I had been to NCT a couple of times a few years ago but I decided to take an out-of-town cousin for a night. I felt like it was a waste of my $12 and I wish I had taken her to another improv place. The tickets- $12 with student ID, $15 regular. Can purchase beforehand on the site. The humor - extremely amateur. We didn't find the majority of the show funny. The show is two teams competing for "points" in a series of games, much like "Who's Line." There's a referee who reminded me of Joel McHale from The Soup but he wasn't funny at all. He was trying too hard and spent a lot of time wasting our time by repeating things that did not need repeating. The games they play have potential but the performers just failed. They weren't funny at all. Repetitive jokes and childish humor. Not impressed. The atmosphere- place was half empty so lacked energy. The style- lame and childish. No profanity, nothing that's not rated G allowed, from performers or audience members. They remind you several times from beginning to end. Actually they threaten to put a paper bag over your head for the remainder of the show if anyone says or does anything slightly indecent. I feel like this is extremely unnecessary and boring. I felt like I was at a child's birthday party. The venue- simple. too simple. They have a small bar with drinks. Small amount of seats, maybe 40 max? One-room bathroom. Service- they say they open at 7pm but they opened at 7:10pm which was annoying. Verdict- save your money and go to UCB. Sorry NCT. read more

My friend and I had a blast here on a recent trip to NYC. All the comedians were hysterical. It did feel very cramped (7 of us piled into a tiny booth) but other than that- it was an excellent experience. Would definitely go back!! read more

This is the best value for family fun in NYC. I took my family here after a big Italian dinner on Saturday night. My wife loves fast thinking comedy and this is all improvisational comedy at its finest. And all of the jokes are geared towards families, you wont find a cursing Lenny Bruce show here. And its not a Blues Clues crowd, its more fun for teenagers. We'll be back to see another show! read more

Personally, I never been to a Comedy Club and I did not know what to expect! I went to this Comedy Club for my best friend's birthday celebration. The tickets were extremely reasonable, they were only 12 dollars a piece. The atmosphere was very family friendly and I spend 90 minutes laughing with some of my best friends. It was money well spent. The aspect that I loved about the show was that the comedians were interactive with the audience. The vibe was entertaining and friendly. It is a great place to go with friends and family. Food/Photo/Travel blog: http://lovethephotographer.tumblr.com/ read more

National Comedy Theatre - Outside - Performing Arts Near Me - New York, New York

Their improv shows are hilarious!! My boyfriend took me here on one of our first dates and we've been back a few times and brought others with us. The comedians are really talented and all have good chemistry together. You have to call things out when they ask for audience participation - don't be shy, it makes the show even funnier. Inexpensive tickets and cheap drinks - can't pass this up. We'll be back. read more

My girlfriend came to the theatre last week and had an amazing time! The venue itself is no frills. There is one very friendly "bartender" serving glasses of wine, bottled beer, water bottles, and some snacks. Drinks were all $5. and I think the snacks were less. Once you are let into the theatre, it is an intimate setting with comfortable movie theatre style seating. The smaller setting is perfect for the audience participation which is the core of the show. The improv players are INCREDIBLE!!! Each one is funnier than the next. The games they play with the audience will keep you completely involved as well as near cry-laughing. The show is family friendly, so it never crosses the line into nasty. I will definitely be coming back with the kids next time! Overall: you cannot beat laughing for 90 minutes straight for only $15! read more

Thoroughly impressed by the improv actors and comedians at this joint. Snagged some super cheap tickets on Goldstar.com and came for a Friday evening show. Started off a bit corny but ended the show with a stomach ache from laughing so hard. The host was awesome, the comedians were witty and they even interact with the audience A LOT throughout the entirety of the show. Would recommend this for both children and adults alike... I will most definitely be back to support this small local theater next time I trek up to New York! read more

