• Level 2: Performance Improv Course

performance improv course

An 8 week improv course to gently introduce you into performing improv live on stage for the first time, with a fun end of course show of short-form games and scenes!

This course is designed to follow on from our Level 1: Beginners Improv Course so isn’t a massive leap, and most of the people on it will have come directly from our beginners course.

Over the course you’ll learn how to perform a show of improvised games & scenes using a mix of short-form and scene based improv techniques.

You’ll progress each week with your team of fellow improvisers, before performing in a show together at our Improv Comedy Club in front of a friendly audience.

Performing improv live on stage for the first time is such an exciting experience and we can’t wait to introduce you to it!

Taught by regular performers at our Improv Comedy Club, recently recommended by The Guardian, The Independent, Time Out, The Daily Telegraph, The Londonist and The Evening Standard.

Reviews banner

next available dates

Next Available Dates in Shaftesbury Avenue / Tottenham Court Road:

Every Saturday morning for 8 weeks from Saturday 11th May 2024 with Fran Reid, plus show on Thursday 4th July 2024. BOOK

  • 7pm – 9pm weekdays. 11am-1pm/2pm-4pm weekends.
  • Tottenham Court Road.
  • £230.
  • As above.
£230. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remainder 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 23rd May 2024 with Sophie Pumphrey, plus show on Thursday 18th July 2024. BOOK


Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 3rd June 2024 with Claudia Novati, plus show on Thursday 25th July 2024. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 4th June 2024 with Claudia Novati, plus show on Wednesday 31st July 2024. BOOK


Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 15th January 2024 with Maeve Ryan, plus show on Monday 11th March 2024. SOLD OUT


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 20th March 2024 with Sophie Pumphrey, plus show on Tuesday 14th May 2024. SOLD OUT


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 19th March 2024 with Mandeep Singh, plus show on Wednesday 8th May 2024. SOLD OUT

  • 7pm – 9pm weekdays. 11am – 1pm/2pm-4pm weekends.
  • London Bridge or Borough.
  • £230.
  • As above.
£230. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remainder once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Kings Cross:

Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 22nd May 2024 with Sophie Pumphrey, plus show on Wednesday 17th July 2024. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 23rd May 2024 with Rory Vieyra, plus show on Monday 15th July 2024. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 21st March 2024 with Andrew Gentilli, plus show on Wednesday 15th May 2024. SOLD OUT

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Kings Cross.
  • £230.
  • As above.
£230. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remainder once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Warren Street / Euston:

Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 29th May 2024 with Greg Birks, 8pm – 10pm, plus show on Saturday 20th July 2024. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 18th April 2024 with Mandeep Singh, 6pm – 8pm, plus show on Monday 10th June 2024. SOLD OUT

  • As above.
  • Warren Street or Euston.
  • £230.
  • As above.
£230. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remainder once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in London Blackfriars / Fleet Street / City Thameslink:

Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 10th June 2024 with Conor Jatter, plus show on Tuesday 30th July 2024. BOOK

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Liverpool Street.
  • £230.
  • As above.
£230. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remainder once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Bank/Liverpool Street/Fenchurch Street:

Every Saturday morning for 8 weeks from Saturday 11th May 2024 with Liam Brennan, plus show on Tuesday 2nd July 2024. BOOK


Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 10th June 2024 with James Irving, plus show on Thursday 1st August 2024. BOOK


Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 6th June 2024 with Lisa Lynn, plus show on Saturday 3rd August 2024. BOOK


Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 26th March 2024 with Conor Jatter, plus show on Monday 20th May 2024. SOLD OUT


Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 10th April 2024 with Susan Harrison, plus show on Wednesday 5th June 2024. SOLD OUT

  • 7pm – 9pm weekdays. 11am-1pm/2pm-4pm weekends.
  • Bank, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street, Aldgate.
  • £225 – £230.
  • As above.
£230. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remainder once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Marylebone/Paddington:

