School Of Improv

It's September :( but don't be sad. It's Suggestibles Saturday at the Cumberland Arms :)

Acting without a script! The Suggestibles School of Improv ‘Long-form Improv Workshops’ are held in Newcastle on Tuesday nights from 7-9pm. We build on the Short-form Improv skills trained at our Improvers Comedy Classes, by learning how to sustain and connect scenes and characters to create story, and ultimately perform funny and dramatic improvised plays.
Long-form Improv is led by Bev Fox and Ian McLaughlin, two of the most accomplished improv teachers in the UK, and foun...ders of The Suggestibles and School of Improv. Both are professional actors, directors, and with 30 years' experience in their specialist field, they are of course experts in improvisation.
Truth, Endowment, Objectives, Conflict and Change are key areas of long-form improv, often explored in class. Acting, and stage-craft skills are developed, and the ensemble group-mind strengthened. Other than in warm-up, ‘improv games’ are rarely played. The pace tends to be slower, and the energy higher on emotion.
Long-form Improv Workshops are more experimental in feel, and some can find them more challenging than Short-form for a while, but if you’re new to the group you will find everyone is supportive and encouraging. Our aim is always to improve your improv skills and confidence, whether you’re interested in performing or not, and to keep on having fun!
Actors who have a background in improv, but perhaps not been to Improvers, are welcome to try a long-form class, and see if you’re suited to it.
Once you have developed your long-form improv, ensemble and stagecraft skills to a performance standard, you will be invited to perform in 4 1 Night Only, held on alternate months at Alphabetti Theatre in Newcastle (which also serves as our post-workshop drinking haunt).
FUNNY OFFER! Each month, our class members are offered 2 half-price tickets to The Suggestibles monthly Thursday improv comedy shows at The Stand Comedy Club in Newcastle. We remind you nearer the time, and if you want tickets, these are payable on the door for just a fiver a head. Bonus!
SEPTEMBER DATES: 11, 18, 25 You can attend regularly or book single classes. Classes run 7-9pm. PRICES per class: £15.00 / £12.50 concessions. BOOKABLE IN ADVANCE
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Let the Games Begin! The Suggestibles School of Improv 'Improvers Improv Comedy Classes' are held in Newcastle on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. We build on the Improv FUNdamentals trained at our Beginners Improv Course, and the fun just gets funnier. We dig a little deeper, introduce new improv techniques, and peel back the onion to produce tears of laughter.
And you’re in safe hands. Classes are led by Bev Fox and Ian McLaughlin, two of the most accomplished improv teachers... in the UK, and founders of The Suggestibles and School of Improv. Both are professional actors, directors, and with 30 years' experience in their specialist field, they are of course experts in improvisation.
At Improvers, we focus on 'Short-form Improv’ which involves short improvised scenes and great improv comedy games. We develop stage-craft skills too, helping to improve your acting, voice and movement as we go along. For those who wish to perform, we provide opportunities to play in our Rat Race improv comedy shows in Newcastle, once your skills have reached a performance standard.
If you're arriving from Beginners, don't worry - Improvers is no huge leap! You'll meet new people, and be encouraged to take more creative risks, but the trustful, supportive and un-pressured environment continues through all our classes. Our aim is always to improve your improv skills and confidence, whether you’re interested in performing or not. We also welcome new members to Improvers who come with improv training or experience from elsewhere. As long as you have had practice in all the FUNdamentals, you'll fit in just fine.
FUNNY OFFER! Each month, our class members are offered 2 half-price tickets to The Suggestibles monthly Thursday improv comedy shows at The Stand Comedy Club in Newcastle. We remind you nearer the time, and if you want tickets, these are payable on the door for just a fiver a head. Bonus!
SEPTEMBER IMPROVERS DATES: 11/12 18/19 25/26 Bookable in advance, you can attend single classes or regularly. Weekly Classes run 7-9pm. PRICES per class: £12.50/£10 concessions. BOOKABLE IN ADVANCE.
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This Friday, our monthly improv shows at Alphabetti Theatre begin with 4 1 Night Only. The Suggestibles, together with a new ensemble of players for one night only, will make-up two new plays, taking inspiration from you and yours, to boldly go where no improvisers have gone before. And promise never to go again.

