*** Please note – due to flooding at Darwin Lake, only the non-music class will be running. And due to a last-minute cancellation, we have one place left for this. Drop us an email on heather@andalsoimprov.com if you are free at very short notice.***

So much improvisation can feel like a rush. To fill the space, the silence, the vacuum onstage. Who are we? What are we doing and why? It can be as exhausting for the audience as for the performers, rushing from idea to idea, never stopping to enjoy the view. So this autumn, we invite you to slow down with us.

Because slow doesn’t mean boring. Slow means careful and curious. Slow means indulgent and luxurious. In this weekend retreat, you will settle yourself into the easy warm water of slow-burn improv. Letting character unfold and reveal itself. You will gently blur the line between character and performer to share a little piece of yourself with your audience. There will also be a hot tub.

Over five classes totalling 14 hours, we will explore questions including How to be gentle without losing the form of a scene? How do we play slowly and still entertain our audiences? How do we stay careful and easy when it get emotional? And what is it exactly that ‘slow’ means?

This weekend course will include:

• Being inspired by each other
• Balancing contrasting elements in a scene
• Returning and resolving
• Rhythm and contrast

This retreat has two streams. The musical one is mainly taught by Heather with music from Joe Samuel and the longform is mostly taught by Jules. It is aimed at improvisers with two or more years of regular practice. Email us to talk about if it is the right choice for you.

Your place is secured with a deposit of £100. After this, you will be emailed a registration form and the balance will be due six weeks before the event, which is the 13th of October. You can find our cancellation policy on our terms and conditions page.

A double room is £550, a shared room is £475. Classes are capped at 12 for longform and 14 for music and all meals are included from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch.

Darwin Lake is ten minutes’ drive from Matlock Station in the beautiful Peak District. There is of course plenty of parking for those arriving by car, and lifts will be arranged from the station for those coming by train.

In the gorgeous surroundings of Darwin Lake, Derbyshire, our autumn retreat is two and a half days to escape from the world and get lost in improvisation.