January Course Dates Now On Sale!

One intake of improv and stand-up courses starts and it is already time to start thinking ahead to next year! We're delighted to announce that the next intake for our Foundation Improv, Intermediate Improv and Beginning Stand-Up comedy courses will commence 21st January 2023 and are on sale now!

You can secure your space on a course by either paying a £30 deposit or by paying in full (£115 for Foundation Improv and Beginning Stand-Up Comedy, £70 for Intermediate Improv). We also have three scholarship places on our Foundation Improv course for black and global majority applicants. Our classes and facilitators are fully accredited by CSz Worldwide, one of the world's largest comedy performance schools.

You can also book a course for friends and family as a Christmas gift. If you're planning to do this please put a note in during the booking (or drop us an email) so we can send you a gift certificate and explainer pack to give to them on the day. Go on, give the gift of laughter this Christmas!

PLEASE NOTE: SPACES PURCHASED AS A GIFT MUST BE PAID FOR IN FULL BEFORE THE COURSE COMMENCES.

Got questions about our upcoming courses? Please don't hesitate to get in touch! Want to know more about what we do? Check out our upcoming shows! We hope to see you at a workshop or show soon!

Say "Yes, And" to an improv course!

There are plenty of reasons to take an improv comedy course with ComedySportz, whether you're looking to learn new performance skills, develop soft skills for business and networking or just want to meet new people in a fun and friendly environment!

Learn improv skills in Manchester

For actors, improv is becoming an increasingly valuable skill to learn. From auditions to rehearsals, improv opens up new ways to explore a text, scene or character. It's a great way to devise and develop new ideas too! Or perhaps you're a stand-up comedian who wants to be more "in the moment", ready to riff off the room. Perhaps you're a team leader looking to find new ways to improve communication and collaboration in your workplace, or a freelancer hoping to open yourself up to new possibilities and networking skills. Or maybe you're just someone who wants to have a good time!

As you can see, there are lots of reasons to take an improv course. Below are just some of the ways saying "Yes, And" to one of our workshops can change your life!

CREATIVITY

Improv workshops are a great way to express yourself, rediscover your playful side and create funny characters and situations. You can create wonderful moments from the slightest suggestions or find new ways to approach challenges and problem solving.

COLLABORATION

You don't need to worry about being creative or imaginative "enough" either as your scene partner is there to respond to and add to your ideas. Improvisation is as much about reaction as it is creation! Improv is a collaborative art form, as you create scenes with your stage partner and even the audience. Whether you're looking for fun new ways to devise scenes or develop new ways of working within a team, improv opens you up to new possibilities and ideas.

COMMUNICATION

Collaboration happens through communication and actively engaging with your scene partner. If you hate networking or are struggling to work as part of a team, improv exercises can help you develop better communication skills through active listening and encouraging an equal environment for ideas.

CONFIDENCE

People sometimes worry they won't be able to make up a scene - but guess what, you improvise all the time! Improv gives you the confidence to face uncertainty by embracing a "Yes, And" attitude to a given situation. By seeing everything as an opportunity for play, you can tackle any challenge with confidence!

CONNECTION

Improvisation is a shared experience and workshops are a great way to make new connections - a fun way to meet new people as we begin to return to normal. We've had workshoppers make friends for life!

SIGN UP TODAY

Sound fun? Why not sign up to our next Foundation in Improv course today. Don't worry if you still have questions about our courses either, just drop us an email. Our workshops are fully accredited by CSz Worldwide, one of the world's largest comedy skills schools.

This Is My Improv

If you've been watching BBC's fun new show This Is My House, you might have spotted a familiar face! Dalu joined ComedySportz at the start of 2020 and was about to have his first live show with us when lockdown was announced. Below he reflects on his journey into comedy and shares some of the lessons and advice he has learned over the last two years.

My Journey through comedy has been a great experience within the last 2 years. It initially started with me continually acting like a clown and telling bad jokes at home. My wife having had enough of my poor jokes, decided for Christmas 2019 to get me a place on the Beginning Stand Up course with ComedySportz Manchester.

My tutor was John Cooper a great tutor who gave us insight on the important factors of stand-up both in theory and practical application, it was brilliant meeting new people I still to this day maintain a relationship with. At the end of the course there was a showcase to which we all performed a 5-7 min stand up gig, from there we as a group continued to do stand-up gigs across Manchester and support one another within chasing the dream, which was really nice to do feeling like you’re not alone chasing something, whilst also learning and developing with others.

I have always enjoyed acting from a young age, and for many years left that dream to pursue the corporate ladder, and at 35 the itch returned with full effect. At the time I was taking the stand up course I was also in a play with my church developing acting foundations, skills and experience. And by Spring 2019 I was completely back in love with performance so I requested as a birthday present the Comedysportz Foundation Improv course, which I thoroughly enjoyed as I got to combine the elements of performance I enjoy most, comedy, improv and storytelling.

Comedy Improv has taught me a number of things:

For those who are not sure improv is for them I would say, ‘what have you got to lose’? The course is 6 weeks of fun, frolics and a great chance to make a good bunch of friends with similar interests.

The improv course helped in all aspects of my life; in my day job, in my presentation and communication skills, in team working and developing ideas outside the box. For 6 weeks of fun in a safe workshop environment it certainly will help anyone in need of a confidence booster.

As a performer it really helped me refresh, refine and learn so much more about delivery, timing, engagement with audiences and thinking on the spot. Without ComedySportz Manchester, and of course my wife, I wouldn’t have been complete in the last year.

Whilst everyone’s journey is different these skills have allowed me to pursue my dream career. So far I have said “Yes, And” to:

Whatever your reasons for taking an Improv course, do it – it might just change your life!

Inspired by Dalu's story? We still have a couple of spaces left on our next Online Foundation Improv Course. It's a great way to build confidence, get creative and make new connections. Whilst we can't guarantee that everyone who completes the course will get to appear on a prime time BBC One show (we really can't), we can guarantee lots of fun! And you don't need a performance background or desire to be on stage or screen, like Dalu says, learning improv skills allows you to develop communication and confidence whatever your background or reason for taking the course. The next course starts Thursday 8th April - book now!

To mark Dalu's TV appearance we devised a ref challenge inspired by This Is My House. We have online shows every Wednesday and Saturday at 7pm BST. Don't forget to to subscribe to our youtube channel and never miss a match.

This Is My House airs on BBC One Wednesday's at 9pm BST. You can catch Dalu's episodes on BBC iPlayer.

Find out more about our Workshops