check out the most recent improv chronicle episodes

Clowns are making a comeback, and their impact on the world of improv is undeniable. In this episode, Lloydie explores the resurgence of clowning and its influence on improvisation.

Not many improv projects start with a trip to the Arctic and then end up trying to save the world. In this episode, Lloydie delves into the unique and inspiring journey of "We Built This City on Rock'n Coal," a climate change improv science comedy touring show.

David Escobedo, a PhD candidate and the mind behind the Improv Boost website, joins Lloydie to explore the complexities of maintaining individuality while fostering group collaboration. They discuss the balance between contributing one's unique voice and accommodating others, the unintentional nature of assimilation, and the impact it has on storytelling diversity.

What happens when one artist takes up too much space? This episode, Lloydie dives into the delicate dance of sharing the spotlight.

Have you ever watched an improv scene unfold and felt like you were witnessing a real-life magic trick? That's the power of the 'choose to know' philosophy in improvisation, as taught by the acclaimed actor and improviser Craig Cackowski.

The Improv Chronicle Podcasts gets the inside story on how one Chicago theater and one New York theater started a collaboration between their two cities.

Is the initiation of a scene all that important? How do we make a good start? What are different ways of starting off? This episode we delve into the essence of what makes a good scene start. Guest Rob Norman shares his wisdom on the importance of the "first breath" of a scene, the power of emotions over words, and the necessity of making bold choices on stage. We explore the nuanced craft of initiating scenes and the struggles of overcoming improviser's politeness. This episode offers a fresh perspective on creating compelling scenes that resonate both with fellow performers and the audience.

Lloydie connects with Laura, a member of the Glasgow improv scene and producer of Edinburgh International Improv Festival, and David Raitt, a Toronto improviser with decades of experience, to discuss the fine line between passion and exhaustion. This episode looks at the resilience of creative people navigating the demands of performance, administration, and personal well-being in improvisational comedy.

In this episode of The Improv Chronicle Podcast, we delve deep into the essentials of team dynamics, commitment levels, and the alchemy of personalities that can make or break a group's chemistry.

In the delicate dance of life's minor dramas, improvisers find a canvas rich with comedic potential. But how does one transform the everyday into an engaging slice-of-life scene on stage?

How does acting training help improvisers? Three improvisers who trained as actors share what acting training can give improvisers to help make their shows better - and how improv helps their acting too.

A new year, new you? Looking to supercharge your improv with some tips from great improvisers? The Improv Chronicle has got you covered. In the last four and a half years, this podcast has spoken to a lot of improvisers and gained a lot of insights.

What's the point of putting a bunch of students on stage after they have been learning improv for a series of weeks? How much does it add to their learning and how do we set these shows up for success. Hear from Lloydie's students after their most recent end of term show, and from improv teachers with advice on making a student show a success.

How can we use lighting and sound better in our improv. In this episode, you hear from two improvisers who also do tech and who give you a view from the tech box. This episode aims to help on-stage improvisers and improv teams think more about their tech.

Is the medium of improv too often confused with the genre of improv? Surely improv isn’t one thing in the same way that theatre isn’t one thing. The genre is not the medium. This episode explores how we make the distinction between improv and styles of improv.

Why is it that some improvisers avoid playing with an older improviser, or when they do get to play with them, they make them their grandparents? Given some of the most famous, gifted improvisers who sell out shows are over the age of 60, why do peculiar attitudes around age still exist in our art form?

Moving your life to a new town or city is a big undertaking - there’s a lot to sort out. So what’s it like getting settled in a new city’s improv scene? Hear from three improvisers who have moved their lives to another city and then worked on fitting into that city's improv scene.

Improvisers from different cities across the world talk about the many and varied changes that have happened to their scenes. From theatres closing to new ones opening - from scenes losing improvisers to those who are gaining new performers.

Whether you are an improviser who hesitates to walk on, or someone who just can’t resist entering a scene, you know a walk-on has the power to change what is happening on stage. 

Slowly, gradually, in some parts of the world, live shows are coming back. For some performers it’s their first shows back in front of a live audience in 16 months. That sort of gap between shows is something many improvisers never thought they’d have to face and it’s meant a whole big mix of emotions.

What happens when two improv organisations in different parts of the world happen to have the same name - and then discover each other exist?

How do we turn a scene around when it isn't going as well as we intended. This episode, host Lloydie gets voicemails from improvisers around the world with top tips on how to rescue a scene that's not going well.

How much do external factors like the space we play in or the audience have an influence on what we do on stage as improvisers - and how much impact should they have?

From time to time, many (if not most) improvisers find themselves stuck inside their head and thinking too much. How can we identify when it is happening, and how can we moderate any negative impact it might be having on our performance.

What exactly does improv give to the corporate world and how is it benefitting workplaces, even during (or especially during) the pandemic! This episode we explore the ways improv is helping the business world become more effective and more human, and how not knowing what is to come can be an advantage.

What happens when you get stage fright and how have some improvisers overcome it? This episode features personal stories about how people have overcome their own anxieties about performing at a time when some others are feeling nerves for the first time.

The Game Of The Scene is one of the more debated improv concepts. Part of that debate has focused simply on defining what we mean by ‘the game of the scene’ and part of the debate has been about its usefulness or necessity. This episode we explore definitions of Game and hear from those who use this tool and those who don’t.

As we continue talking about the move towards getting back to improv in real life, what will happen to online improv? To begin with it was a stop-gap for most, but one year in, it’s fostered an international community that isn’t going to go away. So when we are back doing shows in real life, where does online improv fit?

Go to a lot of improv theatre websites and alongside the classes in improv, you’ll often see classes in sketch comedy too. Why are improv and sketch such regular bedfellows and how can being an improviser help you be a better sketch writer?