Improvizza

Simone Ellul Improv Bio

Simone is a theatre practitioner from Malta with experience in acting, directing and scriptwriting. She has an MFA in Staging Shakespeare from the University of Exeter and a strong background in scripted theatre. She is a member of the improv troupes Playing Dead Theatre, Foolgoose and Sabir, the online troupe Close Distance and is one half of the duos Invisible Women and Pairentheses. She was a founding member of the Brussels-based troupe The Ghost Sheep. She has taught at the Dramatic Improv Festival in Chicago, at Agorapp in Italy, and at the ImproBrussels improv school. In 2022, she organized Improvizza!, Malta's first ever improv festival. She is also a certified intimacy director and coordinator, working on various projects for stage and screen. Exploring ways of making intimacy safe for improvisers has led her to develop workshops that allow improvisers to dig deeper in their scenes and express intimacy naturally and safely.

Description of Sessions

Following the success of the improv drop-in sessions, Improvizza! together with Toi Toi at the Manoel will now be offering an intensive 5-week improvisation course in principles of improvisational theatre! Over the course of these five sessions, participants will be given a thorough introduction to improv, starting from the basics and then building on these foundations, using both short-form games and an exploration of other formats.

What is improvised theatre? Impro or improv is a form of unscripted theatre in which the characters and story are discovered in the moment, often taking inspiration from the audience. Sometimes seen as a primarily comedic form, improvisation may take many different forms, including short-form games and longer narrative formats. In these sessions we will be looking at and discovering different aspects of improv. The sessions will be calibrated according to the participants’ needs and levels of experience.

Who is this for? Improvisation is an art form that has so much to offer! Its fun and inclusive dynamic makes it ideal both for seasoned actors and non-performers who would like to try something new, by helping participants hone or develop skills such as active listening and participation, creative expression, storytelling and how to be more vulnerable both on and off stage.

These three-hour improv sessions will be held on Saturdays from 3pm – 6pm, starting on Saturday 6th April and ending on the 11th May (no session on Saturday 20th April). These classes are open to and suitable for all levels.

The improv sessions will be led by Simone Ellul, an improviser and teacher with a vast experience in improvisation. The session of the 11th May will include a guest improviser, Conrad Toft, who will join Simone not only during the course, but will also be a part of a show that will be happening after the session. Participants with regular attendance will be invited to perform in a showcase of short-form improv games.

To sign up, please book online.

Conrad Toft Bio

(For 11/05/24 session)

Conrad has been performing on the stage since childhood. Originally from Manchester, UK, he moved to Slovakia in 1998 and has been living in Brussels since 2004. He taught drama to teenagers in the UK and in Slovakia he taught teacher trainees how to use drama in the classroom. Since arriving in Brussels, he has lost count of the number of plays he has directed and performed in, including many shows at the annual Festival of European Anglophone Theatrical Societies (FEATS) and the English Comedy Club (ECC) pantomime. He rediscovered a love for improvised theatre after following a workshop in 2007, later joining The Ghost Sheep, performing in Brussels and around Europe. He forms one half of the improv duo Pairentheses. Conrad also uses his improvisation skills to host and facilitate corporate events for European institutions. Conrad loves the challenge that improvisation brings and the opportunity to share this performance style with improvisers and audiences from around Europe.