Jim Fishwick: We’re Going On A Bear Hunt

THE WORKSHOP

We step out gleefully into a world as yet uncreated (we’re going on a bear hunt) in search of the beautiful unknown (we’re going to catch a big one) that will emerge from our shared discovery and presence (I’m not scared) and it’s the most brilliant feeling (what a beautiful day!).

And sometimes, despite our best intentions, we get stuck. The characters aren’t connecting, or maybe the scene doesn’t feel like it’s about anything. It’s going nowhere. (Uh oh, mud…)

This workshop looks at how to take stock of what’s already there in the scene and offers techniques for how to use that as a compass to get the scene up and moving again, to go over, under or through the obstacles we face. Students will come away with an increased understanding of a scene’s platform, and how and when to heighten, reveal, and be changed.

THE TEACHER

Jim Fishwick is an award-winning director, improvisor, teacher and writer. They began improvising at the age of seventeen with Impro Australia in Sydney, and went on to perform and teach improvisation at the University of Sydney, Improv Theatre Sydney, Impro Melbourne, Academy of Improvisation, and have been in demand as a freelance theatremaker and consultant around Australia and Aotearoa for over a decade. They are the current Artistic Co-Director of the New Zealand Improv Festival.

Jim is a founding member and general manager of Jetpack Theatre, who have been creating experiential, interactive, improvised and immersive theatre since 2015. Some of their shows include Art Heist (2017), a critically acclaimed pop-up theatrical escape room, which sold out its four-month run in Sydney, The Saboteur, which won ‘Most Outstanding Show’ at the 2019 New Zealand Improv Festival, and Butterfly Smokescreen (2023), an immersive interactive murder mystery performed on a luxury superyacht.

Jim’s improv current practice focuses on awareness, possibility and creative flexibility. In their spare time, Jim hosts the podcasts Escape Hamilton and I Get That A Lot, writes for the BBC2 quiz show Only Connect, enjoys cryptic crosswords, and thinks your hair looks nice.

Find them on Instagram @fimjishwick.

Monday 13th November, 6:30pm – 9:30pm at Improv Theatre Sydney. 

This workshop is part of the ITS Comedy Festival 2023. Enrolling in a workshop will also grant you a free ticket to one of the shows happening at the festival (emailed to you after purchase)- check out the full program here!

You can also get a discount off a workshop by grabbing one of our night/weekend festival passes for shows.