Teaching

Voice, Physicality, Use of Space etc. Condensing 3 years of Drama School training into 3 Hours of Tips – learn to utilise: levels; proxemics and mime skills (spacework) to story tell without saying anything; then safe vocal projection; annunciation; diction; inflection; accents and pace to completely control what your voice communicates when you do speak! Mixed with ways to control your physicality to create character, the correct names for the parts of the stage, and of the course number 1 rule of never turning your back on the audience – this course will tell you everything you need to know to act like pro!

Possible show: Montage, monologues or long form narrative of well acted well delivered scenes

Become unstoppable in auditions and on stage or set by embracing the joy, freedom and confidence building power of improv. Improv can be used not just to create comedy but to reveal intimate and truthful emotion in the moment. Apply the Meisner, Stanislavski and other techniques you use already; learn to mix them with useful improv techniques like ‘Yes and’, great mime work, and detailed story telling on the fly to create scenes better than you’ve ever done before - instantly. There is no better way to learn to ‘be in the moment’ than that moment being all you have, and getting used to that feeling,

Possible show: An improvised showcase of scenes or an improvised play.

Class for experienced Musical Improvisers. All the best Musical Improv tips and tricks from the UK. After studying with Showstopper, Opening Night and Hoopla; performing with Baby Wants Candy, MusicBox and Hit and Run; coaching multiple groups in the UK and USA, and Directing Multiverse, This is impro and 5 * A Cappella Musical - Acaprov: Lisa has more experience improvising musicals than anything else. Learn to pass, end songs, create choruses and do West End set pieces, to add more tools to your belt and get the best of all worlds in your shows.

(local pianist or guitarist preferred, but also works a cappella)

Possible show: Improvised musical with local accompanist/MD.

In this a cappella beginners intensive you will learn how to be the music behind the lyrics; how to underscore any scene; and how to take your musical improv to the next level (even in a power cut!)

Work on your beat-boxing, body-percussion, rap, dance, acting and singing; add these to your improv experience - and you have the 7 pillars of Acaprov: The Improvised A Cappella Musical.

This course is best suited to musical improvisers, freestyle rappers and singers who have not yet tried doing it a cappella, and are ready to take the next step. If you love improvising musicals but are not the most confident singer, worry not, pitching is not essential as non-singers can speak-sing, rap and do percussion to navigate the workshop playing to their strengths. It’s a safe space.

Possible show: A Cappella Jam

We will recap and bolster the 7 pillars of Acaprov learnt on the a cappella improv beginners course - then prep you to perform an a cappella musical. Varying your solo’s and duets; looking at a variety of musical genres; working on group dance numbers and entering at a 10/10 - with smooth transitions to boot!

Only suited to those who have already studied Acaprov-style a cappella improv (otherwise you will not know the signals and song construction etc expected)

Possible show: A Cappella Musical Montage

an introduction to the language, rhythm, concepts and tropes you need to know to be able to conjure the bard on stage

Possible show: The lost pages - Improvised Shakespearean Sonnets, Monologues and Duologues or an improvised Shakespeare play with or without Shakespeare’s ‘ancestor’ present to live direct/side coach.

Absolute beginners welcome. No previous knowledge of Shakespeare or improv required.

The basics – passing, patterns, poetic lyrics, rhyming, ‘dance’, choruses and emotional scenes that give you things to sing about!

Possible show: Mini Musical Montage or Jam

Building on the basics to look at a larger variety of expected Musical theatre songs and tropes – counterpoints, cyphers, tag line songs, Dream sequences etc

Possible show: Montage or long-form narrative musical

From Lisa’s First Class honours degree in Music Theatre and over a decade performing, teaching and directing Musicals - learn both West End and Broadway techniques; as well as a cappella ensemble music techniques from other cultures and how to integrate rap into your musicals.

Combing the tropes to see what your cast are currently missing. Learning (and inventing) set pieces to wow your audience based on the hundreds of musicals that already exist – ‘Bumming songs’. ‘Tableaux songs’, use of Slow motion, use of physical theatre etc

Possible show: Long-form narrative musical with Showstopping set pieces

'Acting is Reacting' - ground your scenes in truth by making the essential calls and accessing emotion memory as required. Learn what Meisner Technique is, and apply the rehearsal technique in shows by reading the sub-text we, our voice, physicality and use of space are always communicating. Master the truth your own body, voice and proxemics communicate by applying the parts of the Stanislavski system that you have time to in spontaneous improv (where there's no time for thorough research and 36 questions etc)

This is a workshop for actors wanting to apply their acting skills to their improv, creating nuance and subtext; and Directors wanting to help their improv casts find more emotional truth in Dramatic/Theatrical Improv shows. A basic understanding of stage-craft and a willingness to be vulnerably truthful are essential - this is not a comedy workshop.

Show: A Dramatic Improvised play for experienced long form improvisers and Actors. Slow burn, organic improv starting in the middle and reading the subtext until the truth comes out.

An introduction to Brechtian political theatre including its episodic structure and all the tropes one would expect to see and hear including - placards, prop as multiple objects, signposting, multi-rolling, alienation effect and breaking the fourth wall etc.

Possible show: ‘The News’ improvising scenes based on current headlines or ‘The big issue’ improvising scenes based on issues that are important to the audience

Physical Theatre for Improv: Looking at the work of Frantic Assembly, DV8 and Laban to create physical theatre improv, from being human furniture or animals, to safe lifts, to smooth transitions and everything and anything you can get your body to do in between.

Possible Show: ‘Frantically assemble me’ a montage or long form narrative show with a heavy focus on creating the set and smooth transitions using physical theatre

(wear comfortable clothes and trainers). We will learn to punch, kick, slap, hair pull and knock-each other out – without hurting each other at all! Starting with safety falls and then working in pairs you will learn a set of moves that you can signal, set up and execute safely on stage whilst looking and sounding completely real!

Possible show: A series of improvised scenes each featuring a choreographed and rehearsed fight or several improvised moves.

Borrowing from HipHop music but very much for improv comedy and musical improv - learn how to RAP and be human percussion in a low pressure environment. Absolute beginners welcome.

Possible show: Montage of scenes into rap, love rap battles and cyphers.

Training for improv teachers by a fully qualified and experienced Improv, Acting and Performing Arts teacher, Head of department, Lecturer and Head of faculty. Learn the art of teaching: creating a safe space, keeping people engaged, upholding boundaries, scaffolding, making things fun, being patient and flexible, inclusion, differentiation and getting the best out of every student.

Lisa has a PGCE in Drama at Masters Level and has taught at all levels from nursery to University. Lisa teaches adults weekly at HOOPLA Impro, in corporate gigs and abroad. She’s coached multiple teams and taught children at over 50 schools including those with students with SEN and challenging behaviour for the last 11 years)

Possible show: Live facilitated workshops with a local community group – each teacher leading a different exercise.