Some of our shiny new grads from our Summer Beginners Improv Course

Get your laughter chops ready. It's Suggestibles Thursday at the Stand!

This course is full. Our Beginners Improv Courses are very popular. In case of cancellation, join our waitlist by emailing us at hello@thesuggestibles.co.uk. Hear news by subscribing to our email-list: https://www.thesuggestibles.co.uk/subscri be-mailing-list
Find your funny bone! At the Suggestibles’ School of Improv in Newcastle, learn the FUNdamental skills of Improv at our Beginners Improv Course. Over 6-weekly evening classes for adults, you’ll find confidence boosting fu...n. Improv is creative, social, surprising, playful, empowering, meaningful - full of life-long learning and laughter. Improv is a collaborative art-form with a unique skill-set, and these skills are transferable to life.
This foundation course in improv is great for building your confidence and freeing your imagination, and trains the underpinning team and communication skills of improvisation. People come from diverse walks of life. You don’t need any acting, comedy or performance experience to attend. You don’t need to be fast or funny. You just need to want to have fun! Any early nerves will soon diminish, as we focus on growing trust with the group so you become comfortable with new people.
And you’re in safe hands. The Course is led by Bev Fox and Ian McLaughlin, two of the most accomplished improv teachers in the UK, and founders of The Suggestibles and School of Improv. Both are professional actors, directors, and with 30 years' experience in their specialist field, they are of course experts in improvisation.
You can enjoy Beginners as a stand-alone course, or continue to the next stage, where we develop your improv skills and continue to grow your confidence. We start to introduce performance opportunities for those who have the bug to play improv comedy onstage.
GRADUATION! You can enjoy Beginners as a stand-alone course, or continue development at our weekly Improvers and Long-form Improv Classes which are on-going throughout the year. On completion of your Beginners Improv Course, you will receive a Graduation Certificate, and your group is invited to celebrate as VIP guests to watch School of Improv's end-of-month show at Alphabetti Theatre (which also serves as our post-workshop social haunt!)
FUNNY OFFER! Each month, our class members are offered 2 half-price tickets to The Suggestibles monthly Thursday improv comedy shows at The Stand Comedy Club in Newcastle. We remind you nearer the time, and if you want tickets, these are payable on the door for just a fiver a head. Bonus!
COURSE DATES, TIMES, PRICES, VENUE INFO: Wednesdays 12, 19, 26 Sept, 10, 17, 24 October / 7pm to 9pm at Jurys Inn, Newcastle NE1 4AD. Each course consists of 6 x 2-hour classes, held over 7 weeks, with a week-off in the middle. Optimum Members: 14. Adults Only. Cost: £80 / £64
READ REVIEWS: https://www.facebook.com/pg/schoolofimpro v/reviews/
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Get your improv fix this summer!
During August, we are running Summer Improv Fix Workshops on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. These replace our usual Improvers and Long-form workshops till September. Both nights are open to Improvers and Advanced level students, and you can come to any or all.
If you haven’t been to School of Improv Workshops before, but have previous training on a Beginners Course or experience in the basics elsewhere then these summer fun workshops are a gr...eat introduction to our members and what we do.
Tuesdays are higher on character and emotion, with a gentler pace. Wednesdays are more gamey and higher on energy. Both nights will have a high FUN factor!
Workshops cost £12.50 or £10 concessions, bookable in advance via the ticket link.
And on Friday 24th August, come see 4 1 Night Only at Alphabetti Theatre, featuring our long-form class members with players from The Suggestibles. Topping off the summer with loads of laughter! Find info on the show here: https://www.facebook.com/events/107452187 9373136/
If you're looking for our next Beginners Course, this starts in September and is booking now: https://www.facebook.com/events/857406927 797835/
Our program of Beginners, Improvers and Advanced workshops, performance opportunities, and all about our work and teachers can be found at: https://www.thesuggestibles.co.uk/school- of-improv
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TONIGHT! Rat Race, the very silly Improv Comedy Games Show where 2 teams of rats scramble to win your laughter, applause and votes. Tickets on sale on the door from 8pm.

Our Beginners Improv Course starts tonight. Still time to book!

Some very exciting news. The Cumberland ain't a huge venue so you better be quick to book.

