• Level 1: Beginners Improv Course

beginners improv course

8 week beginners improv courses to learn the core skills of improvised comedy.

Hoopla offer the most fun and friendly environment to learn improvisation in the UK.

Complete beginners are welcome. You don’t need any drama, acting, comedy or impro experience whatsoever. You don’t have to be clever, fast or funny either!

Hoopla create a friendly, fun, playful and supportive atmosphere in our improv courses where people are free to play and be themselves.

Improv is not the same as stand-up; you’re not alone on stage and it’s not about telling jokes. It’s about working together as a team with other improvisers to spontaneously create group stories, scenes & sketches.

Over an 8 week course of weekly workshops you’ll get to know your fellow students & teacher and progress as a team while learning core improvisation skills.

Topics include Spontaneity, Confidence, Creativity, Commitment, Listening, Yes And, Collaboration, Character, Support, Teamwork, Scenes, Games, Story and most of all playing and having fun with improvisation!

We also have regular socials and a friendly community of fellow improvisers for you to join.

Our classes have recently been recommended by The Guardian, The Independent, Time Out, The Evening Standard, BBC Radio 4, The Sunday Times, The Telegraph, Metro, The Londonist and more!

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next available dates

Next Available Dates in Warren Street / Euston:

Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 18th April 2024 with Mandeep Singh, 8pm – 10pm. (2 places left) BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 26th March 2024 with Claudia Novati, 6pm – 8pm. SOLD OUT


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 27th March 2024 with Charlie Vero-Martin, 8pm – 10pm. SOLD OUT

  • As above.
  • Warren Street or Euston.
  • £220.
  • As above.
£220. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £120 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in London Bridge:
London Bridge venues, see booking links below for addresses.

Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 14th May 2024 with Greg Birks. (4 places left) BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 21st May 2024 with Fran Reid. (3 places left) BOOK


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 22nd May 2024 with Claudia Novati. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 23rd May 2024 with Claudia Novati. BOOK


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 29th May 2024. BOOK


Every Saturday morning for 8 weeks from Saturday 1st June 2024 with Melissa Parker. BOOK


Every Saturday afternoon for 8 weeks from Saturday 1st June 2024 with Melissa Parker. BOOK


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 5th June 2024 with Stephen Davidson. BOOK

  • Weekdays: 7pm – 9pm. Weekends: 11am-1pm / 2pm-4pm.
  • London Bridge.
  • £220.
  • As above.
£220. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £120 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Kings Cross:

Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 21st May 2024 with Sophie Pumphrey. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 23rd May 2024 with Greg Birks. BOOK


Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 3rd June 2024 with Jonah Fazel. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 19th March 2024 with James Irving. SOLD OUT


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 20th March 2024 with Claudia Novati. SOLD OUT


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 21st March 2024 with Charlie Jackson. SOLD OUT

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Kings Cross.
  • £220.
  • As above.
£220. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £120 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Shaftesbury Avenue / Tottenham Court Road:

Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 8th May 2024 with Isabelle Glinn. BOOK

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Tottenham Court Road.
  • £220.
  • As above.
£220. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £120 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Bank/Liverpool Street/Fenchurch Street:

Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 30th May 2024 with Fran Reid. BOOK


Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 3rd June 2024 with Sophie Pumphrey. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 11th June 2024 with Conor Jatter. BOOK


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 5th June 2024 with Conor Jatter. BOOK


Every Saturday afternoon for 8 weeks from Saturday 1st June 2024 with Chris Mead. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 21st March 2024 with Charlie Vero-Martin. SOLD OUT


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 28th March 2024 with Greg Birks. SOLD OUT

  • Weekdays: 7pm – 9pm. Weekends: 11am-1pm / 2pm-4pm.
  • Bank, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street, Aldgate.
  • £220.
  • As above.
£220. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £120 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Marylebone/Paddington:

Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 3rd June 2024 with Charlie Vero-Martin. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 4th June 2024 with Isabelle Glinn. BOOK

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Marylebone, Paddington, Marble Arch.
  • £220.
  • As above.
£220. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £120 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Holborn:

Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 19th June 2024 with Jenny Rowe. BOOK

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Holborn.
  • £220.
  • As above.
£220. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £120 once the course starts.

teachers

Liam Brennan, improv teacher

Liam Brennan

Liam performs with The Science of Living Things, Fright Night and The Improvised Crystal Maze and directs many of our new shows. He has trained at UCB and iO.

Monica Gaga

Monica Gaga

Monica hosts Hoopla's main weekend shows and performs improv in Do The Right Scene and Derek's Mojo. She trained in Community Theatre at East 15 Drama School.

Maeve Ryan

Maeve Ryan

Maeve performs in and produces Ladyprov, Hoopla's regular show celebrating women in improv. She trained in Acting at The Arts Educational School.

Britt Pay sq

Britt Pay

Britt performs with Hoopla house teams Michelle AND The Descendants. She also performs with The Playground, Classic Andy and Unbridled.

Susan Harrison

Susan Harrison

Sue performs in the Olivier award winning Showstoppers the Improvised Musical, Beings, and BAFTA winning sketch show Class Dismissed.

Mandeep-Sq

Mandeep Singh

Mandeep performs in and produces Gamez, one of Hoopla's biggest house teams, and also regularly performs in The Inflatables, Improv Anything, Tightrope and more.

what's included

Each session consists of some fun and friendly warm ups, then some exercises on some of the core skills of improvisation, followed by having some fun with improvising games, scenes and stories as part of a team.

You’ll be rehearsing with the same people regularly every week, so you progress each week, getting to know each other and building up a team with your fellow improvisers and the director.

Most of all we make improv fun!

 

Recommended by:

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Teamwork

  • Making the other person look good.
  • Supporting each other on stage.
  • Trust.

Listening

  • Active listening and awareness.
  • Being in the moment.
  • Presence.

Yes And

  • Creative Collaboration.
  • Accepting and building on offers instead of blocking.
  • Agreement instead of conflict.

Being Obvious

  • Being obvious instead of trying too hard to be funny.
  • Making creativity simple by being obvious.
  • Being honest in the moment.
  • Improvising realistic scenes.

Spontaneity

  • Going for it. Improvising carefree.
  • Playing and having fun with mistakes.
  • Playing without fear.
  • Commitment.
  • Confidence on stage.

Character

  • Physical characters.
  • Emotions, reactions, being altered.
  • Playing with status, voice and movement.

Scenes

  • Fun simple scene structures.
  • Scenes based in agreement and relationship instead of conflict.

Games

  • Lots of fun short-form games.
  • Confidence with being in front of an audience.
  • Having fun with improvising as part of a team.

faqs