We've been nominated!

The Totally Improvised Musical has been nominated for an award at the 2024 Leicester Comedy Festival. The show is nominated for Best Variety Show. Winners will be announced in just a couple of weeks.

Our Leicester Comedy Festival show was titled Vampires From Hull and was a frightfully funny tale set in a besieged Wetherspoons. It's not often a comedy musical has almost everyone die at the end, but maybe the unexpected pathos got us the nomination!

See what all the fuss is about and catch one of our shows! We are back at Fierce Bar, Manchester on Wednesday 6th March. You'll see the opening and closing night of two brand new comedy musicals there on the first Wednesday of every month. You can also catch us at Waterside Arts in Sale on Friday 19th April. We'll be back at Chorley Theatre on Saturday 1st June. Our last Chorley show sold out so book early!

The show has received an incredible response so far. The first show was planned for March 2020 and... well, you know what happened. Then, after waiting over a year before our debut show could take place, the show has really grown. We have had sold out shows, rave reviews from critics and audiences and now an award nomination from Europe's largest dedicated comedy festival.

We've created musicals about evil grannies, singing tube drivers, mermaids, snowmen, hobbits, zombies, gardeners, vampires, lawnmowers, mobsters on holiday and more. What will your show be about...? Book your tickets now to find out!

Don't forget! Receive regular updates on all of our upcoming shows and workshop by signing up to our mailing list today. Follow us on Instagram, Tik Tok and Facebook.

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:

£40.00Add to basket

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:

£80.00Add to basket

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.

Upcoming Shows!

Thanks to everyone who came to our Leicester Comedy Festival shows and sold-out Totally Improvised Musical at Chorley Theatre this month! Missed out? Don't worry because we have plenty more shows coming up in the next couple of months...

ComedySportz is back at Waterside Arts on Saturday 24th February for more all action, all improvised and award-winning competitive comedy fun! And don't miss our March Mayhem Match on Saturday 30th March. We'll be putting the power in the audiences hands as you pick the teams, the games and the winners. We'll also be choosing two audience members at random to act as coaches to the players and get some sweet swag for their efforts!

The Totally Improvised Musical moves to the first Wednesday of every month at Fierce Bar, Manchester starting Wednesday 6th March. Your very own comedy musical composed on the fly by our players - if we use your title you also get a free pin badge. If that's not worth the price of admission, we don't know what is! We'll also be bringing the musical fun to Waterside Arts on Friday 19th April - tickets are on sale now.

Want to try your hand at improv? Sign up to our one day Improv Crash Course on Saturday 4th May! Get regular updates on all of our upcoming shows and workshops and sign up to our mailing list. Alternatively, you can follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram and Tik Tok. Got a question about our upcoming courses? Drop us an email today!

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.

Leicester Comedy Festival

We are delighted to announce that both ComedySportz and The Totally Improvised Musical will be returning to the UK's longest running comedy festival next February! With the official programme launching today and all tickets now on sale, we're excited to be back at The Leicester Comedy Festival in 2024.

ComedySportz sees two teams go for gold with quick-witted gags and games. Join us for an afternoon of fast-paced, feelgood fun on Sunday 11th February. With points determined by audience laughter, it is up to you to decide which team will be leaving Leicester victorious or in defeat. Either way, we promise that the real winners will be you, the audience! Tickets for ComedySportz are available here.

“ComedySportz is a show that is fun for kids and adults alike,” says Sean. “From shouting out suggestions to joining us on the pitch this a show that everyone can get involved in.” 

Then, later that evening, The Totally Improvised Musical returns for the opening night of another brand new comedy musical based on a title given by the audience. Scenes, songs and stories are made up on the spot and there may even be some dancing. “The person whose title is picked gets a free pin badge. If that’s not enough to tempt you in, I don’t know what is,” adds Bron. “It’s a really nice pin badge.” 

Previous show titles have included Frankenstein Joins an Acapella Group, Lawnmowers: The Musical, My Grandma Is a Parasite, Thomas the Tank Engine in Hell and Penguins Don’t Eat Cheese. “Some nights you end up singing a really touching love song and sometimes you end up doing a dance about ham,” adds Sean. “Every night is totally different which makes the show special for the audience that watched it. It’s not to be missed!” 

Tickets for The Totally Improvised Musical are available here.

About Leicester Comedy Festival

Leicester Comedy Festival is the longest running comedy festival in the UK, having taken place every February since 1994, and now regularly attracts over 120,000 people to venues across Leicester and Leicestershire throughout the 19 days.  Following sold out shows at the Buxton and Edinburgh Fringe Festivals earlier this year, we hope you'll join us for some award-winning improv comedy next February!

For the regular updates on all of our upcoming shows, workshops and events don't forget to sign up to our mailing list today!