan Your Visit” page for details on parking and transit options.

Tickets can be purchased online, over the phone, or in person at our box office. Tickets bought online are sent to the email address associated with the purchaser's account. We recommend you buy your tickets in advance of arriving to the theatre as many of our shows tend to sell out!

You can print out tickets or present the PDF on your smartphone at the venue. If you choose to print your tickets, please be careful to print or present the ticket (in the PDF attachment), not the receipt or a screenshot of the ticket.

If you received a ticket voucher or donation voucher with a control and redemption number on it please email our box office with both numbers and which show date you would like to book in for. Since changing ticketing systems these vouchers are only able to be redeemed through our box office team.
If you have received a physical voucher with no control number please email our box office to book in your tickets! All vouchers with no control number are required to be handed in to our box office. upon check in for your show.

Our bar and lounge is open 1 hour prior to the start of our first performance that day. Theatre doors will open 30 minutes prior to your show. We recommend arriving at least 20 minutes before the show.

The Improv Centre's Show Content Guide

We use a rating system that focuses on show’s spiciness level. A show that has few content warnings or is geared towards everyone will be low on the spice meter. A risqué show with suggestive content will land high on the spice meter.

Our shows range from 1 to 5. Some shows are more spicy than others. Each show will have their pepper rating in the ticket details section, which you can learn more about when you click through for more information.

1 (🌶️) – Suitable for all audiences. Children are encouraged to attend with a caregiver. (G)

2 (🌶️🌶️) – Content is cheeky, playful, some innuendo is possible. Think “Shrek” level content. Best for audiences age 8 and up. (PG)

3 (🌶️🌶️🌶️) – Includes more references to romantic relationships. May include light fighting or references to violence. There may be references to smoking or drug use. Best for teens and up. (14A)

4 (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️) – Shows may include adult themes and swearing with more explicit references to sexual or violent themes. Best for older teens and adults. (18A)

5 (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️) – Strictly 19+. Please be prepared to show picture ID. Anything goes in this kind of show!

Performances start promptly at the time indicated on your ticket. As to not disturb the performers and other audience members, latecomers may be seated at the intermission or at the discretion of the Front of House staff.

Participants in classes and workshops arriving later than 15 minutes past the scheduled start time of their program may not be able to access the building due to security protocols.

Call or email our box office and we’ll check our lost and found. Please note that the lost and found is cleared of unclaimed items approximately every six months.

The bar offers a limited number of snacks available for purchase. There are several restaurants on Granville Island delighted to welcome you before or after your show – we recommend making a reservation with one of our restaurant partners here and present your same-day tickets for a discount.

All ticket sales are final and we are not able to offer refunds or credits for missed performances. However, you can gift your tickets! If you have digital tickets, the email or PDF can be forwarded to the person you wish to gift them to. For paper tickets, you can give them to the person that will be attending the performance. Tickets will remain under the purchaser’s name.

Beverages and snacks purchased from the Bar are welcome to be brought into the theatre. Outside food and beverage is not permitted in the theatre.

The Improv Centre’s bar and lounge opens 1 hour before first show of the night. As we are a licensed facility, people under the age of 19 are required to be accompanied by an adult or guardian, regardless of a show’s content.

As our shows are unscripted and created live on stage, we cannot guarantee that all material is suitable for younger audiences and all sensibilities. Our shows include amplified sound and loud music and may include surprise entrances and other startling activity. Please consult the show's content details for more information.

For most shows, children under two years of age may be admitted without requiring a ticket if they remain seated on the lap of the parent or guardian. *For special shows, all individuals require a ticket.* 

Parents or guardians choosing to visit the theatre with children under two years of age are encouraged to book an aisle seat or table and note in their order that they will be bringing a babe in arms so our front of house staff are aware.

If you have any questions about whether a show is right for your group, please contact boxoffice@theimprovcentre.ca or 604-738-7013 x 1 for any further clarifications.

We encourage audience participation for all of our shows, but we would never ask an audience member to come up on stage or participate if they did not want to, regardless of where they are seated.

Participation is encouraged and a key factor in improv. Please call out your ideas or volunteer to participate when the cast requests audience participation. Untimely or ‘unasked for’ participation can be very disruptive to the cast and unpleasant for your fellow audience members. In such cases, individuals not respecting this regulation will be asked to leave the theatre.

Using your camera during the performance is disruptive to fellow audience members as well as to the cast and is not allowed under any circumstances. Individuals not respecting this regulation will be asked to leave the theatre.

Using your phone during the performance is disruptive to fellow audience members as well as the cast and is not allowed under any circumstances. Individuals not respecting this regulation will be asked to leave the theatre. If you need to urgently use your phone, please step into the lounge to do so.

As a registered charity, we rely on contributions from community-minded individuals like you who value the work we do on stage, in the classroom, and in the community. Your donation is critical to our success. How does your gift work? We invest donations in the production of our shows, the development of new improvisers from diverse communities, and our commitment to education. Click here to learn more about the different ways to give and why. Please consider making a donation today. You can donate online as part of your ticket purchase, as a separate transaction, or by contacting our Managing Director at 604.738.7013. Tax receipts will be issued for gifts of $20 or more.

As a non-for-profit charity, The Improv Centre is grateful for the wonderful volunteers who help make our shows possible. We are always looking for new additions to our volunteer community! Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities and perks.

Yes! Our theatre holds up to 186 guests – 48 cabaret seats, 18 bench seats & 120 theatre-style seats. We have audio-visual capabilities including a raised stage, projector, full audio switchboard, mics and lighting operated by our professional technicians. Visit the Rent Our Venue page for more information.