Workshops

in Howden with Tom Hodge

Friendly introduction to improvising songs, the core of musical improv. Mainly group exercises, good energetic start to the day.

You don’t necessarily need a good singing voice, but later on in your musical improv journey it can come in handy. As with all things, it will inevitably get better with practice. For musical improv, however, a strong sense of rhythm and not being afraid of what’s going to come out of your mouth is very important. Best focus on regular improv skills first if you’re at all worried.

in Willow with Jon Trevor

OK, so we’ve established who/what/where. Now what? How do we drive a scene along, make it interesting, make it engaging, make it (dare I say it) funny? This will be a chance to learn and practice a handful simple techniques you can pull out any time, anywhere. With these, your scene will never grind to a halt, but instead soar to new heights.

in Meet 5 with Jonathan Jacomb & James Day

Theatrical clowning is the art of embracing vulnerability with absolute seriousness and creating a playful connection with the audience. It can be detailed, complicated and technical.

This workshop will teach participants the 3 fundamental skills of theatrical clowning through scenarios without the technical breakdown and at the end of the class, reveal what those techniques are.

in Meet 7 with Jet Burnett

This workshop is an improviser’s toolbox for characters! Learn some tips, tricks and techniques to have for making your characters bolder, more distinct, and feel more rounded on stage. Great for absolute beginners to those keen to sharpen their character work. Physical exertion at performers comfort level, and activities could be done seated if needed.

in Meet 4 with Stuart Moses

Sometimes we can establish the who, what and where of a scene but struggle to give it direction. This workshop explores how clear wants create momentum and purposeful action. Drawing on Stanislavski’s ideas about objectives and tactics, participants will practise communicating wants through behaviour, adapting tactics to obstacles, and recognising deeper wants. We’ll explore how clear objectives can strengthen relationships, raise emotional stakes and drive scenes forward.

in Maple with Charly Murgatroyd

Also known as “Follow the Leaver”, a Slacker starts with a simple two-person scene, but whenever (whenever!) a character leaves a scene, the scene ends and we follow that character into a new scene elsewhere in the world. This can get silly.

in Howden with Tom Hodge

For those with a lot of musical improv experience!

Finding songs in longform improv is one thing, but sticking to them and committing to them musically is how to take the show to the next level, so lets do that! We will dig deep into song structures so we can utilise them live, identifying what the song needs at every moment so that everyone on stage can make it happen. We will craft endings to songs that do them justice, overcommit to the genre offers, and discover some absolute bangers.

in Willow with Adam Hodgson and Terje Brevik

The ensemble cast is chosen by lottery on Saturday morning.

Maestro Impro is back! Step into the spotlight for a high-energy night of spontaneous, fast-paced comedy. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a bold beginner, this elimination-style show is the perfect place to sharpen your skills, take big risks, and play with a supportive, rowdy cast. You will be directed on the fly, scored by a thrilling live audience, and cheering on your fellow players.

Could you be the next champion and take home the Maestro prize?

There’s only one way to find out….

in Meet 4 with Alex Keen

In the acting world, they say you should never work with children or animals. But can you play them in an improv scene?

Characters that aren’t human adults can give your scenes more heightened physicality and energy, richer perspectives and new territories for hilarity, but they can also distract and derail, create problematic situations or just leave you excluded from the action.

In this workshop, we’ll look at the difference between Rugrats and Bugsy Malone, Lassie and Narnia, and what they mean for your improv; identify common pitfalls and practice techniques to avoid them; and play lots of strong characters that push you beyond your default.

in Maple with Barnish & Carmichael

This workshop is an introduction to performing long form stories in improv, looking at the story spine, methods of keeping the story on track and ways we can help support the story and each other when on stage.

in Meet 7 with Nick Hollingsworth

Isn’t it magical when a scene seems real? There are two people on stage just reacting to each other and you can’t tell who’s making the offers; the whole thing seems to make itself. Let’s practise that.

Your partner is making lots of non-verbal signals. The audience sees them and believes they mean something… and that how you behave in response means everything. Any words are secondary to the truth, so why struggle to make stuff up.

An exercise that takes ‘yes and’ and applies it to non verbal communication. Expect a slower session that involves looking closely at people, being looked at and a teacher who’s apt to make up or adjust exercises to fit the room.

in Meet 5 with Emma Willmer

‘Be like water’ Bruce Lee.

In this workshop we’ll work on the interior and the exterior.

• First, we’ll aim for a Flow state of alert Effortlessness using Chi Kung & Pranayama (ancient breathing & movement techniques – MILD exertion).
• Secondly, from this flexible ‘Zen’-type state, we’ll use two performance tools to create fun but focused scenes, emphasising mutuality and collaboration.
• Finally, we’ll have lots of easy fun with short-form games.

I hope you will gain experience/confidence in:

• your improv skills even when you try less
• using 2 specific performance tools to stay focused, keeping your scenes shiny, heated and engaging, learning to converge with fluidity & ease on a shared focal point.

in Willow with Adam Hodgson and Terje Brevik

The ensemble cast is chosen by lottery on Saturday morning.

Maestro Impro is back! Step into the spotlight for a high-energy night of spontaneous, fast-paced comedy. Whether you are a seasoned pro or a bold beginner, this elimination-style show is the perfect place to sharpen your skills, take big risks, and play with a supportive, rowdy cast. You will be directed on the fly, scored by a thrilling live audience, and cheering on your fellow players.

Could you be the next champion and take home the Maestro prize?

There’s only one way to find out….

in Meet 4 with Alex Keen

In the acting world, they say you should never work with children or animals. But can you play them in an improv scene?

