A new comedy club, run by local production group OK, DOPE, is moving into the former location of Logan’s Pub in North Park.
Logan’s closed in October 2020, primarily due to financial instability brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This left a massive gap in the arts scene when it shut down.
Since then, a liquor store has taken over half of the former pub’s space, but the other half has remained vacant.
But it won’t be empty for long, as co-founders of OK, DOPE, Nash Park and Alex Forman get the keys to the space on January 1st, 2026.
OK, DOPE origins
Park and Forman started OK, DOPE almost by accident.
After playing in bands for a handful of years in Victoria, Park tried his hand at stand-up comedy as a way to branch out and do his own thing independently.
He kept at it, improving his craft, honing his jokes and networking with other comedians and improvisers in the city until he met Forman.
Park started hosting a live, local “Late Night” show, and had her on as a guest. The two clicked immediately and started to work together to build OK, DOPE into what it is today.
“I did a couple of late night shows and they were pretty popular and pretty well-received,” Park told Victoria Buzz.
“And that’s how I met Alex, just asking her to be on that show.”
He also started to build a network of smaller towns and communities to perform stand-up throughout Vancouver Island and BC.
Forman brought her improv know-how to OK, DOPE, and started helping Park bring the stand up and improv worlds together.
She now runs classes for improv, stand-up and more, which in turn helps contribute to the comedy scene at large in Victoria.
“It really does all feed itself,” said Forman.
“It’s like one big umbrella where the students come to the shows and then the students are the shows. Students support stand-ups, stand-ups support improv—it’s really symbiotic.”
The duo also started a successful comedy podcast called OK, DOPE Podcast.
Taking over Logan’s Pub
Forman says that the idea to check out what is left of the former Logan’s space was completely serendipitous.
“Honestly, I moved to Fernwood and just kept driving by it,” she said.
“There was just something drawing me to it, I can’t quite explain what it was, it sounds sort of cheesy, but I just felt like I was meant to be there.”
She approached Park and asked him to check out the space with her, and he was hesitant because he says he is usually the more cautious of the two.
They went to look at it and Forman describes the experience as akin to when going to look at puppies.
“We were like, ‘we’re not going to get it,’ you know, we’re just looking,” she laughed.
“We walked out of there and I was like, ‘oh no,’” added Park.
Both knew they had to do whatever it took to get the space.
Since then, Park and Forman have been working hard at getting plans together, attaining permits and preparing themselves for what’s to come.
They don’t have a name chosen for the space, although they told Victoria Buzz that the business name “OK, DOPE” will likely be a part of it.
“We just want to make sure that people are aware that it is not somewhere you buy weed or anything,” joked Forman.
Once open, their hope is to be able to start scheduling four shows a week, some improv, some stand-up.
Part of this plan includes getting creative and making sure the shows are themed in a broad way to be able to appeal to all of Victoria, depending on the show.
“No matter what kind of show it is, we want it to be well-curated,” said Park.
“Bringing something different, and really targeting every demographic, you know—we have shows that lean more to women, we have shows that people who are into D&D would be interested in, and all these different types of interests we hope to appeal to with different types of shows,” added Forman.
Before they open, a new kitchen will have to be put in, new licences will have to be obtained, some renovations to the bar and the lobby are needed and a merch shop will be set up as part of the lobby area as well.
They are hoping to open the new comedy club as early as March. When they do open, the duo will be holding a big going away party at The Mint, where they currently host weekly shows.
