Short Courses and Workshops Return!

Our short courses and workshops have taken a bit of a pause for a couple of years but are back for 2023 with something for all ability levels! Whether you're looking to advance your skills, develop new material for stand-up or sketch, discover new improv formats, or want to try improv for the very first time... we have a class just for you!

Courses will run late April/Early May at The New Adelphi, University of Salford. All prices include a non-refundable £10 deposit. You can book on any of these courses here.

STAND-UP COMEDY "YOUR NEXT FIVE MINUTES" | 22nd April 2023 | £30

Got ideas for your stand-up routine but not sure where to take them? Bored of the same material every night? Kate is here to help! Whether you're a graduate of our Beginning Stand-Up Comedy course or a comedian looking to try out some new ideas, this workshop is a fun and friendly space to develop your material and write your next five minutes! This session is for those with some experience hoping to work on new material.

SKETCH WRITING | 22nd April 2023 | £30

Join Sean as he takes you through the basics of crafting sketch comedy using a variety of writing exercises and improv techniques. Explore ways to make the most of your comedic premise, utilising the tools of comedy to write memorable sketches and comedy characters. No previous experience necessary.

MUSICAL IMPROV | 29th April 2023 | £50

Join our musical director Felix and Rachel on a whistle-stop tour of music, song and long-form exercises to discover the joy of improvising music together. Learn the basics of constructing songs, adding to other's work and how to embed music into a story with substance. Some previous improv experience preferable but open to all levels of singing ability!

IMPROV CRASH COURSE (TASTER SESSION) | 6th May 2023 | £30

Always wanted to try an improv course but not sure if it's for you? Join Sean on this short course that will give you a taste of our 8 week Foundation Improv course. We'll cover basic, core skills like "Yes, And" and Listening... and might even have time for a few games! So if you're totally new to improv check out this short taster class with Manchester's longest running improv comedy schools! No previous experience necessary.

INTRO TO LONGFORM IMPROV | 6th May 2023 | £30

Join Bron for a short course in longform improv! Take your scene and character work to the next level as you explore the basics of popular longform improv formats. Looking at edits, narrative beats and game, this session is a great way to flex your improv muscles and discover different approaches to improvised performance. Some previous improv experience will be assumed.

Want more?

Our 8 week courses will return later in the year with dates to be announced soon - if you would like to register interest for our 8 week courses drop us an email today! You can also sign up to our mailing list for monthly updates on upcoming shows and workshops direct to your inbox.

21st Birthday Match @ Chorley Theatre!

Is it nearly the end of the year already? That means it's nearly time for us to celebrate 21 years of fun and games at the place where it all began, Chorley Theatre. Join us on Saturday 3rd December for a special Chorley vs. Manchester match, it's the funniest fixture of the weekend!

‘We started in 2001 with just two teams, one ref, no script and lots of jokes. Not much has changed, except our kits!” says Brainne Edge, who started ComedySportz in the UK. "It was a one-off show for charity at Chorley Theatre, and we had no idea what we were doing. Audiences loved it anyway and here we are today... Still not sure we know what we're doing though!"

Since 2001 we have enjoyed residencies at renowned comedy clubs The Frog and Bucket and The Comedy Store and our monthly shows at Waterside Arts. We have played to sold out crowds at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and we won Best Alternative Comedy Act in the 2022 North West Comedy Awards. We have performed shows for everyone from soap stars to royalty and teach regular workshops in improv and stand-up comedy. You can read more about the history of our shows here.

Returning to Chorley Little Theatre is always a highlight of our year and we promise there will be plenty of audience favourite games including object tag in which the audience donate everyday items that players have to turn into props for jokes. Brainne says, “People seem to save up their items and always surprise us! We’ve had everything from a spare tyre to a microwave. Once, someone even took the wing mirror off their car… at least we hope it was theirs!”

Doors open at 7pm and the fun kicks off at 7.30pm. You can book tickets online or direct from the venue box office. This is our last ComedySportz match of the year before our Totally Improvised Pantomimes!

Nottingham Comedy Festival!

The Totally Improvised Musical will be doing a guest slot at the Nottingham Comedy Festival on Wednesday 9th November! We're joining our friends at MissImp for a night of totally unscripted laughter. We're one of three great acts on the bill alongside Date Night Improv and Press X To Smash. Join us at The Playwright, Nottingham from 7.30pm (doors 7pm) with tickets costing just £5. Book tickets here.

You can find a full run down of events at the Nottingham Comedy Festival website. And if you're looking for a full night of Totally Improvised Musical mayhem our next show is at The Peer Hat, Manchester on Tuesday 29th November - book tickets here.

The Halloween Spooktacular Returns!

Okay, we know it's a little early, but if Christmas starts earlier and earlier every year, why not Halloween? We're back at Waterside Arts on Saturday 22nd October 2022 for some frightfully funny family friendly comedy shenanigans as the Boo Team take on the Dead Team with ghoulish gags and games galore!

Halloween comedy show

PLUS any one who turns up in fancy dress will also get a free treat - and that's no trick! Tickets are available now from Waterside Arts (Book Online or via Box Office) with the fun kicking off at 6.30pm. Join us for some spooky improvised competitive comedy in this special themed match.

Got kids aged 6 and under? Check out ComedySportz 4 Tots at 3pm on the same day (Book Online or via Box Office). ComedySportz 4 Tots is a non-competitive version of our main show with plenty of silly songs and games guaranteed to get you giggling!

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!