Loved it! Enjoy a friendly night here with friends or a date. There's no drink minimum Instead, there's a small stand that sells wine by the glass and beer by the bottle. They were serving the wine brand, Cupcake last time I was there and was able to get my hubby a Corona. Also, there's popcorn for $3 and a small variety of concession snacks. Lots of fun! Please participate in order to make it even more gut-busting. read more

My daughter (age 11) and I went to see this improv comedy show on May 29, and had a great time. It was nice to see a show like this, for all ages. So many others are only for adults. The prices were great too. $15/adults, and $12/child, it's not an expensive night out for NYC. The cast was funny, and we laughed a lot! It was a really nice night! read more

One of the best comedy shows in New York ( I have been to almost every stand-up venue in the city). Great for a group of people. The show consists of two teams competing to get the most laughs from the audience. They play a variety of different improv games, but everything starts from suggestions in the audience. Think "Whose line is it anyways?" on steroids. It's a great way to spend a Friday or Saturday night. I can't recommend it more. read more

I had a pretty good time here when I went to the city to visit my cousin. Everyone in the group was really quick on their feet, with a pretty steady stream of funny jokes and the occasional gut buster. :) As other reviewers have said before me, some of the jokes aren't quite as good as the rest, but that, of course, is to be expected with a show that is unrehearsed and shot from the hip. All in all, it was a great way to end a fun-filled day catching up with my cousin, and I would definitely go back to experience it again. read more

So so funny, well one of the group, the Staten Island Fairies were outrageously funny and the other group, the Brooklyn Queens were okay funny. I've never seen an improv show like this one (from LA) and it was just so enjoyable. My boyfriend and I are just visiting NY for 10 days but we are going to one more show before we leave cause it was just so funny. The best part is that we know it will be a different show even if it's the same group "battling" because the improv is all based on what the audience gives for them to do/act out. Bought the tickets from Goldstar, so it was a deal. Unlike other comedy clubs, there were no drink minimums. Great deal, way funny, gem of a find! read more

$12 for laughing your ass off? I'M THERE! While spending a few weeks in NYC, we visited the National Comedy Theatre a couple times. The shows are very 'Whose Line?'-esque, with the improv style, skits, and (ESPECIALLY) the talented actors. Still, regardless of the how skilled the actors, it's really important to have a good audience with great suggestions. Throughout the show, the ref (aka host) asks for skit suggestions. Those suggestions, then, are somehow incorporated into the games that the teams play. Ergo, the funnier/more random and outlandish the suggestions, the harder you'll laugh! Definitely worth checking out while you're visiting the city (: read more

Amazing! I just saw the 7:30 show this evening and had an awesome time. The shows are all improv, and they do it in a sort of "who's line is it anyway" style, so it's important to shout things out whenever possible. Don't worry, they won't pick on you like some comedy shows. There were some great skits, including one where one of the actors had to guess what scenario he was supposed to be in based on the gestures of the other actors (much like charades but they could speak jibberish and hum tunes), and everyone was impressed to the point of uproar when the actor guessed (correctly) that he was supposed to be sleeping on a pillow which was a porcupine and dreaming of levitating with Napolean and Seamus Finnigan. The jokes were generally very clean, no cursing, and all of the younger audience members seemed to have a really good time, so I agree that this would be perfect for a family night out. But it really was good for all ages, and only $15! Go see it this weekend! read more

I've taken improv classes before and I really, really appreciate how effortlessly funny these performers make the skits out to be. It's not easy to be so dadgum creative based on the random suggestions from the audience. If you haven't gone, trust me, you'll get way more laughs here than at any movie theater on a Friday night (and for a cheaper I'd might add). I've been to lots of performances and have never had a bad time. Sure, there are some skits that are less funny than others, but everyone I've always brought have totally enjoyed themselves. And since it's clean comedy, you can even bring in your sweet elderly grandmother who brought you a pie when she visited you in town. No one gets embarrassed or made fun of and there's electricity in the air when the performers work together well and the audience is really into it. read more

