Comedy Courses In 2025 Filling Fast!

UPDATE: Our Beginning Stand-Up Comedy Course is now FULL! Limited spaces remain on our Foundation Improv course as well!

Looking for something new for 2025? Why not take a comedy course with an award-winning group of performers? We are delighted to announce that the next batch of comedy classes will commence Saturday 18th January 2025. Spaces are already filling up fast with Beginning Stand-Up Comedy nearly sold out and Foundation Improv half full! Join Manchester's longest running comedy school to learn new skills, build confidence and make new connections. So, whether you're looking to perform, develop soft skills for business or leadership, or just want to have fun our courses are for everyone!

Foundation Improv | 12-2pm | £115 | MORE INFO

Learn the core skills of improv with The Totally Improvised Company, home of Manchester's longest running improv comedy courses! There's no previous experience necessary as workshops cover the core skills and tenets of Improvised performance; Yes And, Listening, Character, Story, Objects, Scene Work and Games.

We are also offering three scholarship places for global majority applicants! Get in touch for more info.

Beginning Stand-Up Comedy | 12-2pm | £115 | MORE INFO

Are you a budding comedian but don't know where to start? Write your first set and hone your comedic voice with this fun and friendly course! You’ll receive feedback on your material as we help you find and hone your unique comedic voice. Sessions will cover everything from generating fresh comedic material to getting gigs!

Intermediate Improv | 2-4pm | £75 | MORE INFO

Continue to work on those improv muscles with this course as each week we take a deep dive into a specific area or skill. New to improv or been a while since your last workshop or show? We recommend taking the Foundation course instead.

We are keeping our prices frozen for another year as we believe comedy is for everyone! You can pay in full now for any of our courses or secure your space with a £30 non-refundable deposit and pay the rest later. Please don't hesitate to get in touch if you haven questions about any of our courses - especially if you're not sure if a comedy course is right for you.

GIVE THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH A SPACE ON ONE OF OUR COMEDY COURSES!

In improv, an offer from your scene partner is often referred to as gifting. And what better gift to give than 8 weeks of fun and laughter! Spaces on any of our courses can be purchased as a gift for a friend or loved one. We will also email you a gift certificate and information sheet to give on the special day.

Gift bookings must be paid in full and leave a note with the name and contact email address of the recipient for our records. Please also specify a date when it is safe for us to contact them without spoiling the surprise!

Don't want to miss out on a workshop or show? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky and TikTok for regular updates on upcoming events. You can also sign up to our mailing list for monthly news about all our upcoming shows and workshops!

Autumn Workshops On Sale

We are delighted to announce that our next batch of workshops in IMPROV and STAND-UP COMEDY are now on sale and will start Saturday 21st September! Unlock your creativity, build confidence and develop your comedic voice with these fun and friendly workshops.

FOUNDATION IMPROV

Perfect for beginners wanting to learn improv skills, build confidence and make new connections! Learn the basics of improv comedy and unlock your creativity with Manchester's longest running improv comedy course. There's no previous stage experience necessary as our Foundation in Improv classes cover the core skills and tenets of Improvised performance; Yes And, Listening, Character, Story, Objects, Scene Work and Games.

BEGINNING STAND-UP COMEDY

Always wanted to try your hand at Stand-Up Comedy but don't know where to begin? No previous experience necessary! This exciting comedy course will look at ways of crafting great gags, exploring joke structure, and developing storytelling techniques to hone your comedic voice. There will be weekly writing exercises, as well as regular, friendly feedback on your material and performance. This course is ideal for anyone looking for laughs and wanting to try their hand at something new.

INTERMEDIATE IMPROV

Already have some improv experience and looking to build on your skills? This course explores a variety of skills. We'll be announcing our full schedule of classes soon.

