The Armando is a popular and well known long-form improv format used around the world. Also known as True Stories at Hoopla (as that name sets the tone for the show well), or as a Commando if featuring multiple monologues. Format A guest monologist, or one of the cast, is given a one word inspiration[…]
Quick fun way to end a workshop. Everyone goes up to everyone else in the room and says “hey, you’re amazing!” But when someone says that to you first you just do a pretend drama diva hair flick and walk away with a “pfftt”. Sounds stupid but it’s a fun positive way to end.
A helpful exercise for the start of a course to help people get to know each other quickly. Everyone swaps partners every one minute, strictly times by the teacher, with a new conversation prompt for each minute such as: What do you love about improv and why are you on the course? What are your[…]
A fun warm up and breakout game to quickly do between exercises. Everyone puts one hand behind their back with palm facing outwards. Their other half is their elephant trunk. When game starts the aim is to tap (not hit) as many people on their back hand without your back hand being tapped. Every time[…]
Beyond Busy #93 with Max Dickins, a transcript of an interview with our founder, Max Dickins. Graham Allcott 0:04 Hello, and welcome to another episode of Beyond Busy, the show where we talk productivity, work life balance, defining happiness and success, all the big questions for work and life. My name is Graham Allcott. I’m[…]
1. YES, AND… Improvisation is based on building on other people’s ideas. In a scene we say ‘yes’ to our scene partner’s idea (accepting it), and then build off the back of it with our own addition (the ‘and’) to propel the scene forward. ‘Yes, and,’ is also a super useful tool in real life[…]
Public speaking is one of the most sought-after employability skills in the modern working world (CBI, 2019). Yet, studies have shown that public speaking is one of the most commonly held fears. According to one survey in the United States, the fear of public speaking came ahead of the fear of death! As the comic[…]
Feedback Feedback is vital for finding out what’s good and bad about an idea and our behaviours. However, feedback is also something that we dread. The prospect of giving someone feedback can be a gut wrenching feeling and it can feel even worse to receive it! It is unfortunate that something of such value can[…]
We talked to Freya C. who started doing improv with us this year. After taking some time off of work at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Freya found herself in a Black Mirror-esque world where all of her interactions with her peers were online. In our chat, Freya shared her experiences of coming to[…]
How to act like an improviser to own the room. For most people, the idea of getting on-stage in front of an audience with the aim of making them laugh feels them with a deathly dread. Throw in the stipulation that they must have no script, and this is enough to make the run a[…]
Kate Heward is an account manager, business owner and player in the Hoopla Impro House Team Michelle. Read on as Kate talks about giving herself permission to be big when it comes to ideas and how improv helped her to create an LGBTQ+ clothing brand. Hi Kate! Tell us a little bit about your[…]
How to make better friends and get past small talk according to a professional improviser
Feb 14, 2023
I think improv is relevant far beyond the stage because improvisation is simply the art of acting without a script. And how often are we forced to do that in our everyday life? We are improvising all of the time! Especially in conversations or when we are trying to build new relationships. Great conversationalists look[…]