Was great. Got cheaper tickets on Goldstar.com and went along with a couple of friends. It is good for basic laughs, and the improve guys and girls are very interactive and quick thinking. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to get an interactive laugh on. read more

TL:DR It's funny to watch people do silly things - and that's what you end up watching. Fun for all ages! I went to see this improv comedy show on a random friday with a friend after dinner. We showed up 30 minutes before hand after looking online and finding a pretty good review of this place. So on a whim we checked it out. It was absolutely great! The show had some great improv comedians working for them and besides the fact that it was clean (which is always a plus seeing as stand up is nearly always dirty). The show is, in short, the old TV show "Who's line is it anyway" - if you don't know what that is - here goes - there are 2 teams that perform for you in different skits that they choose. Upon their choice - the judge tells us what the game is and how it will be played then asks the audience for suggestions of various topics like "Superhero names" or "what is something you do on a thursday afternoon" and based upon your answers that's what the comedians have to use in their skits. For example (from the show i went to) - one was they had to only use a gibberish and pantomime talk to convey a message to a guesser. What he was trying to guess was "Watching a movie with Denzel Washington while eating popcorn made of spiders!" Watching the guy struggle trying to figure out each thing from gibberish was pure gold! read more

We had such a great time. The improvisers were hysterical and the front of house staff was great. They even pulled my wife up to have her help them with a scene. :0) Great picture material. The actors high five you afterwards and you get a chance to meet them in person once the show is done. We'll be back! read more

To get a sense of what to expect, watch "Who's Line is it Anyway?". The shows are all improv, and the cast is very talented. They're so good that I couldn't help but wonder if it was rehearsed in any way, but most likely not since the audience comes up with the topics/scenes. The theater is quite small which means that the setting is quite intimate and any seat is a good seat. There is a lot of interaction between the cast and the audience so it really does feel like you're part of the show. I recommend it if you're looking for some evening/late-night comedy. read more

Full Disclosure: One of my best friends (and certainly my funniest one) from high school is in their rotating cast. He's probably the only kid on the planet who could get me to show up at an improv show in midtown on a Saturday night... but color me surprised, it was fantastic! The two shows a night thing also makes catching them easy as pie. Totally worth the $15 admission, and $5 beers at the bar don't hurt the funny one bit. Take full advantage of your silly opportunity for good times and sit near the front for maximum funtertainment! As an added bonus National comedy Theater also does corporate team building, a summer camp and the like. Just imagine the teen angst that can get played out at Comedy Theatre Summer Camp! Eek. read more

Good old fashioned Fun. Make sure you prep before-hand by thinking of random places and things. Shows are always different. I've gone 6+ times and will definitely be back. It's immensely satisfying to yell out something random and see it come to life. For example, when they asked for a time period and I said "Mesosoic era" they stomped around the stage like dinosaurs and cavemen. It's a grungy, under-groundish place that has a certain likableness to it. Beers are a suggested $5 donation (Heineken, yes thanks) and the comedians are hard-working honest type folk. I always stick around to heckle them while they clean up the aisles after the show. read more

A Powerhouse Night of Improv!" Being a fan of NCT for the past 3 years, I thought it was enough time to see everything that the Theatre is about. Although the shows do indeed give nods to similar theatresport titles like "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", there is definitely a twist on original games, stretches to keep a clean show (many a night you really do have 4 rows of kids so bravo for being one of the few places who can tiptoe this line gracefully) while also giving a solid performance. Games are quick, lighthearted and fun. Improv teams are introduced and battle it out for each game via jokes, singing, acting or other shenanigans. This has been a great ice breaker for people who I was meeting for the first time, out with some old friends who needed a laugh after a long work week and have gone many times solo. The suggestions really do make a difference for the show I have noticed, and I think some people forget that they too are a part of the show. This wasn't a tv show, these are real people performing a live sketch! All in all, my only regret is that the shows weren't longer. A must see for any fan of Improv Comedy! read more

