Immerse yourself in improv for a full week with the award-winning Maydays.
Running so long, we actually don’t know which number this is, The Maydays Improv Retreat is part intensive training, part getaway, and part improv nerd-out. For five days, you will be part of a community of improvisers old and new; talking, doing, watching, and living improvisation. With classes all day and shows at night, the retreat is as challenging as it is inspiring, covering all kinds of improv techniques, practices, and forms. There will be classes in core skills, personal feedback, performance forms and scenework techniques, musical improv (of course), as well as bizarre experiments unique to the retreat. And each evening, as you relax with your hard-earned drink of choice, the award-winning Maydays will perform a show for you (and maybe with you).
Our retreat is welcoming to improvisers of all levels of experience. Past participants have included professional improvisers looking to deepen their skills, new improvisers looking to get a feel for the art form, improvisers from outside the UK looking to connect with the local scene, improv teachers looking for new class ideas, and those who want to try something new. Our community is eclectic and welcoming and our teachers are among the most experienced in the UK. So come be part of it. We’ll see you in November.
In response to the feedback of previous attendees, this year we are making some changes.
- Length. Wednesday 6th – Sunday 10th November. With arrivals on Wednesday and departures on Sunday afternoon, we are back to our pre-pandemic retreat length with four full teaching days after an evening of arrivals and orientation.
- Location. London Lee Valley YHA. Our new location is less than five minutes walk from a mainline train station and minutes from the M25, while still being on the edge of a country park if you want to take a walk.
- Class Structure. While there will still be some short ‘buffet’ classes (classes chosen from a list), there will also be classes in core skills as well as longer classes to get deep into specific topics.
- Accommodation. Although there are some single and twin/double rooms (book quickly to avoid disappointment), the majority of the accommodation is dormitory style to keep costs as low as possible.
- Meals. To maximise downtime, these will be served buffet-style. Each lodge also has a kitchen for those participants who wish to prepare their own food, but sadly we are not able to offer a price difference for those who want to do this.
PRICING
- Full retreat with accommodation, workshops, shows, breakfast, lunch & dinner:
- Dormitory room – en-suite, maximum four in room: £575.00p/p
- Twin/shared room – en-suite: £700.00p/p
- Solo/private room – en-suite:£875.00p/p
- GROUP Bookings – for full retreat with accommodation, workshops, shows, breakfast, lunch & dinner:
- Book as a group of 4, you will share an en-suite dormitory and save yourselves £50 each
- £525.00p/p, must be booked as a group ticket to secure the discount.
- Full retreat Non-accommodation, workshops, shows, workshops, shows, breakfast, lunch & dinner:
- Non-accommodation places – £335.00p/p
- Weekend Pass with dormitory accommodation, workshops, shows, breakfast, lunch & dinner:
- Arrive from 6pm Friday evening for entertainment, Saturday & Sunday workshops, finish at 4pm – £375.00p/p
- Weekend Pass NON-accommodation, with workshops, shows, breakfast, lunch & dinner:
- Arrive from 6pm Friday evening for entertainment, Saturday & Sunday workshops, finish at 4pm – £225.00p/p
- Day Pass – choose your preferred day to join us, day of workshops with lunch and dinner provided and an evening of entertainment – £135.00p/p
- If your preferred room type has sold out, please pop yourself on our waiting list here and if a room becomes available, we’ll be in touch.
Important notes:
- You can book with a £100 non-refundable deposit, we will invoice you for the remaining balance 8-weeks prior to the retreat
- You can book and pay in full – we have PayPal Pay in 3 available to help spread the cost
Jason Chin Improv Retreat Scholarship
Each year, we offer a full scholarship to The Maydays Improv retreat to someone who is spreading the joy of improv. Find full details here.
Retreat Cancellation Policy:
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- If a cancellation is made more than 6 weeks before the start of the event, the client will receive a full refund, minus booking fees and a £100 cancellation fee or the non-refundable £100 deposit.
- If a cancellation is made less than 6 weeks before the start of the event, you will be charged 50% of the retreat fee + booking fees.
- If a cancellation is made less than 2 weeks before the start of the event, you will be charged 100% of the retreat fee + booking fees.
- If you can no longer make the retreat, find someone to take your place and email us with their details to avoid the cancellation fees. Please note, if you need us to find a replacement for you and we are successful, you will be charged the £100 cancellation fee.
