In this episode I chat to David Elms — long standing teacher at The Free Association in London and member of El Classico team The Cartel. David has been improvising for 15 years and has recently started running his own workshops under his brand Leap Day. He’s also just come off the back of a 5 night sell-out run of his solo improv show, David Elms Describes a Room. 

In this episode we cover David’s approach to justification, finding the fun in a scene, get a scoop on his new venue for Leap Day, and find out why he can’t always remember what he likes to do in his spare time.

This episode I chat to Alex Holland — head teacher at The Free Association in London.  Alex has been improvising for over a decade and in now in charge of the FA’s curriculum, as well as teaching, and performing in countless headline shows at the theatre.

In this episode we cover the best way to approach learning improv, what is “game”, what makes a good teacher, and how many furrows Alex would plough if he had a farm.

This episode I chat to Laura Riseborough — actor, comedian, and improviser.  Laura built a career as an actor including high-profile productions with with the Royal Shakespeare Company, before establishing herself as an improviser.

Show now has many hit shows under her belt, including Austintatious, Sliding Lives, and 666 Hell Lane, as well as teaching at The Free Association in London, including a course she devised focussed on Acting for Improvisers.

In this episode we cover how to commit to a scene, the importance of warming up, how to deal with a bad show, and the fact Laura can't bare to see animals suffering, even if they are imaginary.

This episode I chat to Naomi Peterson, former Artistic Director at The Free Association in London, and star of many critically acclaimed improv shows such as Three and St. Doctors Hospital. We cover how to be a more playful voice of reason, her workshop on bringing shows Back from The Brink, the state of improv in the UK, and what it's like having a husband from a rival improv school.

In this episode I chat to Alex Berg, member of the legendary Convoy, and a long-time teacher at UCB. We cover the secret to Convoy' 20 year history, Alex's recent workshop Make a Goddamn Choice, as well as his thoughts on how to help a sticky scene, his feelings on the Harold, and the fact the he can't play first-person video games.

In the first ever Shiny Things Podcast, I chat to Matt Cuter, the UCB legend who performed with long-running weekend team Bucky, on ASSSSCAT, and now with The Old Yorkers. 

We cover what to do when you get in your head, how to use your everyday life experiences to enrich your scenes, how to respond to when you don't know specific references, Matt's time working at dating app Hinge, and much more!

Narrative improv can be one of the most satisfying and enjoyable forms of the art for both audiences and players, since the journey of change that happens in all good stories is universally appealing. But inventing a cohesive story on-the-fly (and making it funny) is really hard.

One way to simplify the process is to use a common story structure that everyone on the team can follow. One example is the “Pixar Story Spine” that is often taught in narrative improv courses for good reason: it’s simple and effective.

We’ve all been there—someone in the team is doing something infuriating. Maybe they keep tagging into scenes before they’ve even started. Maybe they block your offers and bulldoze ahead with their own ideas. It’s tempting to pull them aside and say, “Hey, stop doing that thing we all learned is bad.”

But we’ve also been told: don’t note your teammates. Why? Can it really be that bad to give a gentle nudge?

Actually, yes. And here’s why.

Improv jams are a fantastic way to get stage time and practice everything you’ve been learning in a low-pressure, high-fun setting. But they can also feel intimidating—whether you’re new to improv or a seasoned player adjusting to a mix of styles and experience levels. Here’s how to get the most out of your next jam.

Monologues are a staple of premise-based improv. A good one can make the difference between a show that flows effortlessly and one that feels stunted. Yet, we rarely focus on what actually makes a monologue easy to pull from.

Experienced improvisers may say the content doesn’t matter—you can pull great premises from anything. That’s true if you’ve had years of practice. But for the rest of us, a strong monologue benefits from clear opinions, emotions, and characters.

Welcome to the ultimate resource for all things improv comedy in London (and beyond)—a place to help you get on stage, improve your craft, and navigate this weird and wonderful community. Whether you're a fresh-faced newbie wondering where to go next, a seasoned pro looking for new nights to play, or someone who just really enjoys shouting “Yes, and!” at strangers on the bus, you’re in the right place (but also, don’t shout at strangers).