Find Confidence boosting FUN. Improv is creative, social, surprising, playful, empowering, meaningful - full of life-long learning and laughter! Starting Monday 16th July in Newcastle, our Beginners Improv Course runs for 6 Monday nights till 20th August. No experience necessary! Click for info and to Book Your Place.

In the first half 'Girls Allowed' - set in a gentleman's club in the 1980s, all from a suggested bow tie. The 2nd half ended in a song based on the 'Patterns' sketches created from the suggestion - Pareidolia.

This Friday: Curious explorations into the human condition. Stupid explanations into the unknown. Misguided examinations you can’t un-see. In an evening of Improvised Dramedy, Suggestibles’ Ian McLaughlin and Bev Fox, together with a new ensemble for one night only, are joined onstage by John Mawer, Jon Farthing, Emma McIntosh, Jackie Wood, Ian Mayor, Jules Kilburn and Peff Soulsby, and accompanied by Jenni Winter on piano.

The Dalai Lama would have been the greatest improviser

Because of the football, our class on Tuesday 10th July has been cancelled. Instead, and to make up for it, our next long-form classes on 17th and 18th July will run for longer. Rather than 7pm till 9pm, they will run till 10pm.
Long-form Improv workshops are suitable for the more experienced improviser who wants to act, create and perform stories. Who wants to advance their improv, get more emotional, play truthful characters and experiment with new approaches. Who can take... direction, constructive criticism and contribute to the group as a whole.
Long-form is made up of connected scene-work with sustainable characters to create theatrical narratives and themes that are both dramatic and funny. We call it improvised dramedy. Basically, we aim to make-up short plays - no easy feat!
Long-form classes are held on Tuesday nights in 3-week block each month. You can book 1 class or several. Every other month the third session is a special 'Ensemble' workshop for performers in 4 1 Night Only. Our next long-form show is at Alphabetti Theatre, Friday 24 August.
Long-form class members are also welcome to book to play in our short-form Improv show, Rat Race on Friday 25 July at the Bridge NE1 1RQ.
DATES. TIMES. PRICES Long-form Classes: Tues 10th / 7-9pm (cancelled) Tues 17th & 24th July (longer than usual): 7pm to 10pm. £12.50 / £10 per class Jurys Inn NE1 4AD
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Improvers is our Intermediate Improv level (with Monday and Wednesday night group classes running). Full of improv games, skills exercises and short scene-work, we build on the FUNdamentals. We peel back the onion to produce tears of laughter, dig deeper into the core, add more flavour, and ultimately improve your improv palette.
You need to have attended our Beginners Course to come to Improvers, or have prior experience in the FUNdamentals (see our website for info on that).... Improvers is also great for experienced improvisers who want to brush up their 'short-form' skills and game-play.
As well as improv, we develop stage-craft skills at Improvers. Not everyone wants to perform, but the opportunity is there if you do - and it's the ultimate confidence boost! Once you’ve found your feet, you can book to take-part in Rat Race, our improv game show held alternate months on Friday nights in Newcastle. JULY is a RAT RACE month!
On Wednesday nights, our post-workshop decamp is to Alphabetti Theatre NE1 4HP (5-mins walk from Jurys. Situated between Discovery museum and Dance City)
JULY Teachers: Monday nights are led by Bev Fox Wednesday nights are led by Ian McLaughlin
DATES. TIMES. PRICES Classes: 7pm to 9pm. £12.50 / £10 Held at Jurys Inn NE1 4AD
RAT RACE Fri 25 July at The Bridge NE1 1RQ Performer fee: £7.50/£5 Performers call time is 7pm warm-up and tech, ready for 8.30 performance. Performers get 2 complimentary tickets for VIP guests, and receive £1.50 for each paying guest you bring to the show. Audience entry is £5/£4
FUNNY OFFER: July class members can reserve 1 or 2 x £5 tickets to see The Suggestibles at the Stand Comedy Club on Thursday 19 July. Standard price is £10 at The Stand. This is an offer we run for our students every month.
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Improvers is our Intermediate Improv level (with Wednesday and Monday night group classes running). Full of improv games, skills exercises and short scene-work, we build on the FUNdamentals. We peel back the onion to produce tears of laughter, dig deeper into the core, add more flavour, and ultimately improve your improv palette.
You need to have attended our Beginners Course to come to Improvers, or have prior experience in the FUNdamentals (see our website for info on that).... Improvers is also great for experienced improvisers who want to brush up their 'short-form' skills and game-play.
As well as improv, we develop stage-craft skills at Improvers. Not everyone wants to perform, but the opportunity is there if you do - and it's the ultimate confidence boost! Once you’ve found your feet, you can book to take-part in Rat Race, our improv game show held alternate months on Friday nights in Newcastle. The next opportunity to play is Friday 29th July at the Bridge NE1 1RQ.
On Wednesday nights, our post-workshop decamp is to Alphabetti Theatre (5-mins walk, between Discovery museum and Dance City)
IN JUNE: Wednesday nights are led John Mawer Monday nights are led by Ian McLaughlin
Improvers run in 3-week blocks each month. You can book a full-block, 1 class or several in either or both of the Monday and Wednesday groups. Most stick to one group, some come to both. It's up to you.
COST per Class: £12.50 standard. £10 Concessions. TIMES are 7pm to 9pm. CLASS SIZE ranges from 8 to 14. ADULTS Only. BOOK in advance at our website via the ticket link. JURYS Inn is 5 mins walk from Central Station.
OFFER: June members can reserve 2 x £5 tickets to see the Suggestibles at the Stand Comedy Club on Thursday 21st June. Standard price is £10 at The Stand. This is an offer we run for our students every month.
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Welcoming, well run classes that ease you into the controlled chaos of Improv.

