Improv Classes
Improv School
Online Options
Everyone!
Improv Classes
improv classes
Hoopla’s improv classes & courses offer the most fun and friendly place to learn improv in London.
Our in-real-life classes are now BACK!
We create a friendly, fun, sociable and supportive atmosphere in all our improv classes where people are free to play and be themselves. You don’t need any previous experience in improv, comedy or acting to take part.
Hoopla are the founders of the UK & London’s 1st improv theatre and have been established for over 14 years. We are also the UK’s biggest improv school, training 1000s of people every year.
We have the most experienced comedy improv teachers in the UK, with their performing credits including The Comedy Store Players, The Showstoppers, Dreamweaver Quartet, Bumper Blyton, The Maydays, Paul Merton’s Impro Chums and more.
Hoopla offer a warm welcoming community to our students and loads of performing opportunities, even after a course, with ongoing support and regular shows at our London improv theatre.
All of our improv classes & courses are based in Central London at venues including London Bridge, Liverpool Street and King’s Cross, and we also have additional online options.
The supportive atmosphere ensures that even complete beginners will have the confidence to grow their skills.
Hoopla's workshops are supportive and collaborative.
In one class, I laughed so hard that I cried, full-on shaking with laughter, as tears streamed down my face.
I felt empowered and energised. So much so that I took the next course level and did my first public performance.
If improvisation floats your boat you should head to Hoopla. There’s fewer better ways to see what spur-of-the-moment comedy London has to offer.
The capital’s best improv. The UK’s first improv comedy club.
The workshop really helps you internalise some of the skills we all know are important, like really listening, not dismissing others’ ideas out of hand and allowing yourself to speak up.
Signing up for improv classes helped my shyness to melt away.
Everywhere you look, huge grins suggest an enthusiasm and an attentiveness that is rarely seen in a course.
This introduction to improvisation will teach the skills you’ll need to master scenes, stories and sketches in a relaxed environment.
My anxiety evaporated in that room. My stage fright transformed into excitement, and I became dynamic, more spontaneous. Happier.
Thanks for the workshop. All the feedback has been extremely positive! The team loved it!
I now regularly try to make room for improv and play time in my life. It is a bright spot when I am feeling beaten down by the everyday. The three hours of laughter do wonders for my stress levels, and afterwards I sleep without a care.
improv classes & courses coming up
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Level 1: Beginners improv courses
Our best course if you are new to improv. 8 week courses to learn the core skills of improvisation in a fun, friendly and supportive environment. You don’t need any drama, acting, comedy or impro experience whatsoever.
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Level 2: Performance improv course (with show)
An 8 week course to gently introduce you into performing improv comedy live in front of an audience for the first time! With an end of course show of short-form games & scenes.
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Level 3: Scenes improv course (with show)
Our ultimate scenes course to make you awesome at improvising character and relationship driven scenes in a fun, playful and spontaneous Hoopla style! With performance at the end.
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Level 4: Long-form improv course (with show)
An 8 week course exploring longer scenes in greater depth, and how to have fun connecting scenes together to explore themes and patterns across time and space. With a performance at the end.
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Level 5: Advanced improv courses
A variety of advanced improv classes including improvised theatre, improvised narrative, improvised movies, character, harolds, deconstruction, commedia, clown, stagecraft, solo improv, and improvised musicals.
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Performing opportunities
We are currently casting improvisers for a new season of shows. Plus we also have regular jams and other nights to build up experience on stage. Our improv theatre has shows 7 nights a week featuring people who have trained with Hoopla.
additional drop-in classes and comedy courses
In addition to our main improv courses we also offer drop-in improv workshops, taster days, stand up comedy courses and sketch comedy courses.
Drop-Ins
Fun and flexible improv drop-in workshops every week.
Taster Days
One day improv taster workshops.
Stand Up Comedy Course
How to write and perform stand up comedy, with live show at the end for you to perform stand up for the first time.
Sketch Comedy Course
How to write and perform sketch comedy, including filming your own sketches and a live show at the end.
about improv
Our London improv classes are incredibly fun, sociable and enjoyable. We create a really safe, trusting, supportive and playful atmosphere and there is a lot of laughter in the room!
Playing with impro is based upon people being present, playful and spontaneous in the moment by using the foundations of Listen, Yes And, Commit.
Improvisation is the ultimate team game with actors working together, listening to each other, and building on each other’s ideas to create whole new stories and scenes in the moment.
Individual improvisers don’t have to be individually clever, fast or funny. It is more about collaboratively working and playing together to build a greater whole. It’s a team game.
From these foundations improvisers work together to create exciting and captivating scenes, sketches and stories from nothing.
about Hoopla
Hoopla was founded in 2006 by Steve Roe and Edgar Fernando, two old school friends who have known each other since they were 4 years old.
Hoopla founded the UK’s first ever Improvised Comedy Club at The Miller in London Bridge, recently recommended by Time Out, The Evening Standard and The Londonist.
“If improvisation floats your boat you should head to Hoopla. There’s fewer better ways to see what spur-of-the-moment comedy London has to offer.” – The Londonist
We currently run at least 30 improv classes a week, as well as putting on shows every night of the week to 1000s of people a year.
All of Hoopla’s teachers are trained, highly experienced performers who have performed with groups across the London scene and Edinburgh Fringe.
