Improvisation Workshops Overview
“This stuff is addictive.”
The art of having fun.
Improvisation is fun! It’s about freeing one’s creative spirit in a positive and safe environment. Our workshop participants include actors, lawyers, doctors, chefs, university students, teachers, psychologists, writers, carpenters, council workers—anyone who’d like to do something creative, improve their communication skills, develop their storytelling skills or just have a great time. Our instructors are trained improvisation performers who have been performing and teaching nationally and internationally for many years.
Our Philosophy
We aim to provide the best improvisation training in Australia. We work primarily from the inspired teachings of Keith Johnstone (author of Impro and creator of Theatresports™). Some of our instructors will also include work from other impro masters Del Close and Viola Spolin.
Keith Johnstone’s work in improvisation is based on the following principles: acceptance, being positive, being in the moment, making your partner look good, embracing and removing fear, enjoying failure and storytelling. Our classes are designed to work on these principles through a series of exercises and games in a fun and supportive environment. Regardless of your experience, background or training, we think everybody can benefit from studying impro.
The Company
Impro Melbourne has been teaching improvisation since 1996. We are Melbourne's premier improvisation company producing 50 improvisational shows each year. We perform nationally, internationally, in theatres, festivals, schools, corporate boardrooms and in the park. We love what we do!Improvisation History
Improvisation is an old art form going back to the 16th century with the Commedia dell’Arte (Italian, meaning “comedy of professional artists”). The Commedia dell’Arte were travelling performers who would set up an outdoor stage and improvise stories based around a repertoire of stock situations and established characters.
Today, improvisation is widely used in theatre as an actor’s training tool, a rehearsal technique, an exploration tool for writers, a theatrical performance style, a musical style and a dance form. It is performed internationally in hundreds of forms, and successfully on TV in such shows as Whose Line Is It Anyway, Thank God You’re Here, World Cup Comedy, The Office, Curb Your Enthusiasm and used in movies like Best In Show, Waiting For Guffman, and This Is Spinal Tap.
Impro Melbourne is thrilled to belong to an international network of theatre companies all dedicated to the growth and exploration of improvisation. We frequently work with international artists to challenge our skills and expand our art form.