Very fun, supportive, energetic and reflective workshops. Highly recommend for both complete beginners and experienced improvisers!

These workshops go beyond improvisation, they help you decipher life, cultivate a creative approach in which you learn acceptance and how to say 'yes'. Failure too is always an option meaning your success is built on having a go not necessarily being funny or the best! This may be the best life learning workshop you ever attend.

The best place to learn Improv. It's that simple. They've been teaching me for years now, and for the laughs and good times that have resulted, I owe them greatly!

I love them... that is all... <3 <3 <3

I did an improv course with Gary a few years ago and it was the most fun and enjoyable course I've ever been on.

Great fun, brings the child inside us all blinking into the light.

Fantastic Improv Trainers, really make you feel safe if you are not used to performing, once you start to learn the skills of Improv, Bev and Ian, the people you meet, the game you play make you want to go back for more everytime. If you are in Newcastle you HAVE to partake in a course by School of Improv.

Excellent workshops run by superb facilitators with oodles of experience (teaching and performance). Reflective, challenging and a good dose of fun.

Brilliant day today - thanks for letting me play out until it got dark

Brilliant classes and instructors.

Recommended for experienced actors as well someone with no experience.

Been attending classes for a couple of years now. A great opportunity to learn, build confidence and have fun. Would highly recommend giving it a go!

Welcoming, well run classes that ease you into the controlled chaos of Improv.

Very fun, supportive, energetic and reflective workshops. Highly recommend for both complete beginners and experienced improvisers!

These workshops go beyond improvisation, they help you decipher life, cultivate a creative approach in which you learn acceptance and how to say 'yes'. Failure too is always an option meaning your success is built on having a go not necessarily being funny or the best! This may be the best life learning workshop you ever attend.

The best place to learn Improv. It's that simple. They've been teaching me for years now, and for the laughs and good times that have resulted, I owe them greatly!

I love them... that is all... <3 <3 <3

I did an improv course with Gary a few years ago and it was the most fun and enjoyable course I've ever been on.

Great fun, brings the child inside us all blinking into the light.

Fantastic Improv Trainers, really make you feel safe if you are not used to performing, once you start to learn the skills of Improv, Bev and Ian, the people you meet, the game you play make you want to go back for more everytime. If you are in Newcastle you HAVE to partake in a course by School of Improv.

Excellent workshops run by superb facilitators with oodles of experience (teaching and performance). Reflective, challenging and a good dose of fun.

Brilliant day today - thanks for letting me play out until it got dark

Brilliant classes and instructors.

Recommended for experienced actors as well someone with no experience.

Been attending classes for a couple of years now. A great opportunity to learn, build confidence and have fun. Would highly recommend giving it a go!