Well, I went on Valentine's night. It is a small theater but packed full of fun. The show is based off skits which the actors play out from hearing about (lets say a couple) experiences together or things that happen to them. The couples sat on the stage to interact with them while the actors played out their roles. What was so interesting about it was it wasn't just the same old "I'll play you, you play me" thing. The actors made the events into songs, plays from Shakespeare, etc. The whole room loved it. I really enjoyed myself especially the audience "join in" part, it was entertaining. read more

Short review: Overall I was not impressed by this place. I've seen much better improv elsewhere. My girlfriend and I decided to try an improv comedy show for New Year's Eve this year to do something besides the usual partying. We had a bad experience last year, but we love live comedy so we thought we'd try again. After looking at several options for NYE we settled on NCT based on the numerous positive reviews. I've been to many live improv shows (one on NYE in Atlanta that was amazingly funny), so I do have a frame of reference. I understand how it is different and honestly more difficult for the comics, but I didn't feel this place was as great as the reviews make it out to be. I thought that many of the comics were quite funny (or at least had the talent/potential to be with better setups), but overall I was not impressed by the show put on. The theme is that there are two competing teams that must try and outdo each other in various "games", but without any real goal. The games they created for improv were interesting although were cliche. For example, there was a game where they took suggestions from the audience for words or concepts in different categories and wrote them down on pieces of paper. This essentially was supposed to work like mad libs. The game had such potential to be funny, but there were two problems. When the comics picked up the papers, they had no idea what category they were going to get. There were no labels like "color" or "actor" on the back for them to setup a scenario and then open the mad lib to have to act out. On top of it, no one tried to incorporate the word or phrase after they saw it, each comic simply read it out loud and laughed. I think it would have been much funnier if they attempted to change their character/scene to match what was written on the paper. Another (minor) gripe I had was that they outright disallowed anything "risque" or raunchy in nature from the outset. I don't know if the motivation here is that they've had problems with the show digressing because the audience gives nothing but adult-themed suggestions, or if maybe they are trying to make the show kid-friendly, but either way I thought it was unnecessarily limiting. If it's supposed to be a kids show, advertise it as such. I see a lot of talent in the actors/actresses, but the show wasn't quite "there" in my opinion. read more

I went with a friend to Saturday's 7:30pm show and we sat in the front row (even though we were one of the last to go into the theatre). They were down one performer for the evening, but still delivered a quality show. This was my first time attending an improv show in NYC (or maybe even ever). I thought the actors did a great job getting the audience involved. The beginning was a little dry but by the end I could not stop laughing. I agree with Julia F.--the highlight of the show was one of the last skits where one of the actors had to guess a handful of scenarios based on the other actors' gestures and noises. The show is created for audiences of all ages--so it was great to see the diversity of the crowd and the fact that laughter brings everyone together! read more

I think it was great fun! As the previous reviews noted, there was nothing off-color in the material but it wasn't missed. There are some rising stars on stage. read more

I completely agree with Sid S's review below. His gripes are the same as mine. This comedy club was two doors down from my hotel and my husband and I decided that a nice, quiet night could be easily spent watching this nearby improv show. It was $15/person, which is a decent deal and the set up is no frills, but spacious, so you at least have a comfy seat and leg room, if nothing else! Fine by me! Improv is of course very difficult...or so I would imagine. This improv was a bit like watching Whose Line Is It Anyway...where the points don't matter...and minus hilarious props incorporated. However, as Sid said, there is some great potential here and overall we had an enjoyable time, with a few good laughs, but these comedians just didn't take it far enough to make this a truly memorable experience. I think, like said below, one of the problems is the inability to touch on anything remotely "risque"....no sexual, or racial, or inappropriate comments. Most major comedians and famous comedy routines centre around taking people out of their comfort zone and making those inappropriate jokes. Without this envelope pushing, everything will fall a little flat. They have an early show and a late show. If they are really wanting to be family friendly, perhaps that can be done at the earlier show, with the later show being reserved for "adults". I also agree that there needs to be some work done in the incorporation of the themes of the games. Overall, it felt pretty amateurish to me, especially given how they bragged a lot about how the show has toured all around the world and so forth. So yeah, not terrible. I didn't dislike the show, but I would be more inclined to check out a different club/show next time. read more

