Die-Nasty

Founding (1991)

Die-Nasty was founded in Edmonton in 1991 by Dana Andersen, Mark Meer, David Belke, and other founding cast members. The format traces to an earlier Edmonton show called Soap on the Rocks, which was revived and evolved into Die-Nasty. Unlike the predecessor show, Die-Nasty gradually abandoned any predetermined narrative in favour of a fully emergent story created episode by episode. Dana Andersen has served as director since the founding; Mark Meer, founding music director, appeared in over 700 episodes.

The Format

Die-Nasty presents a continuing serial narrative fully improvised in real time, using recurring characters whose ongoing storylines are developed across episodes. A director sets scenes via voiceover for both performers and audience. Live music accompanies each episode. The show runs weekly at the Varscona Theatre, with each episode standing alone but building on accumulated character and story history.

Varscona Theatre and Recognition

Since 1993 Die-Nasty has performed at the Varscona Theatre at 10329 83 Avenue NW in Edmonton's Old Strathcona district, the same venue as Rapid Fire Theatre. The company won the Canadian Comedy Award for Best Improv Troupe in 2006. On February 12, 2007, the Government of Alberta recognized Die-Nasty upon the company reaching its 500th episode.

Die-Nasty is Edmonton's long-running live improvised soap opera, creating a fully emergent serialized narrative in real time each week at the Varscona Theatre since 1991.

Die-Nasty established the live improvised soap opera as a sustained long-form improv format, running continuously since 1991 and demonstrating that serial narrative and recurring characters can sustain a performing ensemble for decades without scripted material. The company's 500th episode, recognized by the Government of Alberta in 2007, marks one of the longest-running improv serial works in North American comedy history.