Play Your Cards... Right?
in Howden with Stags Woodward
Take a card, any card… & add some new tilts to your bag of improv tricks.
Whether you’re a newbie or an experienced improviser, it can be easy to get into a rut. In this workshop, we’ll have a pack of cards with dynamic scene directions from a range of different sources that can nudge you into taking things in a direction you’d never normally take it. When the bell rings, take a card and see where the suggestion takes you. Stick or twist, either way you’ll gain a whole new bag of tricks.
Repeats session 2
Jam: Shortform Games
in Meet 3 with Ian Coe
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!
One-off, not repeated
Bit Parts
in Meet 4 with Dave Tuer
When in a show with many performers, we can sometimes feel a bit stood on the sidelines. We need to let our fellow performers shine and run their scenes, but we’d like to get on stage. This is where bit parts come in: that one-line entry and exit; walking through with something relevant; answering a callout from the scene; adding background to the location. This workshop will focus on identifying and fulfilling bit parts, without derailing the scene.
Repeats session 4
Talk To Me!
in Meet 5 with Jon Trevor
In an improvised performance there can be many opportunities to directly address the audience, including monologues (both truthful and character), interviews, and formats such as Armando etc. There are a variety of ways we can narrate — as a group, as character within a scene, or just as ourselves.
So, talk to me…
Repeats session 1
Senses and Sensibility
in Meet 7 with Jen Clarke
In improv as in life, we can often make choices or take actions based on who or where we think we ‘should’ be rather than focusing on who or where we are. This workshop explores how using grounding techniques can help us to delve deeper in to characters and discover in the present. We’ll focus on using our 5 senses and how these can inform the choices we make and the stories we tell.
Although touch is one of the senses, there is no requirement for physical contact.
Repeats session 1
Musicality for Non-Musical Scenes
in Maple with Stuart Moses
We’ll explore the ways non-musical scenes have a musicality, from rhythm and tempo to phrasing, repetition, emotional crescendos, and silence. Through group exercises, we’ll play with collective rhythm and shared tempo, learning to listen and respond to the energy of the ensemble. In pairs and small-group scene work, we’ll experiment with musical ideas to see how subtle shifts can create interest, tension, and clarity. If your scene work is leaving you feeling flat, this workshop is for you.
Repeats session 3