Every Tuesday for 8 weeks from Tuesday 23rd January 2024 with Charlie Vero-Martin, plus show on Tuesday 19th March 2024. SOLD OUT

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Marylebone, Paddington, Marble Arch.
  • £230.
  • As above.
£230. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remainder once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Liverpool Street:

Every Thursday for 8 weeks from Thursday 11th April 2024 with James Irving, plus show on Thursday 6th June 2024. SOLD OUT

  • 7pm – 9pm weekdays. 11am-1pm/2pm-4pm weekends.
  • Liverpool Street.
  • £230.
  • As above.
£230. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remainder once the course starts.
Next Available Dates in Holborn:

Every Wednesday for 8 weeks from Wednesday 24th April 2024 with Jenny Rowe, plus show on Thursday 13th June 2024. SOLD OUT

  • 7pm – 9pm.
  • Holborn.
  • £230.
  • As above.
£230. Either payable all at once or with an initial payment of £100 followed by the remainder once the course starts.

who runs the course

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.

Monica Gaga

Monica Gaga

Monica hosts Hoopla's weekend shows and performs improv in Do The Right Scene and Derek's Mojo, and sketch comedy on BBC3. She trained in Community Theatre at East 15 Drama School.

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. He trained at iO in Chicago.

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.

Susan Harrison

Susan Harrison

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

James Witt, improv teacher

James Witt

James performs in The Dreamweaver Quartet. He trained in Drama and Theatre Arts at The University of Birmingham and Musical Theatre at Guildford School of Acting.

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.

James Whittaker

James Irving

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

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 performance games & scenes gradually building up to a show.

You’ll be rehearsing with the same people regularly every week so you progress together. As a committed supportive team you’ll be helping each other to perform in your first ever improv show.

The focus will be on performing as a team, with us teaching using our  experience of performing and directing improv at our venue.

We’ll be helping and encouraging you all the way to your first show. Invite your friends and family and share your love of improv.

In addition to the classes we’re always available to give further advice and have a chat about future performing possibilities. We’ll be able to advise people on things like starting their own groups, places to perform, show formats, promoting, and starting their own improv nights.

We’re even available on an ongoing basis after the course to help give support to performing improvisers and have loads of great ongoing performance opportunities for people who have done our courses.

Overall we hope to give you everything you need to get out into the world of performing for yourself, and will help kick-start you into whatever you want to do.

Improv Basics Recap

  • Teamwork and support
  • Getting to know each other
  • Active listening
  • Agreement
  • Yes And
  • Spontaneity
  • Commitment

 

Establishing Location

  • Introduction to Who What Where
  • Activities, actions, entrances
  • Building a physical environment
  • Object work
  • Staging to make scenes look fantastic

 

Character

  • Fun ways to create instant character
  • Emotions and reactions
  • Movement and voice
  • Using genres to inspire character
  • Status

 

Relationships

  • Identifying each other in scenes
  • Building believable relationships
  • Talking to each other about each other
  • Being truthful and honest on stage
  • Being altered
  • Cutting to the chase

Optional Modules

Adapting to the wants and needs of the group.

  • Positivity
  • Being Obvious
  • Spontaneity
  • Honesty
  • Show games intensive
  • Scene structure
  • Additional character

 

Show Games and Performance Skills

  • Performing a variety of great short-form games
  • Physical, verbal, character and story games
  • How to get out of pre-show nerves
  • Show rehearsals
  • Confidence and having fun with performing in front of an audience
  • Having an AMAZING time performing on stage for the first time ever!

 

Coming up in the next level (Level 3, Scenes)

  • Longer scenes.
  • Game of the scene.
  • Scene structure.
  • Further character and relationships.
  • Spotting what a scene is about.
  • Escalating emotions and other fun things in a scene.
  • Patterns in scenes.
  • Reincorporating to find an ending

 

Most of all…….

 

Playing and having lots of fun with improv!

faqs