Sometimes it feels like I’ve been out of the improv game for a very long time. Before having children I was teaching improv a couple of times a week, travelling to improv festivals and performing on a regular basis.
Then I had 2 little boys so between the utter sleep deprivation, the busyness and pretty much loosing touch with who I was/am improv took a back seat. But now I’m getting back in the improv game.
The improv landscape looks a lot different now than it did in 2017. I used to know most of the UK improv groups and now when I’m scrolling through Instagram and Facebook I don’t recognise most.
I’ve been teaching improv for 10 years now. I started with a few people that saw my posters up around town and that grew to performing at improv festivals around the UK and Ireland, finding my love of narrative improv and working with improvisers from around the world.
I used to live, sleep and eat improv. It was my absolute passion. I loved it and hated it at times with equal passion.
Improv makes my soul sing. I adore storytelling and creating stories from nothing. I love teaching people, helping them grow in confidence and watching them blossom.
I hated being miles away from the improv hubs. In 2017 London, Brighton and Bristol had really exciting things happening and I was hundreds of miles away. I got frustrated that I couldn’t just drop in to a class, I had to teach them myself. I couldn’t create a performance group with other awesome improvisers, I had to find them and teach them first.
But no after being out of the game for a long time things have changed. I’m a mummy now. I can’t and don’t want to travel hundreds of miles to take classes or perform, I don’t have time to live and breathe improv (let’s face it it’s hard to get a shower at times. Right now is my ‘work time’ and my toddler has figured out how to open the baby gate and is creating havoc in the bathroom…) but I still adore improv.
So I’m back teaching improv, online for now maybe in real life in the future. I’m creating YouTube videos that aren’t polished or slick because I don’t have time but hopefully they’ll be useful. I’m writing blog posts whilst discussing belly buttons with my toddler. I’m turning up even though I’m exhausted.
So whilst many improv teachers out there have fancy websites, slick videos, well crafted copy and dare I say it? A bit of ego too!
I’m bringing you real life realness! I’m bringing my passion, my years of experience, my daily improv practice of pretending to be paw patrol characters, my kindness and genuine care that you have a good time and that you learn and grow.
So this is me and my imperfect improv! I hope to have the pleasure of improvising with you soon.