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.
The Alley Theatre is a Tony Award-winning theatre company in Houston, Texas. It is the oldest professional theatre company in Texas and the third oldest resident theatre in the United States. Alley Theatre productions have played on Broadway at Lincoln Center, toured more than 40 American cities, and played internationally in Berlin, Paris, and St. Petersburg.
Theatresports is a form of improvisational theatre, which uses the format of a competition for dramatic effect. Opposing teams can perform scenes based on audience suggestions, with ratings by the audience or by a panel of judges. Developed by director Keith Johnstone in Florida, USA, in 1977, the concept of Theatresports originated in Montystone's observations of techniques used in professional wrestling to generate heat, or audience reaction.
Blood Brothers is a musical with book, lyrics, and music by Willy Russell. The story is a contemporary nature versus nurture plot, revolving around fraternal twins Mickey and Eddie, who were separated at birth, one subsequently being raised in a wealthy family, the other in a poor family. The different environments take the twins to opposite ends of the social spectrum, one becoming a councillor, and the other unemployed and in prison. They both fall in love with the same girl, causing a rift in their friendship and leading to the tragic death of both brothers. Russell says that his work was based on a one-act play that he read as a child "about two babies switched at birth ... it became the seed for Blood Brothers."
Keith Johnstone is a British and Canadian pioneer of improvisational theatre, best known for inventing the Impro System, part of which are the Theatresports. He is also an educator, playwright, actor and theatre director.
The Improverts is a improvisational comedy troupe from the Edinburgh University Theatre Company, which primarily performs at the Bedlam Theatre, Edinburgh. They perform weekly during Edinburgh University's term time and every night during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Patti Stiles is an actor, director,author,playwright, teacher and improvisation artist living in Australia.
Alan Marriott is a Canadian voice actor and instructor.
Noah Starr is an American actor, fight director and writer. He has made appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, MTV, AMC, Court TV, CNBC, E!, Maury Povich and in the upcoming feature film Nail Polish.
Paul Merton's Impro Chums is an improvisational comedy stage show, consisting of comedian Paul Merton heading a cast of Richard Vranch, Suki Webster, Mike McShane and Lee Simpson, as well as a special guest performer.
Fratelli Bologna is a business theater company based in San Francisco.
The Cock Tavern Theatre was a pub theatre located in Kilburn in the north-west of London. The venue specialised in new works and critical revivals. Resident companies Good Night Out Presents and OperaUpClose were also based at the venue. It shut in 2011, due to health and safety problems regarding the Victorian staircases that serviced the theatre.
Kolektiv Narobov is a performing arts collective from Ljubljana, Slovenia. In their very beginnings, the members of the collective have been trained in the North American style of theatre improvisation, influenced by some of its most notable practitioners, such as Keith Johnstone, Del Close, Ruth Zaporah, Randy Dixon, and others. However, ever since they have been developing their unique approach to improvisation, combining theatre improvisation techniques with the influences of physical theatre, contemporary dance and clowning. Kolektiv Narobov has made significant steps in applying the principles of spontaneous composition and live interaction with the audience, as done in theatre improvisation, into various other styles and media. These range from experimental theatre, clown and cabaret pieces to site-specific performances and radio plays, all the way to film.
The Suggestibles is a British improv comedy group, based in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Dad's Garage Theatre Company, located at 569 Ezzard St. in the Old Fourth Ward in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 1995 by Chris Blair, Marc Cram, Sean Daniels, George Faughnan, John Gregorio, David Keeton, Joseph Limbaugh, Matt Stanton, and Matt Young. A second wave of people in the founding summer soon followed, and the theatre company spent the next five years establishing itself in the Atlanta improv and theatre communities. The small theater company has since achieved international recognition for original stage productions and Improvisational comedy. The Second City executive producer Jon Carr is a former artistic director. Lara Smith, managing director, announced that she will be stepping down in late 2021.
Impro Melbourne is an improvisational theatre company in the Australian city of Melbourne. Formed by Russell Fletcher and Christine Keogh in 1996 it is now run by Artistic Director Katherine Weaver, General Manager Rik Brown and Committee. Impro Melbourne is an Incorporated Association.
IGLU Theatre is a Slovenian improvisational theatre, located in Ljubljana, capital city of Slovenia, and founded by younger generation of impro performers Vid Sodnik, Juš Milčinski, and Peter Frankl Jr. Participating in the most notable theatresports championship in Slovenia, Impro League, they have won it four times as members of various teams and hold numerous titles for the best improviser in Slovenia. As a team they were also winners of the Impro League 2013/14 season. They are members of European impro association Ohana.
Impro League is the oldest among Slovenian theatresports championships. It has taken place since 1993 with participants from all over the country. In recent years, over hundred participants have competed in a number of disciplines in each season, culminating in finals. Other Slovenian championships that are limited to younger age groups, include School Impro League (ŠILA) for high school teams, while Impro club is dedicated to regular Slovenian performers who have international impro experience with mentors, such as Daniel Gray Goldstein from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, New York City; Randy Dixon from the Unexpected Productions, Seattle, and Andreas Wolf from Munich, Germany.
Clive Barker was a theater performer, acting coach and a co-editor of New Theatre Quarterly.
