Showstoppers, Austentatious, Spontaneous Potter*. Some of the most successful improv in the UK is genre shows. A genre can mean beautiful costumes, familiar tropes, stirring music and, perhaps most importantly, a world the audience will recognise.  It helps us find a shared world and narrow down possibilities so a show feels focused and coherent. And, perhaps most importantly, genre sells tickets.

But it can also be a drag. A repetitive, narrow set of expectations we never quite fulfill, a test we are always failing. The worst genre feels like there was no point improvising it in the first place. Over this weekend, we aim to find the joy and flexibility without getting caught in the traps. To find a way genre can support our open improv play, even if you feel you know nothing about it. 

Over the weekend, you will examine how to break down genres so that they liberate rather than restrict. Starting with a couple of genres close to our hearts, you will examine what is important about genre play and how it can contribute to longform shows without taking them over. You will look at the expectations and attitudes embedded in genres and think about how we can keep older genres relevant and playful by subverting them. 

Between them, Heather and Jules perform in Happily Never After, the Showstoppers and Impromptu Shakespeare. Heather also directs Unbridled, a show with a nod and a wink to Jilly Cooper. 

The syllabus includes:

• What actually happens: Breaking down a genre into useful parts
• Do the famous bit: the scenes that have to happen
• Not a test: Joyfully playing genres you know nothing about
• Out in the wild: Applying genre to non-genre shows
• Tough cowgirls and princes in distress: Subverting expectations

*Technically, this is an IP, not a genre. A distinction we’ll cover over the weekend.

This retreat has musical and non-musical streams. The musical stream is taught by Heather Urquhart with music from Joe Samuel and the non-musical stream by Jules Munns. This retreat is aimed at improvisers with one or more years of regular practice, or level 2 on the AndAlso pathway. Email jules@andalsoimprov.com to talk about whether it is the right choice for you. 

A perfect meld of learning, listening and laughter. Thanks Jules and Heather for a joyful weekend in a beautiful place.

Charney Manor is a 13th-century manor house in Oxfordshire. It is a grade 1 listed building run as a conference and retreat centre by the Society of Friends (Quakers). It is a beautiful building with well-tended grounds. Quaint rooms and excellent food make this a luxurious weekend in the country. With improv. 

Arrival: Join us from 4pm on Friday 31st October. Dinner is served at 5pm and we begin working together at 6pm for the first class of the retreat. Classes run until 4pm on Sunday 2nd November.

Transport: For those coming by train, transport will be arranged to and from Didcot Parkway, just 37 mins from London Paddington. For a free transfer from the train station, you must arrive by 4.30pm. If you can’t make the arrival time, taxis are available from the station. Transport will be available back to the station at the end of the retreat, train estimated to arrive at 4.45pm. There is plenty of parking available on site.

A Solo room is £635, a shared room is £515 per person. Classes are capped at 12 for longform and 14 for music, and meals are included from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch. Your place is secured with a non-refundable deposit of £100. The balance will be payable by invoice eight weeks before the event (5th September). Deposits are transferable up to this point.

Book by the 1st of May for an exclusive Beyond Cowboys and Detectives hoody or t-shirt.

These will be waiting for you at the retreat.

(If you missed this promotion, these will be on sale after the 1st May here!)

Cancellation Policy