Organised by The Suggestibles, the North East’s most established improvisation group, the first ever Newcastle Improv Festival will run from 27 July to 4 August, with over 30 events for adults and children, from performances to workshops, in a range of different venues, from Seven Stories to Jury’s Inn, from Alphabetti Theatre to the Stand Comedy Club.
The Festival will feature The Suggestibles (obviously), Suki Webster (of Paul Merton’s Impro Chums) and her show Guest Speaker, Pippa Evans (of Showstopper! fame), Stella Duffy OBE (leading a writers' masterclass), Dragprov Revue (duo from Oxford), Jason Perez and Couch (US impro coach and his performance troupe Couch from Glasgow), Beccy Owen’s Pop-up Choir, Bboy Doke and Ken Masters of Bad Taste Cru (leading hip-hop workshops in dance and rap) and Laughter Yoga from Melissa Murphy, local impro troupes Spontaneous Wrecks and Open Heart Theatre, Rat Race and 4 1 Night Only from School of Improv, NerdFest Podcast live on stage, and an array of actors and improvisers from Newcastle’s booming impro scene.
There are workshops for beginners, enthusiasts and pros, take-part activities and jams. The festival culminates in the 4 Hour Film Challenge which will see 12 teams of filmmakers and 24 actors charging around the city to make their mini-masterpieces. Shows begin at 12:00 noon and run until late evening.
The full programme is available for download and tickets are on sale on the Suggestibles' web site. From 30th July Alphabetti becomes the Festival Hub and details of every show there can be found in its web site.