Start here
Dojo Foundations
Never done stand-up? Start here.
$2254 Thursdays at 6 PM
- No experience needed
- From your first joke to your first three-minute set
- Graduate on the Backroom stage
Pick your path
Most popular
Dojo Premiere
For people who've started, or finished Foundations.
$3504 Sundays, 4 PM or 6 PM
- Build a real five-minute set
- Perform it at your Initiation Showcase
- Skip-the-bucket open mic access until your showcase
2-on-1
Dojo Private
Just you, Brandon and Ariel.
$1,2004 private 60-minute sessions
- A set built around your material
- Filmed on the Backroom stage
- Guaranteed spot at every open mic
How the Dojo works
- FoundationsFour Thursdays. Write your first jokes, learn to deliver them, then do your first three-minute set on the Backroom stage.
- PremiereFour Sundays. Build a real five-minute set with notes from Brandon and Ariel, and get on the club's open mics while you work on it.
- Initiation ShowcasePerform your five minutes at Backroom Comedy Club in front of a crowd, with your friends and family in the seats.
Why learn here
Taught by the club's owners
Brandon Sobel and Ariel Kagan founded Backroom Comedy Club in 2022 and book its shows. They teach the Dojo themselves.
A real stage, a real crowd
Classes happen inside a working comedy club at 814 Bloor St W, and you finish on the Backroom stage.
Reps after class
Backroom runs happy hour open mics: Comedy Gym on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6 PM, and the 90-second Feedback mic on Sundays at 10 PM.
Questions people ask
Where can I take stand-up comedy classes in Toronto?
Comedy Dojo Toronto teaches stand-up comedy classes inside Backroom Comedy Club at 814 Bloor St W (basement unit), between Christie and Ossington stations on TTC Line 2. Classes are taught by Brandon Sobel and Ariel Kagan, the club's co-founders. There are three options: Dojo Foundations for beginners ($225), Dojo Premiere ($350) and private 2-on-1 coaching ($1,200).
I have never done stand-up. Where do I start?
Start with Dojo Foundations: 4 Thursdays at 6 PM, no experience needed. It takes you from your first joke to your first three-minute set, and you graduate on the Backroom stage in week 4.
How much do comedy classes cost in Toronto?
At Comedy Dojo Toronto, Dojo Foundations is $225 for 4 weeks, Dojo Premiere is $350 for 4 weeks, and Dojo Private (four 60-minute 2-on-1 sessions) is $1,200. Payment plans are available: book a free call to set one up.
When do the next classes start?
Dojo Foundations starts Thursday, December 10, Thursday, January 21 and Thursday, February 25. Dojo Premiere starts Sunday, December 13, Sunday, January 31 and Sunday, March 7. New rounds start about every 5 weeks.
Do I get stage time?
Yes. Foundations ends with your three-minute set on the Backroom stage. Premiere students get skip-the-bucket access to the club's open mics until their showcase, then perform five minutes at their Initiation Showcase. Private coaching includes a guaranteed spot at every Backroom open mic.
How big are the classes?
Dojo Foundations takes 15 students per class and Dojo Premiere takes 13 per class, so everyone gets time on stage and real notes.
What is the Initiation Showcase?
It is the Dojo Premiere graduation: each student performs their first real five minutes at Backroom Comedy Club, at 6 PM on select dates. Friends and family can buy tickets to come watch.
Who runs this site?
comedyclassestoronto.com is run by Comedy Dojo Toronto, the stand-up school at Backroom Comedy Club. Prices, dates and booking links come straight from the club's own Comedy Dojo page.
Not sure which class fits? Book a free call and Brandon will help you pick. Or text 289-236-3005.
Book a free call