Improvised Shakespeare

THE WORKSHOP

LEARN TO WALK, TALK AND GESTURE LIKE A SHAKESPEAREAN ACTOR. RECOGNISE AND REPLICATE KEY CHARACTERS AND TROPES SO THAT EVERY PLAY THAT YOU IMPROVISE FEELS LIKE A SHAKESPEARE PLAY. TRY YOUR HAND AT SONNETS, HAVE FUN WITH RHYMING COUPLETS AND BOB UP AND DOWN IN IAMBIC PENTAMETER UNTIL SPEAKING IN IT FEELS LIKE SECOND NATURE. DELVE INTO POETIC METAPHORS AND OPERATE AT THE HIGHEST AND MOST EXAGGERATED LEVEL (SO GOING BACK TO REGULAR IMPROV FEELS LIKE A PIECE OF CAKE!). ENJOY THE BARD WITHOUT THE TOIL AND TROUBLE, AND WATCH THE FUN BUBBLE!

MINIMUM RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE:

ADVANCED – ITS LEVEL 6 OR EQUIVALENT.

THE TEACHERS

LISA LYNN IS AN AWARD-WINNING ACTOR, SINGER AND IMPROVISER, WHO TOURS THE WORLD PERFORMING, TEACHING AND DIRECTING.

SINCE GRADUATING WITH A FIRST CLASS BA HONOURS DEGREE IN MUSICAL THEATRE IN 2009; AND PERFORMING ARTS PGCE IN 2013; LISA HAS CONTINUED TO BOTH PERFORM AND TEACH. AFTER DISCOVERING IMPROV IN 2015 LISA BEGAN IMPROVSING MUSICALS WITH NO IMPROV TRAINING AND AS SUCH SEES ALL TEACHINGS AS ‘TOOLS NOT RULES’. SHE TEACHES FOR ACAPROV, HOOPLA AND THE ESPONTANEO DIPLOMA IN COLOMBIA, SHE HAS TAUGHT IMPROV AND ACTING (INCLUDING SHAKESPEARE) AT OVER 50 UK SCHOOLS, COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO DATE; AS WELL AS MANY UK AND INTERNATIONAL IMPROV SCHOOLS AND THEATRES BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE. LISA COACHES SEVERAL TEAMS AND HAS DIRECTED SEVERAL IMPROVISED SHOWS – SHE CONTINUES TO DIRECT 5* ACAPROV: THE IMPROVISED A CAPPELLA MUSICAL AND GROUND-BREAKING ‘NOT GCSE DRAMA’. AS AN ACTOR AND DIRECTOR SHE HAS TOURED MANY SHAKESPEARE PLAYS, NEW WRITINGS AND MUSICALS. AS AN IMPROVISER SHE HAS PERFORMED ALL OVER THE WORLD AND STUDIED WITH SOME OF THE WORLDS BEST TEACHERS INCLUDING PATTI STYLES, SUSAN MESSING, JEFF MICHALSKI – SHE CONTINUES TO TAKE CLASSES AS SHE BELIEVES IF YOU’RE NOT GETTING BETTER, YOU’RE GETTING BITTER! JOIN HER FOR AN OPEN CLASS WITH NO PUNCHING DOWN AND A LOT OF LEVELLING UP YOUR SKILLS!

Find them on Instagram, @lisalynnlive

THURSDAY 13th November, 2:00pm – 5:00pm At Improv TheAtre Sydney.

This workshop is part of the ITS Comedy Festival 2025. Check out the full program here!