Learn from us

Workshops

Introduction to Improv

Group workshop, 1-2 hours

Unleash your creativity, develop your confidence and learn to collaborate through improvisation. We’ll take you through group exercises to build trust and find the fun, all the way to performing full comedic scenes with your friends. You’ll come away with a thorough grounding in the basic principles of improvisation and an itch to do more.

“Really fun and useful classes with a good mixture of activities for everyone. Rachel and Alex made me feel really confident about coming out of my comfort zone and trying new things.”

Nicky Hindmarch, improviser

“I just wanted to say thank you for a great workshop last night. I really enjoyed it and learnt loads. It was great to have a go with such a welcoming and open group and your explanations and advice were excellent. I couldn’t sleep I was buzzing so much when I got home!”

First-time improviser

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Dramatic Improvisation

Group workshop, 2-4 hours

Improv is a great tool for comedy, but it also creates engaging and mesmerising dramas.

Learn to create and heighten the dramatic stakes, find the moment of change and bring a dramatic scene to a satisfying conclusion.

We’ll teach you how to create scenes and characters full of emotional truth that will have your audience completely absorbed.

“The improv workshops run by Rachel and Alex are some of the most engaging and fruitful experiences I have taken in learning to improvise. They are fantastic at coaching you out of your comfort zone and through all manners of improvisation, and were a great introduction to more dramatic improv.”

Sam André-Paul, University of Nottingham Students’ Union

“Participants loved it. Alex and Rachel have such a knack for playing narrative and identifying points of pivot and change. Lots to learn from them!”

Emma Bird, Liverpool Comedy Improv

“Alex and Rachel are excellent teachers. Their workshops are well focussed and thought out, with very constructive feedback. Many actors fear improv in the audition room, but Alex and Rachel’s workshops not only boosted my technique and improv skills, but also my confidence. I know I got recalls and ultimately jobs on the back of these workshops.“

Sean Corey, Actor

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Creating a Narrative Longform Show

Group workshop, 6 hours

From Hamlet to Harry Potter, the most popular form of story-telling is protagonist-led. In this workshop we’ll give your improv team a crash-course in how to improvise a protagonist-led narrative.

We’ll discuss the difference between plot and story, and how to focus on what matters to the audience. We’ll explore creating protagonists who can carry a show, and what that means for the antagonist and supporting roles.

You’ll come away with a method for building a long-form show which is guaranteed to tell a coherent story that engages your audience, plus a download link to get our video overview of building a narrative longform show (usually £8/US$10).

“I thought your workshop was fantastic. The feedback you gave was really useful, specific and considered. I’d happily attend any other workshop you were running, and I was glad to be able to benefit from your experience and insight.“

Jon Hocker, Wayward Souls

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Video tutorials

Building a narrative longform show

Video tutorial, 30 minutes

All the theory and tools you’ll need to build your own narrative longform improv show, packed into a convenient 30 minute video to watch at your leisure.

You’ll learn:

• the role of genre and tone
• the difference between plot and story
• different ways to take inspiration from the audience
• the process of finding a story and building a protagonist to match
• how to serve the plot with the supporting cast of characters

Just £8/US$10 per person, or get a distribution license for your improv group for just £24/US$30. Contact us for purchasing details.

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Scenework in Narrative Improv (FREE)

Video tutorial, 45 minutes

The counterpart to our video tutorial on building a narrative longform improv show, this free tutorial talks to the individual performer about how to sucessfully navigate each scene in a narrative longform performance.

We discuss:

• the structure of a scene
• the three functions of plot, story and entertainment
• pitfalls to avoid
• finding and developing the ‘interesting thing’
• conflict
• the three D’s of the tilt
• and much more.

Each section is illustrated with recorded examples from past shows and is a useful resource for any improviser, but especially one getting into the wonderful world of narrative longform.

This video builds on and references concepts covered in our paid video tutorial on ‘building a narrative longform improv show’, available above.