Another successful round of workshops has ended the year in a celebratory mode.

Thankfully the dreaded Mr Virus didn’t put in an appearance to stop the latest round of workshops as it had done so in the past. Instead, a lively bunch of keen people turned up at the Taster to give Improv a go.

With games like ‘I Am A Tree’ everyone jumped right in, and the first session was a real hit.

Much to the delight of the teachers, most of those trying Improv decided to keep going. The students quickly grasped the concept and basic skills of Improv which made for loads of fun over the following three weeks.

Finally, the last day arrived, and the ‘students’ gleefully turned up full of vigour and enthusiasm. It began with a run-through of what they had learnt, followed by some warm-up games. One of these was a players’ favourite the ‘Cat Walk Dance’—a great way to limber up and learn the art of teamwork.

Then it was time for games. Some were ones they had already done; others were new.

‘Super Heroes’ saw a global crisis that all the cows were gone – where would the world get their cheese? And so the heroes were called. Mr Fantastic Man, Neil, wasn’t much help, so he called in Mr Itchy Willy. George, playing this part, flipped the humour by being Mr Willy who was itchy.

These were the sorts of twists that abounded throughout the session.

Oh, and by the way, the heroes lassoed the moon and got the cheese from there. Cows no longer were needed.

‘Scene in a Minute’ a new game for the group, had a short scene played over three times, with the third time played within 30 seconds. A tough ask? The students nailed it.

The audience suggestion for one of these was “Takeaways” and Sue, Caitlyn and Neil brought their game. Stressed mum, Sue was not impressed that the pizza was late while her spoiled brat of a daughter, Caitlyn, complained about everything. Finally, the pizza arrived by a stoned delivery guy, Neil, who didn’t care. That is until mum decided to phone his supervisor, who turned out to be his wife ending the scene perfectly.

The morning rolled on with more laughter as scenes were made up on the spot.

The ‘Dating Game’ was a bit more of a challenge for the newbies. But it seemed like nothing was going to hold them back.

Matt was the bachelor who left the room while quirks were given to each contestant. Back he came and then, through a series of questions, he had to figure out what each quirk was. He soon got that Caitlyn had a phobia with the colour red and Ian’s obsession was with chamois. Neil was a little harder, but he finally worked out that Neil was morphing into an octopus. The hints each of the contestants gave were genius.

Another couple of games brought a close to the workshop. So a bottle of bubbles was popped, and the players and teachers sat down to debrief and enjoy each other’s company.

Certificates were handed out, and the mandatory photo was taken. But the players were in no hurry to leave preferring instead to continue to chat with the new friends they had made.

Honest Liars were delighted that all the players (bar one due to prior engagement) committed to the Intermediate workshop. There is some serious talent amongst them, so look out for them at the next show.

Thanks to the Students:

Thanks to the Teachers:

Kathy, Melissa, Kay

The next show at the Jam Factory is on Sunday 6^th December 7 pm and the students will be there!

Book your tickets, have a drink at Mood Lounge first, then join us for loads of laughs.

1^st Sunday of every Month
Jam Factory, Historic Village
Show Starts: 7 p.m.

Busy, busy times over the past months – well until COVID reared its ugly head again!

We had just begun a round of Beginner workshops back in March when we all went into lockdown level 4. Certainly, put a dampener on things, but the students were keen to keep going once the all-clear balloon went up.

We got a few more students to sign up and so began the Beginner workshop from the start again. Yay, we managed to get the entire four weeks in with the students learning in leaps and bounds.

This series culminated in the students having guest spots in the August show to which they played wonderfully to a full house. Some have gone on to attend the Intermediate round of workshops. Sadly, this was thwarted after the first night due to that ugly virus mentioned early.

But we’re all convinced that these students will be back much to the delight of the teachers.

Alongside this was the workshops being held at the Waihi Theatre. Slightly different as students were ranging in ages from kiddies through to adults. It started with the adorable 8 – 12-year-olds. Wow, what energy these kids had and it was excellent to see the shy ones blossoming even just from the start of the session to the end.

Then it was the turn of the teens. Not so many in the class, but enough to get great enjoyment from their take on the suggestions once the games began. Again, like the younger ones, the teens brought energy and enthusiasm.

Each Friday evening after classes, the tutors would have some dinner before driving home and thankfully crawling into their beds for a well-earned sleep.

Although COVID has put a bit of a dampener on the workshops, the enthusiasm from the students has not diminished.

Another Free Taster is set for October 10th (all going well). Come along if you think you’d like to have some fun and find out if Improv is for you. Simply fill in the contact form at the bottom of this post to register your interest.

Thanks to the teachers:

Our thanks to all students who attend the workshops – it’s great to meet you and have some fun.

Next Workshop 

FREE Taster
Jam Factory,
October 10th
Time: 10am – 12noon

Please contact us if you’re interested

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