How to Create Characters in Improv Many years ago, when I first started teaching improv, we used to run a ten-week beginners’ course. One of the weeks was Character Week which was all about creating charatcers in improv. It makes me laugh now when I look back at past me,…
There is an old improv game called ‘What happens next?’. It goes like this. Improviser Anna asks improviser Benny ‘What happens first?’ Benny answers the question. Maybe ‘You brush your teeth’. So Anna brushes her teeth. Then she asks, ‘What happens next?’ Benny responds ‘You…
Three-Quarters Through the Madness of Impro Amsterdam 2026 I’ll write something practical about the shows later. For now, this is what three-quarters through a festival feels like. It’s a very strange feeling to be homesick at the same time as feeling like I’m at home. Coming to improv festivals transcends…
Last week, we shared a blog about the building we had hoped to move into. While it wasn’t the news we wanted to be sharing, the response has been amazing. We’ve been overwhelmed by messages of support, from Brighton and from much further afield.
This isn’t the update we wanted to share, but it’s an important one. We are facing the possibility that we may not be able to move into 12-14 Church Street as planned. This doesn’t change our ambition to open an improv theatre called the Ampersand…
The Ampersand: An Update Back in January, we thought we would be in the Ampersand* by the end of the summer term. On course pages, we wrote that we would start at BHASVIC** but expected to run end-of-term showcases in our new space. How foolish we were is…
How to Handle Improv Audition Rejection Hello! I’m Heather, and I make my living through improv. I perform in shows, teach classes, facilitate applied improv, and occasionally do things like this; writing and thinking about improv. One thing I am not particularly good at, though, is auditions.
There is much talk at the moment around workers returning to the office. Some people love it, some people hate it, and a whole lot of people just don’t know what to make of it. The McKinsey article “Returning to the Office? Focus More on Practices and Less on…
Psychological Safety in Teams & Improvisation Training On the face of it, improvisation might seem like it’s all about recklessness and risk-taking. Yes, we practice getting comfortable with failure, celebrate mistakes, and embrace uncertainty, but lately, I’ve been reflecting on what safety and improvisation have in common. This…
The holiday period can mean lots of different things. Time with the family, twinkly lights and snow, two weeks drunk, a race to get this year’s work finished, ice skating, the birth of mankind’s saviour, duvet time, Stollen, Die Hard. And of course, presents. Improvisers can be hard…
Bringing Your Whole Self to Work: Lessons from a Portfolio Career In recent years, I’ve noticed a recurring theme in the organisations I work with: the idea of bringing your whole self to work. The conversation seems to have changed a little since it first became a workplace buzzword. Organisations…
Improv Acting Techniques: Exploring Motivation in Improv I’ve been working lately with the idea of motivation in improv to get the fire lit in a scene. Motivation in acting is the reason why a character acts or reacts in the way they do. Many times, I will make a strong…
