Improv Classes

Elective Workshops

The Nursery offers elective classes aimed at experienced improvisers taught by a host of teachers.

We also host international teachers for special workshops.

Our international guests have included David Razowsky, Patti Stiles, Armando Diaz, Jill Bernard, Colleen Doyle, and Jason Shotts to name a few.

These workshops always sell out fast, please book in advance to avoid disappointment.

Current Month
march
504 Arch504 Ridgway Road, London, SW9 7EX%MINIFYHTML9b4e9d633b0648ed16373abb61ee27f53%
				28mar(mar 28)10:30 am29(mar 29)5:00 pmSold Out!Mechanics of Scene Work with Patti StilesTwo day workshop10:30 am - 5:00 pm (29) 504 ArchBuy Tickets

								Event Details
Develop and strengthen your skills in developing Platform, awareness of the promises in a scene and the circle of expectations, spot whose scene it is, advance the scene, raise the

								
								
										Event Details

										Develop and strengthen your skills in developing Platform, awareness of the promises in a scene and the circle of expectations, spot whose scene it is, advance the scene, raise the stakes and find satisfying endings.
This is a two-day workshop which takes place on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th March from 10.30am – 5pm each day.
NB This workshop is for those with 1-3 years of improv experience.
Please note: The space itself at Arch 504 is wheelchair accessible, but the bathroom facilities are not.
Please note that all Nursery classes are 18+

									
								
							

							
								
								
									
										
																	
											Time
											28 (Saturday) 10:30 am - 29 (Sunday) 5:00 pm
										
									
								

									
										
										Location
504 Arch
504 Ridgway Road, London, SW9 7EX
									
								

								
							

							
														
								Teacher

Patti Stiles
Patti is an actor, improviser, director, instructor and playwright whose been working professionally in theatre since 1983.
She served her theatre apprenticeship at the world renowned Loose Moose Theatre and was trained by Keith Johnstone.
Patti has an infectious enthusiasm for improvisation. Mix this with her insightful improvisation technique, strong narrative skill and her spirit of play, and it is no wonder she is responsible for inspiring many hundreds of people to improvise. Her understanding of Johnstone’s work and philosophy, combined with her own discoveries and her wealth of experience on the world impro stage, has made her a must have teacher for performers and companies wishing to create spontaneous theatre with fine skill, strong narrative, heart and elegant style.
Patti has taught and performed in North and South America, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, UAE and the Oceania region for numerous improvisation companies, festivals, and theatre schools and in the corporate arena.


							
														
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								Price
£ 130

Women’s Workshops

Women’s workshops are an open and supportive creative space for women and non-binary people of all ages and experience levels.

These workshops run once a month, and they are stand-alone, so you can book one or come along every time. Each workshop is taught by a different teacher and focuses on a specific area of improvisation, and we have some exciting people lined up over the coming months!

Current Month
march
Theatre Deli Studios2 Finsbury Avenue, London, EC2M 2PA%MINIFYHTML9b4e9d633b0648ed16373abb61ee27f54%
				29mar2:00 pm5:00 pmCreating S(  )paces with Carla Keen2:00 pm - 5:00 pm Theatre Deli StudiosBook

								Event Details
Creating S( )paces with Carla Keen
When we improvise, we have the whole world at our fingertips, yet how often do you find yourself in a place which is the same

								
								
										Event Details

										Creating S( )paces with Carla Keen
When we improvise, we have the whole world at our fingertips, yet how often do you find yourself in a place which is the same dimensions as the stage you are standing on?
Drawing influence from the compositional principles of Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints and the work of post-modern theatre companies, Carla invites participants to explore how by playing space we can change the way we improvise. We’ll explore relationships: with the space, with other characters, and with ourselves.
We’ll also explore how to use contrasts and juxtapositions on stage to enjoy playing with/in spaces as large as great cathedrals and as small as shoe-boxes.
Women’s workshops are an open and supportive creative space for women and non-binary people of all ages and experience levels.