Hoopla is the UK’s biggest improvisation training school.
Recommended by:
improv for everyone
Our improv classes & courses are open to all.
You don’t need any drama, acting, comedy or impro experience whatsoever. You don’t have to be clever, fast or funny.
We get people from all professions and backgrounds because it’s a great place to relax after work and do all the fun bits of drama and improvisation without the commitment of regular rehearsals or learning lines.
Our improv classes are suitable for everyone from complete beginners to experienced actors and improvisers.
We’ve worked with total beginners, experienced improvisers, drama school students, stand-ups and professional actors. We’ve worked with companies including Google, Facebook, Apple, Imperial College London, and charities including Mencap, Jigsaw4U and St. Mungo’s.
Our improv classes and courses are a great introduction to the world of impro, comedy and drama. All ages, all backgrounds, improv is for everyone.
We like to keep improv open to all so we offer half-price or free places on improv classes to students, unemployed or people on lower incomes. We also work with a number of schools and charities to help make improv available to everyone.
faqs
From 19th July 2021 there are no legal restrictions on our classes or shows, however some of our covid safety measures will be staying in place and others will be gradually phased out rather than being removed all at once. This is so we can keep improv fun while also keeping safety in classes and shows. We will also be able to adjust month by month and rollback changes if needed.
>> Covid safety and booking flexibility
For additional FAQs please see list below:
What course is best to start with if I haven't done anything before?
Our Level 1: Beginners Improv Course is the best one to start with. You don't need any previous experience of improv, comedy or acting to take part.
I've never done any acting or impro before, is that ok?
Yes that's ok, our Beginners Improv Course assumes no previous experience of acting or impro and starts from scratch. Most of the people on it will also have little or no previous experience of improv.
What course is best to start with if I've done some acting our improv before?
If you've done some acting or improv before you are welcome to start with our Level 2: Performance Improv Course or higher. Also feel free to contact us if you'd like to double check what level is best for you.
Do I have to start at level 1 if I've already done some acting or improv classes?
No, you are welcome to start at a higher level if you have previous experience, we don't force people to start from scratch if they have previous experience.
What are the class sizes?
They used to be around 14-16 but they have now been greatly reduced to maintain social distancing. So class sizes are now 10-12 in our bigger rooms, or 8-10 in normal sized rooms.
What kind of people do your classes?
All manner of backgrounds, all ages and all levels of performing experience . We get everyone from never been on a stage before and doing it for the challenge or just for fun, to professional actors and comedians. Professions include students, teachers, computer programmers, accountants, doctors, actors, lawyers, advertising creatives, nurses and more. You don’t need any previous acting background to do our courses. Everyone’s welcome. Hoopla specialise in making impro open and accessible to everyone.
Who teaches the classes?
Please see each course page for teacher biographies. All of our teachers are successful improv performers on the improv scene and regularly perform at our venue, around the UK improv circuit, The Edinburgh Fringe and International Festivals.
Is it sociable?
Yes, improv is probably the most sociable hobby going. We usually stay for a drink after all our workshops, conveniently located near pubs, and our Improv Comedy Club is also a great place to hang out after shows. There’s a massive and rapidly growing scene to get involved in.
How do I get to perform?
Hoopla have more performing opportunities than any other improv company. Every season we run auditions and cast for our new house teams for that season, who get to rehearse and perform with Hoopla every week. We announced details of casting calls over our facebook and twitter. Our Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 improv courses and stand up and sketch comedy courses all have shows at the end. We also run the UK's first ever Improv Comedy Club so have space for you to perform ongoing. Every Thursday evening and early Saturday evening we book in groups that have formed from our courses to give them space to build up stage time and develop new shows. Every Wednesday evening and Sunday we have a free open to all jam that is open to anyone to turn up and perform. We also host regular Improv Networking Events to get improvisers meeting groups. Hoopla have a lovely community of improvisers and it would be great to have you be part of it.
Where do the courses take place?
All of our courses take place in convenient, easy to get to Central London locations including London Bridge, King's Cross and Liverpool Street. We also have online options available. Please see individual course pages for details.
What do you do in the classes?
We start with a chat from the teacher to create a warm and supportive environment. We then do some fun warm-ups to get moving, get out of "work-mode" and start playing. We then do various exercises on that week's main theme for example listening, spontaneity or character. After the break we then put this all together to have some fun improvising scenes, stories and games.
What age do you have to be?
We are open to all ages over 18. Impro is suitable for all ages, we’ve had everyone from 18 to over 80. It’s physical but not more physical than normal every day life, and you are welcome to take a break whenever you want or sit out of exercises you don’t think would be suitable.
Do you do prices for concessions?
Yes. We want to make improv available to everyone so don't want price to be a barrier. If you are a student, unemployed or on low income please contact us and we will be able to arrange something.
Are you accessible to wheelchair users?
Yes. If you use a wheelchair please contact us at time of booking and we will make sure your course is an accessible venue. We are happy to work with you to make all the games we play accessible.
Where are you based?
Hoopla's shows are at The Miller, 96 Snowsfields Road, London Bridge, London, SE1 3SS. Classes are at venues across Central London including London Bridge, Liverpool Street, Moorgate and King's Cross, see individual course pages for details.