Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted, created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story, and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written script.
Whose Line is it Anyway? is a short-form improvisational comedy television series created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, presented by Clive Anderson, and produced for Channel 4 between 23 September 1988 and 4 February 1999. The programme's format was on a panel of four performers conducting a series of short-form improvisation games, creating comedic scenes per predetermined situations made by the host or from suggestions by the audience. Such games include creating sound effects, performing a scene to different television and film styles, using props, and making up a song on the spot. The programme originally began as a short-lived BBC radio programme, before the concept was adapted for television.
Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of improvisation can apply to many different faculties across all artistic, scientific, physical, cognitive, academic, and non-academic disciplines; see Applied improvisation.
Colin Andrew Mochrie is a Scottish-born Canadian actor, writer, producer and improvisational comedian, best known for his appearances on the British and American versions of the improvisational TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.
The Second City is an improvisational comedy enterprise. It is the oldest improvisational theater troupe to be continuously based in Chicago, with training programs and live theatres in Toronto and New York. The Second City Theatre opened on December 16, 1959, and has become one of the most influential and prolific comedy theatres in the English-speaking world. In February 2021, ZMC, a private equity investment firm based in Manhattan, purchased the Second City.
Bradley Sherwood is an American actor, singer, comedian, game show host and writer. He is best known for his work on the British and American versions of comedy improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?.
The Bad Dog Theatre Company is an improvisational theatre company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, established in 2003. The theatre produces a range of shows, emphasizing short-form improv, but also exploring other improvisational techniques.
Theatre Strike Force is the University of Florida's premier improv and sketch comedy troupe. The group also goes by TSF. The style of improv performed by Theatre Strike Force is a combination long form and short form. They both teach and perform improvisational comedy. They have six house teams which include both forms of improv as well as a sketch team. There are four long form house teams which are cast every semester and usually have six to eight members. The TSF Short Form Team is cast every semester as well and usually has fifteen to nineteen members. TSF Sketch is the final house team and usually has twelve to sixteen members, cast each semester.
Boris Cherniak is a Soviet-born Canadian and US based comedian hypnotist and motivational speaker, entertainer, entrepreneur and author that performs internationally.
The Tokyo Comedy Store (TCS) is an English-language comedy show held at various venues in central Tokyo, Japan. It features stand-up comedians and improvised comedy.
Fawad Siddiqui is an American actor, improvisational comedian, journalist and cartoonist.
Whose Line Is It Anyway? is an American improvisational comedy television series, and is an adaptation of the British series of the same name. It originally aired on ABC and ABC Family from August 5, 1998 to December 15, 2007, hosted by Drew Carey. A revival of the show, hosted by Aisha Tyler, began airing on The CW on July 16, 2013.
Taz VanRassel is a Canadian comedian and actor primarily known for his work in improv theatre. He was nominated as Best Male Improviser in Canada at the Canadian Comedy Awards from 2007 to 2015, is a founding member of The Sunday Service improv troupe, of Instant Theatre Company, 9-year member of the Vancouver TheatreSports League and is a member and co-creator of the sketch comedy group Titmouse! with Eisner Award-winning comic book writer/comedian Ian Boothby.
Donald Lewis Barnhart, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, writer and filmmaker who stars in his own nightly comedy show in Las Vegas author, actor, filmmaker and hypnotist. Barnhart just released his new Dry Bar Comedy Special "The Spinal Disintegration of Man" from VidAngel which is going viral and has his own nightly residency in Las Vegas.
The Improv is an improvisational comedy show which was started in May 2012 in Bangalore, India. The show has no script and is totally improvised, as its name suggests. The audiences give suggestions, situations and scenarios to the host and taking the cue, the actors create on-the-spot hilarious scenes on stage. It is hosted and directed by Saad Khan, an Indian filmmaker. The show is conceptualized by Saad Khan. The show's performers are Sal Yusuf, Darius Sunawala, Abel Mathews and Tim Schultz. The team has performed over 100 shows in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sweden.
Improv Heaven and Hell is a Canadian comedy television series, which aired on The Comedy Network from 1998 to 2001. Hosted by Albert Howell and Andrew Currie, a comedy duo billed as The Devil's Advocates, the series featured a rotating cast of Canadian comedians and actors performing in an improvisational comedy competition similar to Whose Line Is It Anyway?
The Improv Bandits are an improvisational theatre group in Auckland, New Zealand. They have performed with renowned improvisors Wayne Brady and Colin Mochrie, as well as voice actor Dan Castellaneta. The Improv Bandits were formed by Wade Jackson, and have been described in the New Zealand Herald as "one of New Zealand's most successful comedy ventures".
Albert Howell is a Canadian comedian, actor and writer, most noted as a Gemini Award nominee and Canadian Screen Award winner for his work on the writing team for the sketch comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis is a comedy show that is a fusion of stage hypnosis and improvisation. It was created by hypnotist Asad Mecci, improvisational comedian Colin Mochrie, and Mochrie's manager Jeff Andrews.