All workshops run Saturday Afternoons 8 sessions in the rehearsal spaces in the New Adelphi Building at The University of Salford. Due to venue unavailability, there will be no workshop on 12th October and 9th November so the course will conclude Saturday 23rd November. You can pay in full now or secure your space with a non-refundable deposit. Not sure which course is right for you? Get in touch with any questions about any of our upcoming workshops.

Summer Workshops

We are delighted to announce new workshops for summer 2024! These comedy classes cover comedy writing and performance skills and there is no previous experience necessary. We're running our one day improv taster session in May. This has been very popular in the last couple of years and is a great introduction to improv for those who want to dip their toes in the water before diving in to a full course! We're also running a two-day sketch writing course in June with a live performance of your sketches to conclude the weekend. It will be a great opportunity to learn comedy writing skills and hear your work live!

4th May | Improv Crash Course | £40

Price includes a £10 non-refundable deposit.

Always wanted to try an improv class but not sure if it's for you? Then don't miss our improv crash course! This session is designed for absolute beginners and will give you a taste of our full Foundation Improv course. We'll cover basic, core improv ideas and skills like "Yes, And", listening and characters... and might even have time for a few games! Perfect for anyone looking to try something new but can't commit to a full course. This workshop will run 1-4pm at The New Adelphi Building, University of Salford. Book Now:

8th-9th June | Sketch Writing: Script to Stage | £80

Price includes a £20 non-refundable deposit.

This two day course will look at how to develop and write sketch comedy ideas working towards a live script-in-hand performance of your material by our talented crew of performers! Over two classes we will look at the tools and tricks of writing great comedy sketches. From premise to punchlines, classes will explore comedic scenarios, joke writing technique and crafting characters. You will also get an opportunity to see and hear your words performed on stage. Sessions will run 1-5pm on both days with a live performance of your sketches on Sunday 9th starting at 7.30pm. Classes and the showcase will be held at Fierce Bar, Manchester. Book Now:

£80.00Read more

Writing with a partner? Book two spaces and use coupon code 'sketchypair' to receive a £20 discount (only valid with this course).

Find Out More About our Comedy Classes

Our full eight week courses will return September 2024. We run regular courses in Improv and Stand-Up Comedy. Our comedy classes have been featured by The Guardian, Cosmo UK, The Stage and Manchester Confidential.

If you'd like to be the first to find out when workshops go on sale sign up to our mailing list or drop us an email. Finally, don't forget to follow us on social media for regular updates on our upcoming shows and workshops. All of our workshop facilitators are fully accredited by CSz Worldwide.

January 2024 workshops on sale!

Dates for our January 2024 comedy courses are on sale now! With courses in improv and stand-up comedy, these fun and friendly sessions are a great way to explore your funny side, build confidence and unlock new skills. Below you'll find more information on how to book a space for yourself or gift a space to a friend or family member this holiday season.

CSzUK is an award-winning improv comedy company, entertaining audiences since 2001. We are part of CSz Worldwide, and currently the only ComedySportz team outside of the US. Our facilitators have performed, taught and trained across the UK and beyond for over twenty years. Based in Greater Manchester, UK, we are the city's longest running improv and stand-up comedy courses. We work hard to create safe and supportive environments for people to play, learn and connect within our courses.

All three of our main courses will commence on Saturday 20th January 2024. We are, once again, returning to The New Adelphi Building, University of Salford campus. All of our workshop spaces are fully wheelchair accessible. Below is a short description of our courses with direct links to the booking pages.

Foundation Improv

Learn the core skills of improv with this course. Explore key concepts of improvised comedy, this course will explore how you and your scene partners can create characters, narratives and whole worlds from simple suggestions. Build confidence approaching life unscripted, develop communication skills, or just rediscover your playfulness and creativity. We also have up to three scholarship positions for global majority applicants. Find out more/Book a space here.

