Garden City Improv is a professional improv comedy training centre and performance company in Victoria, British Columbia, founded in September 2021 by Kevin Matviw and Nash Park. Matviw brings 15 years of Toronto improv experience including 12 years at The Second City Toronto, establishing Victoria's first professional improv training centre with a curriculum rooted in Second City pedagogy.
History
Founding (2021)
Kevin Matviw, a veteran improviser with 15 years in the Toronto improv scene and 12 years performing and teaching at The Second City Toronto, relocated to Victoria and co-founded Garden City Improv with Nash Park, a Victoria-based comedian and entrepreneur, in September 2021. The company launched under the name Garden City Comedy before rebranding to Garden City Improv. Initial classes were held above Wild Coffee on Broad Street; shows took place at the Victoria Event Centre.
Victoria's First Professional Improv Training Centre
Garden City Improv opened as Victoria's first professional improv comedy training centre, with beginner classes selling out within three weeks of announcement. The company runs structured weekly improv courses for beginners and intermediate students alongside monthly shows. In August 2024 the company hosted Colin Mochrie for a guest performance at the Victoria Event Centre.
Artistic Identity
Garden City Improv is Victoria's first professional improv training centre, bringing Second City-trained pedagogy to Vancouver Island through structured courses and regular performance programming.
Key Events
Garden City Improv Founded in Victoria, BC
Kevin Matviw and Nash Park founded Garden City Improv in Victoria, BC in September 2021, establishing the city's first professional improv training centre with Second City-trained instruction.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Garden City Improv. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/garden-city-improv
The Improv Archive. "Garden City Improv." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/garden-city-improv.
The Improv Archive. "Garden City Improv." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/garden-city-improv. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.