Characters that aren’t human adults can give your scenes more heightened physicality and energy, richer perspectives and new territories for hilarity, but they can also distract and derail, create problematic situations or just leave you excluded from the action.

In this workshop, we’ll look at the difference between Rugrats and Bugsy Malone, Lassie and Narnia, and what they mean for your improv; identify common pitfalls and practice techniques to avoid them; and play lots of strong characters that push you beyond your default.

in Meet 5 with Jonathan Jacomb & James Day

Theatrical clowning is the art of embracing vulnerability with absolute seriousness and creating a playful connection with the audience. It can be detailed, complicated and technical.

This workshop will teach participants the 3 fundamental skills of theatrical clowning through scenarios without the technical breakdown and at the end of the class, reveal what those techniques are.

in Meet 7 with Jack Greenway

If you have never tried guessing games before, are a bit rusty, or love them and want to do more, this is the workshop for you!

This workshop will include some exercises to help you train skills that are useful for guessing games, tips and tricks to help your shows run smoothly, and will end with a chance to apply what you have learned with a simple game.

in Maple with Arfie Mansfield

An introduction to the wide range of things you can do with solo improv, carefully shaped to demonstrate why it isn’t as scary to be alone on stage as everyone assumes. Suitable for anyone.

in Howden with John Tapp

We often start scenes with spacework of some sort. And we usually rush. Which means we miss the offers that are made at the beginning of a scene. So why don’t we just slow our spacework down, and start noticing what our scene partner is doing.

in Willow with Jon Trevor

OK, so we’ve established who/what/where. Now what? How do we drive a scene along, make it interesting, make it engaging, make it (dare I say it) funny? This will be a chance to learn and practice a handful simple techniques you can pull out any time, anywhere. With these, your scene will never grind to a halt, but instead soar to new heights.

in Howden with Barnish & Carmichael

This workshop is an introduction to performing long form stories in improv, looking at the story spine, methods of keeping the story on track and ways we can help support the story and each other when on stage.

in Maple with Sara Fellows

Does what it says on the tin. Draw names from a hat, bring people up to play games, whether quickfire, scenic, guessing, musical, or any other style you can think of!

in Meet 4 with John Tapp

We often start scenes with spacework of some sort. And we usually rush. Which means we miss the offers that are made at the beginning of a scene. So why don’t we just slow our spacework down, and start noticing what our scene partner is doing.

in Meet 7 with Nick Hollingsworth

Isn’t it magical when a scene seems real? There are two people on stage just reacting to each other and you can’t tell who’s making the offers; the whole thing seems to make itself. Let’s practise that.

Your partner is making lots of non-verbal signals. The audience sees them and believes they mean something… and that how you behave in response means everything. Any words are secondary to the truth, so why struggle to make stuff up.

An exercise that takes ‘yes and’ and applies it to non verbal communication. Expect a slower session that involves looking closely at people, being looked at and a teacher who’s apt to make up or adjust exercises to fit the room.

in Meet 5 with Emma Willmer

‘Be like water’ Bruce Lee.

In this workshop we’ll work on the interior and the exterior.

• First, we’ll aim for a Flow state of alert Effortlessness using Chi Kung & Pranayama (ancient breathing & movement techniques – MILD exertion).
• Secondly, from this flexible ‘Zen’-type state, we’ll use two performance tools to create fun but focused scenes, emphasising mutuality and collaboration.
• Finally, we’ll have lots of easy fun with short-form games.

I hope you will gain experience/confidence in:

• your improv skills even when you try less
• using 2 specific performance tools to stay focused, keeping your scenes shiny, heated and engaging, learning to converge with fluidity & ease on a shared focal point.

in Maple with Trym Nilsen

The Armando is a montage, inspired by an improvised monologue. One player takes a one-word prompt and recounts a story from their life about whatever that word inspires. The cast create a series of premise-based scenes inspired by that story.

in Meet 7 with Jack Greenway

If you have never tried guessing games before, are a bit rusty, or love them and want to do more, this is the workshop for you!

This workshop will include some exercises to help you train skills that are useful for guessing games, tips and tricks to help your shows run smoothly, and will end with a chance to apply what you have learned with a simple game.

in Howden with Stags Woodward

Music can be an incredibly helpful guide in improv, supporting improvisers to really step up and be braver, more expressive and more emotionally connected in their scenes. It can also give live performances a lovely edge.

We’ve gathered some fabulous exercises and games from far and wide that use music as an offer in a variety of interesting ways. Let the music take the pressure off and let your improv fly.

This is open to improvisers of all levels, designed to let everyone shine.

in Meet 5 with Jet Burnett

This workshop is an improviser’s toolbox for characters! Learn some tips, tricks and techniques to have for making your characters bolder, more distinct, and feel more rounded on stage. Great for absolute beginners to those keen to sharpen their character work. Physical exertion at performers comfort level, and activities could be done seated if needed.

in Meet 4 with Stuart Moses

Sometimes we can establish the who, what and where of a scene but struggle to give it direction. This workshop explores how clear wants create momentum and purposeful action. Drawing on Stanislavski’s ideas about objectives and tactics, participants will practise communicating wants through behaviour, adapting tactics to obstacles, and recognising deeper wants. We’ll explore how clear objectives can strengthen relationships, raise emotional stakes and drive scenes forward.

in Willow with Arfie Mansfield

An introduction to the wide range of things you can do with solo improv, carefully shaped to demonstrate why it isn’t as scary to be alone on stage as everyone assumes. Suitable for anyone.