The Improvised Play: Saturday, 29 May 2021: SYDNEY

WORKSHOP SOLD OUT! The workshop is now full. In case someone is unable to attend I’m still accepting bookings to go on a wait-list.

In the six years since departing Sydney, I’ve been incredibly busy teaching around NZ, along with visits to Australia and the US. I’m excited to be able to visit Sydney once again, for the opportunity to work with you in a full-day workshop on the Improvised Play. This workshop is fun and engaging, and will be of special interest to those with a background in scripted acting. Just like a scripted play, the work we produce can cover any theme and style. We can improvise comedic plays and dramatic plays. We can also combine these skills to create genre works, such as a sci-fi, period drama, western, horror, or even a musical.

About the Workshop

The process of improvisation is very different from that of writing a play. How can we hope to create something that looks like a well-written work?

I find it very satisfying when the audience believe that what they just saw couldn’t possibly have been created on the spot, that it must have been written.

This workshop looks at the elements of great scripted theatre and will show you how we can approach our improvisation to achieve the same extraordinary results. It focuses on how the use of tension to affect the audience, how we can give meaning to what is happening on stage, and how to “trick” the audience into believing “it must be scripted”.

🕐 This is a full-day workshop from 10am to 5pm with an hour break for lunch.

What You Will Learn

Stage picture

One of the hallmarks of scripted theatre is that the use of space is pre-planned and well thought out. We’ll look at how we can create a stage picture that has impact and meaning in an improvised piece.

Meaning

A well written play is economical in its use of dialogue and movement. A skillful playwright includes nothing unless it has meaning. We can emulate this by being attentive to what we say and do, being thrifty in our words and actions, and applying meaning retrospectively.

Tension and release

Learn how tension impacts the audience. This will help you elicit emotional responses from the audience (including laughter).

Production techniques

We’ll look at how we can make our production feel more like a scripted piece, to fully immerse our audience in a theatrical experience.

Experience Level

This workshop is generally best for intermediate and experienced improvisers or those with a background in theatre. I.e. An experienced actor who is new to improv, will get a lot from this workshop.

Workshop Details and Booking Form

Questions?

If you have any questions about this workshop, including applying for a cost reduction, please send a message using the contact form.