These workshops run once a month, and they are stand-alone, so you can book one or come along every time. Each workshop is taught by a different teacher and focuses on a specific area of improvisation, and we have some exciting people lined up over the coming months!

									
								
							

							
								
								
									
										
																	
											Time
											(Sunday) 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
										
									
								

									
										
										Location
Theatre Deli Studios
2 Finsbury Avenue, London, EC2M 2PA
									
								

								
							

							
														
								Teacher
Carla Keen is a theatre maker and improviser currently pursuing a Masters degree in Advanced Theatre Practice at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, in which she is exploring the application of improv within immersive and post-modern theatre.
She is the artistic director of the Cambridge-based group The Ministry of Unplanned Occurrences, improv mercenaries who plunder the world of live performance to find exciting use of space, storytelling, and theme and apply it to their unique character-led improv shows.
Carla believes everyone can perform, create and be funny – and that in no way diminishes those that are experts. She has 10 years teaching and facilitating experience and runs the improv school Red Cape Improv. She has trained with over 50 international improv, clown, and movement teachers/practitioners.
Carla’s teaching is focused on learn-by-doing, so you’ll get a decent chunk of time doing scene work and exercises underpinned by a positive atmosphere and encouragement (don’t expect her to bang a drum and tell you how awful you were in French*). It’ll also be fun, because that’s when we learn best.
*Famous clown teacher Phillip Gaulier is famous for this method of teaching known as ‘Via Negativa’. The brilliant improviser/clown Deanna Fleysher has written an ace blog about it here.

							
														
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								Price
£20

QI – Queer Improv

Come and join in at this open playday with QI, London’s first* queer improv group. It’ll be a fun afternoon of scene work and storytelling. Something that is really fun in improv is play that makes no assumptions about anybody’s identity or beliefs. Come along and play with a fun group of people who see you as yourself.

Open workshops every two months! Everybody is welcome to come and play! Always free!

*as far as we’re aware!

Current Month
april
Aegis Productions Studios95 Brandon Street, SE17 1DY%MINIFYHTML9b4e9d633b0648ed16373abb61ee27f55%
				05apr1:00 pm4:00 pmQI - Queer ImprovAn open playday for all1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Aegis Productions StudiosEmail to reserve a place

								Event Details

Come and join in at this open playday with QI, London’s first* queer improv group. It’ll be a

								
								
										Event Details

										Stephen was brilliant
Come and join in at this open playday with QI, London’s first* queer improv group. It’ll be a fun afternoon of scene work and storytelling. Something that is really fun in improv is play that makes no assumptions about anybody’s identity or beliefs. Come along and play with a fun group of people who see you as yourself.
We sometimes initiate expecting a specific response, because that’s what the ‘normal’ response looks like. But what if your point of view (or your characters) is different? Why not be the one person in one hundred who will react differently? Ditto for gender presentation, different relationships, different physicalities and so on. Our goal is to build a group with fellow ‘different’ and open-minded people, where everything is discovered in the moment. ‘Queer’ in this context means anybody on the fringes of the mainstream, usually GLBTQ, but it’s completely self-identified; if you want to come along you’re more than welcome. All improv backgrounds and experience levels are encouraged to come out for the open workshops- let’s see what we get!
*as far as we’re aware!
There’s no feeling of ‘us’ and ‘them' 
There will be open workshops every two months. Everybody is welcome to come and play. Always free. Email stephen@thenurserytheatre.com if you’d like to come along, or have any questions.

									
								
							

							
								
								
									
										
																	
											Time
											(Sunday) 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
										
									
								

									
										
										Location
Aegis Productions Studios
95 Brandon Street, SE17 1DY
									
								

								
							

							
														
