Improv Tune Up!
Weekly
Weekly
These are fun two-hour workshops designed to tune up your improvisation. Play (spontaneity) is built into the heart of each session. The workshops are appropriate for those who have some experience in improvisation and are looking for an intensive hit of improv creativity. These tune up sessions will give you new skills and confidence to transfer them into your improvised work.
All monies made from the course will be reinvested back into the annual Liverpool Improvisation Festival. This will include a small fund for the development of new improvised work at LiF.
All monies made from the course will be reinvested back into the annual Liverpool Improvisation Festival. This will include a small fund for the development of new improvised work at LiF.
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Size: Class is limited to 12 participants per week
What: Improv tune up Where: Liverpool Arts Bar Studio 2 When: Wednesday - 5th Feb - 5th March 2025 (5 weeks) from 6:00-8:00pm Tickets: £22 per session + booking fee if booked in advance (2 days prior) or £25 thereafter. |
Who is this for:
1) Improvisers: Who are looking to develop their improv skills 2) Actors: Looking to sharpen up their acting / performance skills (working in the moment) – TV casting (adverts) 3) Teachers: Who are looking to develop their experience in facilitating improvisation 4) Others: The adventurous who are up for playing and exploring something new |
Week 1: 5th February 2025 – 6:00-8:00pm
Body as prop and scenic painting
This is a physical workshop in which you will explore how you can enhance improvised scenes through generating supporting image and prop. Working in this manner creates additional options for players to interact as well as enhance the experience for an audience.
Body as prop and scenic painting
This is a physical workshop in which you will explore how you can enhance improvised scenes through generating supporting image and prop. Working in this manner creates additional options for players to interact as well as enhance the experience for an audience.
Week 2: 12th February 2025 – 6:00-8:00pm
Song and Sound effects
Very often people fear using their voice, this workshop debunks and teaches in easy stages how to create original improvised song and develop sound effects. This is for improvisors who want to develop this skill area.
Song and Sound effects
Very often people fear using their voice, this workshop debunks and teaches in easy stages how to create original improvised song and develop sound effects. This is for improvisors who want to develop this skill area.
Week 3: 19th February 2025 – 6:00-8:00pm
Personal testimony
How your own life experiences can be used within your work – this will be primarily undertaken through monologues.
Personal testimony
How your own life experiences can be used within your work – this will be primarily undertaken through monologues.
Week 4: 26th February 2025– 6:00-8:00pm
Edits and Transitions (cut throughs)
The ability to edit and transition improvised scenes takes time to learn but employing them well enhances your work immeasurably. Often, we are scared to interrupt or interject, when in fact our fellow players are crying out to be edited. Through a simple set of exercises, you will learn how to trust your instinct and overcome that doubt.
Edits and Transitions (cut throughs)
The ability to edit and transition improvised scenes takes time to learn but employing them well enhances your work immeasurably. Often, we are scared to interrupt or interject, when in fact our fellow players are crying out to be edited. Through a simple set of exercises, you will learn how to trust your instinct and overcome that doubt.
Week 5: 4th March 2025 – 6:00-8:00pm
Rooting characters in the physical
We all remember shapes. Starting from this premise we will explore how to create distinctive characters that are visually memorable to our fellow players. Very often we walk in upright, using our own rhythm. This can lead to confusion of what character you are. In this workshop we will explore how to play against our own natural rhythm, shape and unlock characters that we did not know existed.
Rooting characters in the physical
We all remember shapes. Starting from this premise we will explore how to create distinctive characters that are visually memorable to our fellow players. Very often we walk in upright, using our own rhythm. This can lead to confusion of what character you are. In this workshop we will explore how to play against our own natural rhythm, shape and unlock characters that we did not know existed.
Sessions will be co-taught by Jen Hardy and Mark Smith:
Jen is an improviser, poet, teacher and coach. She has performed in all-female comedy troupes and Liverpool's first UCB style team as well as short form 'who's line is it anyway' type shows.
Jen teaches and coaches nationally and internationally. This has included international festivals, teams who've gone on to perform at international festivals and individuals who've gone on to carve out professional comedy careers. She has also created a fully improvised family show and continues to develop shows and formats both for her own team and as a coach and director for others.
Mark is an award winning director and improv facilitator (see about page) with over 30 years of experience. He has toured nationally and internationally - 2004-2014 in Hoof! a long form improv show developed with Todd Stashwick and John Thies from the legendary New York company - Burn Manhattan.
Since then he has continued to develop his practice, teaching and creating numerous improvised shows. These included Improvised Rubbish Shakespeare - The Incomplete Works, Talk to the Hand (puppet improv) the The Fly, A Wake in association with The Insiders and The Story Forge Make your own Myth.