A great find in the city for comedy. Cheap. There is something about improv that makes comedy better than the practiced routine. And these guys were good too at it! Glad I bought the groupon tickets. The overall experience was maybe 4 stars but that's more due to the obnoxious drunk row ahead of us. The teams and the host do deserve max as they really try their best at entertainment. read more

Place was pretty empty for being a Saturday Night. But then again, I guess NYC people have better shows to go to than this. The group really put their hearts into it, and well it made for a decent show. If more people would have showed up I think it would have been funnier. Probably will go somewhere else next time just to see something new. read more

Really enjoyed our visit to the National Comedy Theater. As other people have pointed out, there's not drink minimum, you can just purchase beers, wine and soft drinks (& popcorn!) in the lobby. The show is entirely audience dependent. So the louder and more interactive the audience, the better the show. The actors were great however, despite us only being a very small crowd. Lot's of shouting out, some big laughs and just general games. This is a no-smut zone, and they do warn you at the beginning! So just be prepared to keep it clean. Overall, great show. A little on the steep side for $15, would only really go back with a big group if visiting NYC again read more

I was looking for a good spot to spend New Year's Eve with a teenager in tow. This group had good reviews, so I bought tickets. We had a great time! It was much more expensive than usual, as they served food, had party favors and New Year's Eve hats as well as champagne at midnight, but it turned out to be a great choice as the comedy--improv--is CLEAN. I feel I made an excellent choice and we'll come back for more the next time we're in town. read more

only $15...talk about a deal...We were a little concerned after arriving...the place is small, and it wasn't packed, but we did attend the early show....If you are looking for clean humor, and non stop laughs this place rocks!!! Its a must do if you are in NY! read more

Extremely funny and clever improv comedy based on audience suggestions, similar to "Whose Line Is It Anyway". Really nice people too - everyone - the cast and the staff. Very reaonably priced, especially for NYC. Been there 6 times, including three straight New Years Eve's, which features free food and champagne. Highly recommended! read more

Saw this show after buying a Groupon for it, and was NOT disappointed! Actually I was having a terrible night, but laughed the whole way through despite my foul mood. Thanks for cheering me up NCT!! read more

Was a little skeptical going into this. Venue looks a bit sketchy. But hands down, it was the most laughing I'd done in a long time. I HIGHLY recommend it. read more

hilarious and great place for all sorts of events! I have been here more than five times now, and they manage to keep things fresh and funny, even when keeping it clean! Its a cheap $15 fare, and without any drink requirements, this is a sure cheap way to have a fun time out. Recently went on a date here, and we had such a blast! I was able to volunteer my partner up there and see her perform with the comedians :) Bring your friends and loved ones for a great blast! read more

Great show! Smart, witty, and CLEAN humor. I was able to bring the 8 yr old girl I babysit for and she had a blast! They even invited her on stage for one of the audience participation games. Tickets are super cheap for a comedy show, and there is no drink minimum which is awesome. I have been back several times to bring my friends. Definitely worth checking out! read more

My son(age 25) and I were visiting NYC for a week and thought this would be different and fun from the hustle and bustle in Times Square. Both of us enjoyed it. It's a very small theater and very informal. It was funny and good entertainment for everyone that also doesn't break your wallet. We would have liked to have stayed for the later program but had an early flight out, so we did not. If you're a college kid from there you should go, in fact there was a group of college age kids there and they had a blast. We saw people from about 6 yrs. old to 65 yrs. old, and they all had fun. read more