								Teacher
Stephen Davidson
Stephen Davidson is the Artistic Director of Improvable, QI: Queer Improv, Carmen: A gender-swapped Film Noir Fantasy, Love and Misinformation: An Improvised Play in the style of Caryl Churchill, and co-director of Zeal: The Pride Improv Festival. He currently also plays in Boxed in, Castles in the Air, an improvised Studio Ghibli film, in The Nursery Theatre’s mainstage ensemble, and in duo The Happiest People in the World with Erick Castellan.
Stephen teaches improv through Improvable and the Nursery Theatre, and is also a diversity officer for Hoopla Improv. He has taught and performed all over the world. He is also the author of Play Like an Ally.
Stephen loves improv and one of the world’s most cheerful people when playing or teaching. When coaching and directing improv he prides himself on creating a positive environment so that players can perform at their best. Stephen likes his improv like he likes his partners; silly, clever, and emotionally connected. Stephen has studied improv through i/o Chicago, The Nursery, Annoyance, UCB, Hoopla, The Maydays, Music Box, Showstoppers, and with many visiting artists including Dave Razowsky, Bill Arnett, Kaci Beeler, Heather Anne Campbell, Deanna Fleysher, and many more.

							
														
								Get Tickets
Email to reserve a place

							
														
								Price
Free

Free Improv Taster Workshop

Try improv for free! Puddle Jumping is a monthly free improv workshop at the Nursery, open to all.

Puddle Jumping is a great introduction to improvisation if you are new, or an opportunity to work on your core skills if you are a seasoned player.

Guided by an experienced member of the Nursery team, you will work on the core skills of improvisation through warm-ups, exercises and finally in guided scenes in front of the rest of the class.

Puddle Jumping is a friendly, accessible environment in which to have fun, create stories and characters and maybe even learn a little. Coffee, tea and biscuits provided.

Current Month
march
Aegis Productions Studios95 Brandon Street, SE17 1DY%MINIFYHTML9b4e9d633b0648ed16373abb61ee27f56%
				22mar2:00 pm4:30 pmLevel One Taster Workshop2:00 pm - 4:30 pm Aegis Productions StudiosBook

								Event Details

This taster session is a great introduction to

								
								
										Event Details

										
The Nursery is a particularly welcoming and non-threatening environment for a complete beginner

This taster session is a great introduction to improvisation, giving you a fun 2.5 hours to try it out with fellow curious beginners!
Guided by an experienced member of the Nursery team, you will work on the core skills of improvisation through warm-ups, exercises and finally in guided scenes in front of the rest of the class.
This workshop is a friendly, accessible environment in which to have fun, create stories and characters and maybe even learn a little. Coffee, tea and biscuits provided.
The Nursery is a charity and does its best to keep class fees low to make improv accessible for as many people as possible.

To this end, we offer two prices for this workshop: Standard £15 and Access/Low Income £3.
We just ask that those who can pay £15 please do – as this is what helps us to keep improv accessible for all, thank you.
I’m somebody who likes to squeeze the maximum amount of fun possible out of any given activity, and most other improvisers are exactly the same
We are also pleased to offer diversity scholarships to all of our longer courses, so that improv is accessible to everyone.

Please note that all Nursery classes are 18+



									
								
							

							
								
								
									
										
																	
											Time
											(Sunday) 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm
										
									
								

									
										
										Location
Aegis Productions Studios
95 Brandon Street, SE17 1DY
									
								

								
							

							
														
								Get Tickets
Book

							
														
								Price
£15 (£3 Access/Low Income)

Improv Beginners Courses

If you want to start learning improv, look no further than our beginners courses.

Beginner's Courses

Improv Classes

Elective Workshops

Event Details

Event Details

Time

Location

Teacher

Patti Stiles

Get Tickets

Price

Women’s Workshops

Event Details

Event Details

Creating S( )paces with Carla Keen

Time

Location

Teacher

Get Tickets

Price

QI – Queer Improv

Event Details

Event Details

Stephen was brilliant

There’s no feeling of ‘us’ and ‘them'

Time

Location

Teacher

Stephen Davidson

Get Tickets

Price

Free Improv Taster Workshop

Event Details

Event Details

The Nursery is a particularly welcoming and non-threatening environment for a complete beginner

I’m somebody who likes to squeeze the maximum amount of fun possible out of any given activity, and most other improvisers are exactly the same

Time

Location

Get Tickets

Price

Improv Beginners Courses

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