What we’re about
Perhaps you've already tried improv and you love it. Maybe you haven't a clue what it is.
It's like a comedy sketch show but completely made up on the spot. It can also be a longer piece of theatre often based on one word or title from the audience. Get out of your comfort zone and do something totally crazy! It's not just for 'confident' people, it's proven to help people who suffer from anxiety and we have many people through the door who say it's helped them.
Watch these: https://actsocialfilm.com/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av-embeds/42922769/vpid/p05wxs88?fbclid=IwAR1VwwRcdbxyUh9v73hX5DaDUaIH8BoYubR0YTEjdmlMqrpZbQ6hhOHlFOE
Read this: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/dec/20/comedy-improv-overcome-anxiety-depression?fbclid=IwAR3NOyWCkwF0t_Tl516oXWuXO5b_1ZU4duwgXQBDRtTnRkq2jcLgQmGQ3xU
We help each other regain a creativeness we had naturally when we were children. <br> <br>Improv comedy is booming in popularity right now, although it's been around in current form since the 1960s. You may know it best from the TV show "Whose Line is It Anyway?". It's a bit like that, part sketch, part theatre, but we have no script. <br>
We'll show you how to create comedy magic out of thin air. There's no 'natural comic ability' required.
Read a short history here http://www.improvcomedy.org/history.html
You will be very welcome to come to regular workshops and jams in Nottingham. Workshops are open to all levels of Improv experience. The Monday evenings sessions are every week in the upstairs room at Bunkers Hill in Hockley. There are also Thursday sessions run by MissImp (£5) at the Malt Cross and the opportunity to join or form performance groups which meet on other nights. These include musical improv from Rhymes Against Humanity, and the Vox Pops. New groups are forming all the time leading to a huge Nottingham improv community.
What to expect in a typical 2 hour session <br>
• A warmup to get you into the 'spontaneity zone'
• Tips and warmup exercises to build your performance confidence <br>
• Scene-based short form games you may have seen on shows like 'Whose Line is it Anyway?'
• Scenes based on a one word suggestion, phrases, location, occupation, relationship <br>
• Friendly coaching <br>
• Guaranteed laughter
We are open for all to attend, regardless of gender and gender identification, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, age (over 18 - this is a venue requirement), nationality, ability to speak English, disability status*, or anything else. Everyone is free to develop how they wish. You may be asked if you wish to perform in a public show, but you won't be pressured. We aim to perform non-offensive light-hearted comedy that everyone can enjoy. We aim to achieve good quality improv, based on established professional techniques e.g. those written about and performed by Keith Johnstone and Del Close.
At any one time we are generally up to one of the following:
Workshops - practicing our improv skills in a fun and supportive environment.
Shows - performing or watching public improv shows whenever we can
Corporate events - do you need a team-building or motivational event for your staff or just to give them a fun break? Get in touch!
The coaching and workshops on Mondays are not for profit but in gratitude to Landlord Ezra for the free venue, Please buy a drink at the bar. Contributions are always welcome. Running a MeetUp group costs the organiser a monthly fee and our venue charges for space If we want to perform a show, the room hire at weekends can be expensive, so any spare money from Mondays will be kept to fund any shortfall from door takings at a show.
If you have some experience and would like to help run sessions, please message Paul or Johanna. <br>
*We meet upstairs on a Monday in a venue where there's no lift unfortunately, so if you have a physical disability, please get in touch first to discuss access. <br>
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