Get to grips with Shakespeare in a very different way – by making it up! Impromptu Shakespeare teach a variety of workshops and courses for a diverse range of audiences: improvisers, children, students, actors and those who simply have a love of Shakespeare's work and an interest in exploring  it from the inside out.

Using style, character and language techniques and exercises created from our 5 years of developing and performing improvised Shakespeare, participants understand the works more fully, and are able to create the scenes Shakespeare never wrote and uncover their inner Bard. The experience encompasses gravitas and beauty, gentle irreverence and hilarity.

We can tailor something specific for you whether you are an improviser, an educator, run a theatre company or even just looking for a really different experiential idea for a party. Get in touch and let us know what the occasion is!
Upcoming courses, workshops and jams:

Shakespeare's My Jam online
1st Thursday night of the month 8pm-9.30pm GMT+1
The cast of Impromptu Shakespeare invite you to an irreverent Bard-based online jam* of extemporised fun. Enjoy a guided warm-up and then play lots of scenes inspired by the works of the great Willy Shakes.

Expect language tomfoolery, insults and proclamations of love, as well as fairies, lovers, royals...and maybe a bit with a dog.
Open to all folks over the age of 18, and of all improv abilities. 
This event is FREE but you must reserve your ticket via this link.
If you would like to make a donation you can do so here. This helps us support accesible places for our courses and workshops.

*This is a private event, jamming with, and performing to each other. The event isn't recorded or live-streamed.
Online & In Person Courses & Workshops 2021

Improvising Shakespeare for beginners
An in person course of 6 classes - with Jen Rowe
Dates TBC

Improvising Shakespeare looks incredible, and it's fun. And the best part? It's super easy to learn! In this 6-week beginners' course, we'll teach you all the basic tips, tricks and skills, step by step. From learning how to create a multitude of different Shakespearean characters, to easy word play, to basic storytelling and metaphor (Wills loved those), we promise you'll be improvising Shakespeare in no time at all. You don't need to have any previous experience.

With these easy 'tools' in your Bardic tool-belt, you'll progress quickly. So whether you fancy hopping on stage anytime soon, or simply showing off a little at the pub, you'll be ready to impress.

As Shakespeare said, "All the world's a stage..." and by the end of this course, you will feel like it is.

Click here for accessibility information for the venue.

Accessible tickets are available if you can't afford the full price. Please email us for more information.
Online Improvising Shakespeare
6 classes - with Rebecca MacMillan
Dates TBC
This course will take place on Zoom

William Shakespeare: the bard, England’s national poet, the world’s greatest dramatist. Untouchable, inimitable… unimprovisable, right? Surely you can’t just ‘make up’ Shakespeare? You absolutely can and it’s beautiful and hilarious in equal measure.

In this 6-week intermediate course,, with teaching material designed or adapted specifically for online, you'll have an in-depth look at word-play, language, narrative and character. Get ready to explore the world of Shakespearean improv,  and push your skills even further than you have before.
We will delve into the real works for inspiration, but not so much we get lost in it. Using a range of techniques and games, a mixture of short and long form improvisation, and a touch of parody, we’ll have Shakespeare’s quill putting words straight into our mouths.
Whether you are looking to jump on stage, show off your skills in the pub, or understand Shakespeare from the inside out - this course will give you the tools to do so. As Shakespeare said, "All the world's a stage..." and by the end of this course, you will feel like it is.

This course is aimed at people who:
- have acquired previous experience of improvising Shakespeare (for example one of our beginners courses, a course taken elsewhere, or attendance at several sessions of our online jam) and are ready for the next level
- OR are intermediate level / experienced improvisers (and have preferably watched or read a little bit of Shakespeare somewhere along the way!)
If you'd like further guidance on the level of the course, you can email us at impromptushakes@gmail.com

Accessible tickets are available if you can't afford the full price. Please email us for more information.