Beginning Stand-Up Comedy

Write, develop and perform your first five minutes of stand-up comedy with this course. Over 8 sessions you will find and hone your comedic voice, developing confidence in delivery and stagecraft. Through expert tutelage you'll explore ways to generate ideas, hone your material and make the most out of a gag. Find out more/Book a space here.

Intermediate Improv

Our current batch of workshops is still underway, and sessions can still be attended on a drop-in basis. However, you can also sign up for the full eight sessions of our January course now. This course is designed with a rolling curriculum of classes with new and returning workshops throughout the year. Sessions explore a variety of skills, concepts and styles of improv. Some previous improv training is assumed and these sessions are not suited for people at the start of their improv journey. Find out more/Book a space here.

Comedy Courses gift voucher. Great gift ideas for Christmas.

Gifting

In improv, an offer from your scene partner is often referred to as gifting. And what better gift to give this Christmas than 8 weeks of fun and laughter! If booking one of our comedy courses as a gift, please add a note when booking (you can also email us in advance). We will then know to contact you to get the name and contact information of the recipient for our records and so we can contact them before the course starts - but after a date specified by you. We will also email you a gift voucher and workshop sheet to give on the special day. Gift bookings must be paid in full.

Short Courses

We will also be running one-day workshops in April and May 2024 including an improv crash course. We'll be adding more of information about these in the new year but our improv taster session is already on sale now.

Got questions about our Comedy Courses? Get in touch!

Not sure if a comedy course is right for you? We have answered some frequently - and not so frequently - asked questions for you here. Keep in the loop with our upcoming shows and workshops by following us on social media or signing up to our monthly mailing list.

Autumn Shows and Workshops

It might not feel like it during this heat wave but summer is nearly over! We've just about recovered from our Edinburgh Fringe run - full houses, glowing audiences, lots of fun and very little sleep - and it's time to look to what the rest of the year has in store. With more improv comedy shows and workshops to look forward to there's something for everyone...

The fun kicks off with some fierce competition as ComedySportz heads to Fierce Bar, Manchester on Tuesday 12th September. Get ready for a night of all action, all improvised competitive comedy fun. The venue may be adults only but it'll still be a good clean match! Tickets are just £5 and available online or on the door.

Fierce Bar is also the new home of The Totally Improvised Musical. We'll be composing brand new comedy musicals every first Tuesday of the month. Our next show there on Tuesday 3rd October - get your tickets here. Fierce Bar is a really exciting space in the heart of Manchester's Northern Quarter with plenty of great shows every week.

Wait, there's more...?

We're back for another season at Waterside Arts starting with ComedySportz on Saturday 23rd September (tickets here). Join us for some award-winning family friendly fun and don't forget to dress up for Halloween Spooktacular in October!

The Totally Improvised Musical will also be returning to Chorley Theatre in September. Then we'll once again be celebrating another ComedySportz birthday there in November.

The New Adelphi Comedy Night will be returning to the University of Salford from next month. A night of improv, stand-up and sketch featuring some of the best and brightest up and coming voices in comedy. The first show is in October - tickets are available on the door only.

And is it too early to start talking about the return of The Totally Improvised Pantomime in December? With family friendly and adults only shows there will be plenty of festive fun! Oh yes there will! Some dates are on sale now with more dates and venues to be added soon...

Improv Comedy and Stand-Up Comedy Courses

Want to get in on the fun yourself but don't know where to start? There is still time and space to sign up to our upcoming Foundation Improv, Intermediate Improv and Beginning Stand-Up Comedy courses. Under expert tutelage, you'll learn core skills, develop new connections and have plenty of fun and laughter with workshops for every level of experience. We also have two remaining scholarship places for global majority applicants - get in touch to find out more.

New to comedy? Our Foundation Improv and Beginning Stand-Up Comedy courses are designed to help you find your feet, hone your voice and build up confidence. Got some improv experience? Try our Intermediate Improv course with deep-dives into specific skills and performance tools to help develop your improv. All courses start Saturday 30th September so don't delay and sign up today!