IMPROZAC - A Comic Character Workshop with John Knowles

Enhance your ability to create unique comic improv characters in this one-off workshop by international improv veteran John Knowles from Australia. Applying exercises and tips from his 30 year career in professional improv, John will take participants through the process used to invent the popular recurring characters that appeared in his long-running improvised tv-style sitcom called IMPROZAC. This fun format employs three storylines that weave together long form style with short form challenges inserted on-the-fly by the director/narrator.

In the first half of the workshop, participants will explore character development exercises focussing on vocal variety, status, comic contrast and physicality. You will each invent your own character.  In the second half you will learn the IMPROZAC show format, bringing in concepts such as upping the stakes, shelving, and C.R.O.W.E. and then improvise scenes with other players testing out their own newly created characters. Finally, we will put it all together by performing a run through of the show.

Your tutor: John Knowles is a professional improviser, actor, writer, and comedian based in Sydney, Australia. He studied at Second City in Toronto, Dalhousie Acting Dept and Ryerson Acting School before working his way to Australlia on a German container ship. Down under, John was part of teams that won the coveted Cranston Cup for Theatresports and represented Australia in the World Theatresports Championships in Atlanta, USA. He tours his solo shows, ‘John Knowles is Saddle Sore’ and ‘Storytiller’ to comedy festivals. For four years, he was Artistic Director of IMPRO Australia, Australia’s premiere improvisational theatre company. John co-created acts and shows including Hard Boiled, PULP, Cops On Heat, OfficeJerks, Tabloid Musical, Abandon Script, and IMPROZAC. He is one third of the cabaret trio Gods Cowboys. His current show, ‘I Can Top That!’ can be heard on ABC702  Radio. John reached oral storytelling and is a 2020 winner of The Moth international storytelling competition in Sydney.