playwrights!
Learn how to improvise scenes in the styles of six different playwrights. With Chris Mead.
Over the course we will explore the work of the following playwrights and have loads of fun improvising scenes and stories in their style:
- Bertolt Brecht
- Anton Chekhov
- Moira Buffini
- David Mamet
- Sarah Kane
- Martin McDonagh
We will look at a different playwright each week and explore themes, tempo, dialogue, rhythm, character types, objectives, performance style and more. We’ll then be improvising scenes and short stories in the style of the playwright, using their work as inspiration and some new improvisation tools to create fantastic scenes.
This was one of our most popular online courses during lockdowns so we are thrilled to bring it to real-life!
This is an advanced course. Please only sign up if you are already confident with improvised scenework.
next available dates
Dates: Every Monday for 8 weeks from Monday 3rd June 2024. BOOK
Time: 7pm – 9pm.
Price: £230. Either payable all at once or £100 at time of booking and £130 when the course starts.
Teacher: Chris Mead.
Venue: Theatre Delicatessen Studios, 107 Leadenhall Street, EC3A 4AF.
Tube: Bank, Liverpool Street, Fenchurch Street, Aldgate.
This is an advanced course. Please only sign up if you are already confident with improvised scenework and have done at least our Level 3 course.
teacher Chris Mead
Chris improvises with sci-fi group Project2. He is co-founder and Director of The Unmade Theatre Company, specialising in improvised theatre. He previously performed with the award winning Maydays.
Chris is also co-founder of The International Improv Station, an online international community of experienced improvisers.
Chris has studied improv internationally at iO Chicago, The Annoyance Theatre Chicago and The Hideout in Austin, Texas.
He has performed at various improv festivals internationally including Austin Texas, Norway, Edinburgh, Dublin, Sweden and Barcelona.
Chris studied theatre at Royal Holloway College and University of London.
Chris is one of the Artistic Directors of The Nursery Theatre.
He also directs many of Hoopla’s leading house teams.
He also hosts YesBot, a podcast dedicated to the theory and craft of improv (but with added exploding robots) featuring leading performers from around the world.
Who is this suitable for?
People with previous improv or acting experience who want to improvise in the style of different playwrights and challenge themselves to improvise in different ways.
How much improv or acting should I have done before doing this course?
You should have done at least a couple of courses with us (Level 3 or above) or somewhere else and already be confident improvising long-form scenes.
What comes after this course?
We have a variety of other advanced improv courses that would be suitable.
What if I'm running late?
We’ll be starting each session at 7pm. This is an advanced course and we’re trying to form a team, so please don’t book this course if you are likely to be late on a regular basis.
What’s the class size?
Around 14 people.
Is there a show at the end?
No. We want to focus on each playwright each week and felt a show may be distracting from this.