Beer & Comedy: Meet the New Crew Taking Over the Tokyo Stage

Pirates of Tokyo Bay returns Sunday, July 26, 2026 with Beer & Comedy at What the Dickens! in Ebisu: ¥2,500, 1st drink free. Doors open at 7:00 PM and the show begins at 7:30 PM, one train stop from Shibuya. This month carries extra electricity: after our first open auditions in two years, 10 new cast members have joined the crew, and this hot summer night of English and Japanese improv comedy is where you can start catching them live.

Hot Tokyo night? Cool down with cold beer and comedy!

July in Tokyo is beautiful, sticky, and slightly unhinged, which makes it the perfect month for a night out that requires zero planning and delivers maximum payoff. If your list of things to do in Tokyo this summer is starting to look like a queue simulator, trade it for a cold drink and a room full of laughter above the Ebisu streets. Your ticket already includes your first drink free, the air conditioning at What the Dickens! is set to survival mode, and every scene is built live in front of you from audience suggestions. If you have ever typed comedy clubs near me while melting on a Shibuya sidewalk, good news: the answer has been one train stop away this whole time.

Meet the fresh talent transforming the Tokyo stage

Earlier this month we threw open auditions to the public for the first time in two years, and Tokyo answered loudly: 75 performers registered for a single day of tryouts at Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya. After hours of scene work, group games, and the kind of controlled chaos we secretly live for, 10 new members earned a place on the crew. Please give a warm, slightly sweaty summer welcome to:

• 前中朝陽 (Maenaka Asahi)

• 藤原弥生 (Yayoi Fujiwara)

• 岩佐優美クリスティーナ (Yumi Christina Iwasa)

• Andal Paul

• Darcy Kendall

• Felix Sturtz

• Jalani Blankenship

• Maurice Engel

• Ralph Reyes Del Rosario

• Nasa

This is not a cast reshuffle; it is an expansion. More players in the rotation means more voices, more styles, and more ways for a scene to go gloriously sideways. And if you are wondering whether you can keep up, relax: you never need to speak both languages to enjoy the night, because the stage does the translating for you.

Inside our most competitive open call yet

The numbers only tell part of the story. A two-year gap between open calls meant the audition room was packed with performers who had been waiting for this exact door to open: actors, teachers, engineers, and stage veterans from across Tokyo's international community. Our panel of veteran Pirates watched every candidate build scenes with total strangers, and the ones who made it did so by pulling off the hardest trick in comedy: making other people look good.

Why a bigger crew means a wilder show

Every Pirates show is assembled live, so the chemistry on stage shifts with every combination of players. Grow the roster and the number of possible pairings explodes, along with the surprises. Nothing is scripted, nobody knows what suggestion the audience will throw, and now even the veterans do not fully know what their new crewmates will do under the lights. That unpredictability is exactly what makes live improv comedy worth leaving your air-conditioned apartment for, and it is why we think this is about to become one of the most exciting comedy shows Tokyo has going into the second half of the year.

Quick answers about the new crew

How competitive were the auditions for the new cast?

Very. Our first open auditions in two years drew 75 registered performers for a single day of tryouts at Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya, and only 10 made the final cut. Every new crew member earned their place through live scene work and group games in front of our veteran cast soon.

How did the new cast members prepare after passing auditions?

From the moment they were selected, the new members began rehearsing with the full ensemble, drilling the short-form games featured in our monthly shows so they can hit the stage at full speed this summer.

Will the new cast members appear at the Beer & Comedy show?

Yes. The Beer & Comedy night at What the Dickens! in Ebisu on July 26, 2026 kicks off the new era, and fresh faces will start joining our veteran players on stage from this show onward.

How does a bigger cast change the games in the show?

More performers means more combinations, more surprises, and more energy. Nothing is scripted, so every new player adds choices nobody on stage can predict, which keeps each game fresh for the audience and the cast alike.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Plan your night in Ebisu

🎆Beer & Comedy : English & Japanese Improv | 夏だ！ビールだ！即興だ！

• Date: Sunday, July 26, 2026

• Doors: 7:00 PM | Show: 7:30 PM

• Venue: What the Dickens!, Roob 6 Bldg 4F, 1-13-3 Ebisunishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0021 (one train stop from Shibuya)

• Tickets: ¥2,500, and your first drink is completely free

Join an Improv Group in Tokyo: 2026 Open Auditions

The Pirates of Tokyo Bay hold open auditions approximately once a year. Our most recent auditions took place in July 2026 at Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya. No prior improv or acting experience is required to audition — the group welcomes complete beginners alongside seasoned performers. Auditions are always free to attend. Sign up below to be notified when we announce our next auditions.

Your Stage Is Waiting

Ever caught yourself thinking you'd be great on stage? Maybe you've done some theater, taken a comedy class, dabbled in stand-up, or you're just the person who always makes the room laugh. If you've been looking for an acting audition in Tokyo or a creative outlet that goes beyond the typical expat hobby, this is your shot.

The Pirates of Tokyo Bay have been performing English and Japanese improv comedy since 2010. Every month, we take the stage at What the Dickens pub in Ebisu and create an entirely new show from scratch, no script, no plan, just the audience's suggestions and whatever chaos unfolds. Our cast is an international mix of performers from all walks of life: teachers, engineers, marketers, musicians, scientists. What they share is a love of making people laugh and a willingness to take risks on stage. Learn about improv comedy in Tokyo.

Now we're looking for new crew members.

What We're Looking For

We don't need you to walk in with a polished five-minute set or a theater degree. Here's what actually matters to us:

You're willing to play. Improv is about saying "yes" and building something together. If you can listen, react, and commit to an idea, even a ridiculous one, you're already ahead.

You have some kind of stage presence. Maybe it comes from theater, music, public speaking, stand-up, YouTube, or just being the loud one at the party. We're looking for people who aren't afraid to take up space.

You can commit to Sundays. We practice weekly and perform monthly. This is a volunteer group, but we take the craft seriously. If you're living in Tokyo for at least another year and can make Sundays work, we want to hear from you.

You speak English, Japanese, or both. Our shows are performed in English and Japanese. You don't need both, some of our members only speak one. No Japanese needed to audition or perform.

Audition Details

Our 2026 auditions have concluded. Thank you to everyone who came out!
Want to know when we hold auditions next? Sign up here and we'll email you as soon as dates are announced:
https://www.piratesoftokyobay.com/auditions-signup

See Us Live

Want to see what we're all about? We perform every month at What the Dickens in Ebisu. Come watch, grab a drink (the first one's on us with your ticket), and see the group in action.

Show details: This month's show

Ready to Join the Crew?

Sign up to be notified when we announce our next auditions. We only hold them once a year, so getting on the list is the best way to make sure you don't miss it.

Sign up for audition alerts: https://www.piratesoftokyobay.com/auditions-signup

In the meantime, come to a show! It's the best way to get a feel for who we are and what we do.

Show schedule