Quotes on work:
'It takes some skill for two people on a bare stage to give the illusion of the kind of free-flowing anarchy that makes the audience feel complicit in the creative process and alive with possibility... I thoroughly enjoyed this detective romp played with enthusiastic elasticity by Jen Hardy and Mike Burton' ★★★★ - North West End
'The Incomplete Works of Shakespeare is a brilliant, bold, and a very funny evening’s entertainment. It may be aimed at a family audience – but trust me, you don’t need a child to enjoy this!' ★★★★★ - The Reviews Hub
‘Like Horrible Histories with a dash of the Young Ones anarchy’ ★★★★★ - At The Theatre
‘The work reminded me of Jim Cartwrights ‘Two’ and Caroline Aherne ‘The Royle Family’ – a slice of life made real amongst the buffet. ★★★★ - The Reviews Hub
'Talk to the Hand is playful puppetry with an improv twist and this marriage of artforms works brilliantly.'
★★★★ - The Reviews Hub
Participant testimonials:
Jen's energy is infectious, her passion is clear and we have all learnt so much, I can't imagine my life without improv now!
(Liverpool Comedy Improv, Beginners course - 2023)
"I found Mark's course an incredible experience. He holds a wonderful balance between structure, information and play, which is seamless. As I was developing skills I was also developing confidence and facing performance fears gave me the ability to take risks outside of the sessions. If you're thinking about doing it but feel a bit unsure, just go for it!" (Su Jackson - 2023)
"I came out of the session a braver improviser! I felt safe and at the same time challenged; a testimony to the excellent facilitation" (British Improv Project - 2023)
"Even though everyone attending had different levels of experience with improvisation, it was a really great environment for learning and experimenting. Mark is very knowledgeable on all things impro and his passion for it is quite infectious. I would definitely recommend this course for anyone with an interest in improvisation and building their confidence through performance." (Kate Mulvihill - 2021)
"Jen is a brilliant teacher and perhaps even more brilliant on stage!" (Short Notice Improv Festival - 2024)
"Mark is great at explaining things, he works you out and what makes you tick" (Sonia Sidje – 2019)
Jen is an improviser, poet, teacher and coach. She has performed in all-female comedy troupes and Liverpool's first UCB style team as well as short form 'who's line is it anyway' type shows.
Jen teaches and coaches nationally and internationally. This has included international festivals, teams who've gone on to perform at international festivals and individuals who've gone on to carve out professional comedy careers. She has also created a fully improvised family show and continues to develop shows and formats both for her own team and as a coach and director for others.
Mark is an award winning director and improv facilitator (see about page) with over 30 years of experience. He has toured nationally and internationally - 2004-2014 in Hoof! a long form improv show developed with Todd Stashwick and John Thies from the legendary New York company - Burn Manhattan.
Since then he has continued to develop his practice, teaching and creating numerous improvised shows. These included Improvised Rubbish Shakespeare - The Incomplete Works, Talk to the Hand (puppet improv) the The Fly, A Wake in association with The Insiders and The Story Forge Make your own Myth.
Quotes on work:
'It takes some skill for two people on a bare stage to give the illusion of the kind of free-flowing anarchy that makes the audience feel complicit in the creative process and alive with possibility... I thoroughly enjoyed this detective romp played with enthusiastic elasticity by Jen Hardy and Mike Burton' ★★★★ - North West End
'The Incomplete Works of Shakespeare is a brilliant, bold, and a very funny evening’s entertainment. It may be aimed at a family audience – but trust me, you don’t need a child to enjoy this!' ★★★★★ - The Reviews Hub
‘Like Horrible Histories with a dash of the Young Ones anarchy’ ★★★★★ - At The Theatre
‘The work reminded me of Jim Cartwrights ‘Two’ and Caroline Aherne ‘The Royle Family’ – a slice of life made real amongst the buffet. ★★★★ - The Reviews Hub
'Talk to the Hand is playful puppetry with an improv twist and this marriage of artforms works brilliantly.'
★★★★ - The Reviews Hub
Participant testimonials:
Jen's energy is infectious, her passion is clear and we have all learnt so much, I can't imagine my life without improv now!
(Liverpool Comedy Improv, Beginners course - 2023)
"I found Mark's course an incredible experience. He holds a wonderful balance between structure, information and play, which is seamless. As I was developing skills I was also developing confidence and facing performance fears gave me the ability to take risks outside of the sessions. If you're thinking about doing it but feel a bit unsure, just go for it!" (Su Jackson - 2023)
"I came out of the session a braver improviser! I felt safe and at the same time challenged; a testimony to the excellent facilitation" (British Improv Project - 2023)
"Even though everyone attending had different levels of experience with improvisation, it was a really great environment for learning and experimenting. Mark is very knowledgeable on all things impro and his passion for it is quite infectious. I would definitely recommend this course for anyone with an interest in improvisation and building their confidence through performance." (Kate Mulvihill - 2021)
"Jen is a brilliant teacher and perhaps even more brilliant on stage!" (Short Notice Improv Festival - 2024)
"Mark is great at explaining things, he works you out and what makes you tick" (Sonia Sidje – 2019)