Improv Workshops and Coaching
I discovered improvisational theatre in 2010 and instantly fell in love with it. After spending several years performing and travelling the globe to work with world-renowned improvisers, I created ImproBubble, through which I and several talented teachers and performers share our vision of improv with a rapidly growing community.
Get in touch if you want me to coach your troupe, teach a workshop or direct a format!
Workshop: Notice Everything
During improv shows, our scenes can often suffer from too much going on, or from vital cues not getting picked up. The stress of being onstage gets to us and we either try to overcompensate by adding more, or miss the offers our partners make. But how can we keep our brains from going into overdrive and truly stay in the moment with our partners, reacting to what is already there rather than inventing new things? How can we trust that what we have is enough?
This workshop will focus on exercises that will help slow us down, quiet our inner critic, heighten our perceptiveness and keep us attune to the rich world that has already started unfolding in our scene. We will create scenes that prove that we are all we need.
Hours: from 3 to 12
Participants: 6 min - 16 max
Workshop: You Are Always On
When a scene we are not ‘part of’ starts unfolding on stage, we often tend to lower our guard. Our body goes from alert to relaxed, often sitting or leaning against the wall. And before we know it, we’ve gone into ‘spectator’ mode, no longer as quick to pick up on vital cues or ready to pitch in at a second’s notice.
If this pattern sounds familiar, then this workshop is for you! Through a series of exercises followed by scenework, we will practice being always ‘on’. We will explore the multiple ways we can contribute, either from the sidelines or by entering the scene.
We will also see when it’s worth staying out, and what a difference it makes when it’s an active, rather than passive choice.
Hours: from 3 to 12
Participants: 8 min - 16 max
Workshop: Split Screens and Funky Scenes
Impro has a magical, immersive and convergence-y quality that few other artforms can imitate. We not only see different worlds come to life, but quick shifts in perspective and impressive ways in which the improvisers blend the codes of theatre and film for their audience.
Some of the most fascinating ways in which we can tell our story is through simultaneous scenes; when it works, we see several improvisers performing different scenes seamlessly onstage at the same time, never missing an ounce of information while staying in their separate world.
But how can one initiate these complex scenes without them being mistaken for an edit or the entry of a new character? This workshop will unlock a whole new world of scenework; we will experiment with splitscreens, barndoor edits and a bunch of other funky parallel scenes in the process!
Hours: from 3 to 6 hours
Participants: 8 min - 14 max
Workshop: X Marks the Spot
We've all been there, stuck in a scene in which nothing has been defined. Of course we want to 'go' somewhere, but because the platform, relationships and characters are not clear, the way forward seems just as foggy. The good news is that we can focus on two simple elements, justification and specificity to get unstuck and fire up both our collective inspiration!
When we describe a particular brand of cigarettes, put on a specific outfit, act out the exact type of shot used to score a goal, what we do or say on stage comes alive in a more vivid and enjoyable way, not only for the audience, but also for our fellow players!
And when we notice what's already there, explain it or provide the context, then there's no need to add new elements- we simply use what we' ve already built on to clarify, contextualise or create patterns which will greatly enhance both our enjoyment and that of the audience.
Just like the 'X' which marks the spot on a treasure map, justification and specificity are a winning combination that can turbocharge your improv skills and inspire you and your partners in new and surprising ways.
Hours: from 6 to 12 (can be 3 hours if we focus on either Justification or Specificity)
Participants: 8 min - 16 max
Format: Improvising a Romantic Comedy
We all love a good romantic comedy: the meet cute, the drama, the break-up, the airport chase followed by the (very public) declaration of undying love…!
In this workshop, you’ll discover the genre’s tropes, get to play with them (and even turn them on their head!). By the end of the workshop, you’ll experience how much fun improvised rom coms are to play and, if there is a showcase, see what a satisfying crowd pleaser they can be!
Hours: from 6 to 12 hours
Participants: 6 min - 12 max
Format: The Hangover
Ever woken up after a crazy night out in an unknown place, hungover and unable to remember what you got up to? That is exactly what has happened to the heroes of our improvised Hangover! Just like the movie of the same name, a group of friends will wake up in an unknown location, without being able to remember what happened last night, but with clues on and around them. Through a series of flashbacks and returns to the present, we will follow their drunken adventures until they ultimately figure out what they got up to last night.
Hours: from 6 to 12
Participants: 6 min - 10 max (more if no performance is linked to the workshop)
Format: The Gallery
Originally co-created with my first improv troupe, the Ghost Sheep, The Gallery takes the audience on a journey through art, history and lots of drama. Our starting point is an art gallery where 3 paintings are uncovered, each with a unique story to tell- but the audience gets to decide which painting they want to know more about. We will find out who painted this great work and how the stories of the artist’s life and the painting intertwine. Does art really imitate life? Or does life spring from art?
Hours: from 5 to 9 hours
Participants: 6 min - 10 max (more if the workshop is not linked to a performance)
Format: The Fortune Teller
Originally co-created with my first improv troupe, the Ghost Sheep, the Fortune Teller invites the audience to a seance in which one lucky member will get to see their future. Every stage of the predictions from present, near and distant future are brought to life vividly by the participating troupe. Will the chosen one get their heart’s desire? Only the crystal ball will tell!
Hours: from 4 to 9 hours
Participants: 6 min - 10 max (more if the workshop is not linked to a performance)
Format: Shuffle
The Shuffle was born when Fate brought together 3 improvisers from 3 different countries with 3 different styles, to perform in the Lyon International Improv Festival in the summer of 2023. They were Joe Bill, Sara Soukal and yours truly. The format is made up of 3 monologues told by each performer, followed by scenes that are introduced by a specially curated piece of music- in some way relating to the feel of the monologue. With all this inspiration, the actors burst into their scenes; at times dramatic, at times whimsical, always shuffled.
Hours: from 3 hours
Testimonials