• 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 Bank/Liverpool Street/Fenchurch Street:

Every Saturday afternoon for 8 weeks from Saturday 6th May 2023 with Melissa Parker. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 16th May 2023 with Maeve Ryan. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 18th May 2023 with Claudia Novati. BOOK


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 24th May 2023 with Stephen Davidson. BOOK


Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 3rd July 2023 with Melissa Parker. BOOK


Every Saturday morning for 8 weeks from Saturday 8th July 2023 with Chris Mead. BOOK


Every Saturday afternoon for 8 weeks from Saturday 8th July 2023 with Chris Mead. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 23rd March 2023 with Stephen Davidson. SOLD OUT

  • Weekdays: 7pm – 9pm. Weekends: 11am-1pm / 2pm-4pm.
  • Bank, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street, Aldgate.
  • £215.
  • As above.
£215. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £115 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Kings Cross:

Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 23rd May 2023 with Ayla Pengelly-Moore. BOOK


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 24th May 2023 with Charlie Jackson plus guest teacher. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 25th May 2023 with Ayla Pengelly-Moore. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 21st March 2023 with Melissa Parker. SOLD OUT


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 22nd March 2023 with James Irving. SOLD OUT


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 22nd March 2023 with Mandeep Singh. SOLD OUT

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Kings Cross.
  • £215.
  • As above.
£215. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £115 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in London Bridge:
London Bridge venues, see booking links below for addresses.

Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 25th May 2023 with Conor Jatter. BOOK


Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 5th June 2023 with Maeve Ryan. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 6th June 2023 with James Witt. BOOK


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 7th June 2023 with James Witt. BOOK


Every Saturday morning for 8 weeks from Saturday 3rd June 2023 with Claudia Novati. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 21st March 2023 with Conor Jatter. SOLD OUT


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 22nd March 2023 with Nick Oram. SOLD OUT


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 23rd March 2023 with Susan Harrison. SOLD OUT

  • Weekdays: 7pm – 9pm. Weekends: 11am-1pm / 2pm-4pm.
  • London Bridge or Borough.
  • £215.
  • As above.
£215. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £115 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Holborn:

Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 31st May 2023 with Jenny Rowe. BOOK

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Holborn.
  • £215.
  • As above.
£215. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £115 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Marylebone/Paddington:

Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 5th June 2023 with Susan Harrison. BOOK


Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 3rd April 2023 with Jonah Fazel. SOLD OUT

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Marylebone, Paddington, Marble Arch.
  • £215.
  • As above.
£215. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £115 once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Warren Street / Euston:

Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 13th June 2023, 8pm – 10pm, with Brittany Pay. BOOK


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 14th June 2023, 6pm – 8pm, with Brittany Pay. BOOK


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 14th June 2023, 8pm – 10pm, with Brittany Pay. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 4th April 2023, 6pm – 8pm, with Brittany Pay. SOLD OUT


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 5th April 2023, 6pm – 8pm, with Brittany Pay. SOLD OUT

  • As above.
  • Warren Street or Euston.
  • £215.
  • As above.
£215. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remaining £115 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.

Lisa-Lynn-Sq

Lisa Lynn

Lisa performs in Music Box and Mutiverse improvised musicals. She also directs Acaprov the improvised a capella musical. She trained in Musical Theatre and has a Drama PGCE at Masters Level.

Jonah Fazel

Jonah performs with Bumper Blyton the Improvised Enid Blyton Adventure. He trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He also trained with Keith Johnstone.

Francesca Reid

Francesca Reid

Fran performs in Dreamweaver, Multiverse, The Playground, The Yes Queens and more.
She trained at East 15 drama school, iO in LA, Second City and UCB.

Sabrina sq

Sabrina Luisi

Sabrina performs with Multiverse the improvised musical, Hoopla long-form house team Michelle, Hoopla team Buffet and improvised murder mystery Play Dead London.

James Whittaker

James Irving

James performs in Dreamer Quartet, one of Hoopla's most popular improv shows. He also tours nationwide with The Impromptu Shakespeare Company and Bumper Blyton.

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.

Stephen-Davidson

Stephen Davidson

Stephen is the Artistic Director of Improvable, QI: Queer Improv and of Zeal: The Pride Improv Festival. He is the author of two books about improv: Play Like an Ally, and Improvising Gender.

Rory Vieyra

Rory Vieyra

Rory trained at Drama Studio London and performs in Music Box the improvised comedy musical, one of Hoopla's longest running shows.

Nick Oram

Nick Oram

Nick performs in Do Not Adjust Your Stage, one of the most popular shows at Hoopla. He has trained with IO, Second City and UCB.

Jenny Rowe

Jenny performs with the award winning Maydays and The Impromptu Shakespeare Company. She trained with iO Chicago and The Annoyance Theatre.

Claudia-Novati-Sq

Claudia Novati

Claudia performs with Hoopla's TheatreSports team, and is the founder and co-director of ISL - Improv as Second Language. She trained at Central School of Speech and Drama.

Chris Mead, improv teacher

Chris Mead

Chris performs with the award winning Maydays and Project2 improvise sci-fi. He is artistic director of The Nursery and co-founder of The Improv Place.

Ayla Pengelly-Moore

Ayla performs with Hoopla house team Shuffle and is a Hoopla jam captain, and also producers her own improv and comedy shows and jams across London.

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