Go time for Slapdash 2014!

Many players from Slapdash 2013. Now it’s time for Slapdash 2014!

A friend described improv festivals to me as “our conferences, our professional meeting grounds” and it’s true; but they’re also a whole lot like summer camps. And I love summer camps!

In the past little while I’ve been to festivals in London, Tampere, Barcelona and Amsterdam. I’m going to Nancy, France at the end of the month, and Corfu in the summer. But there’s one improv festival that has my heart above all others: Slapdash in London. This year it’s happening on 13-21 June. I want those dates to arrive NOW!

Full disclosure, I’m one of the main organisers of Slapdash. (And that’s one of the reasons I love it). I also really love that we get to bring out people I like, whose company I’ve enjoyed, and whose work has impressed me.

For example, the first year I was involved in Slapdash we brought Alistair Cook out. Alistair is former director of the Canadian Improv Games, and runs Instant Theatre in Vancouver, as well as running the Vancouver International Improv Festival. And a good friend.

He’s also the guy who taught me to improvise. That’s pretty special, and I was pretty excited to have him out, and hopefully it will happen again. That year we also had Jacob Banigan and Jim Libby of Rocket Sugar Factory and PGraph from Austin Texas.

A soldout show from last year’s Slapdash

But enough about the past: it’s time to focus on the future. The near future. This year, we’ve got some excellent talent coming out. My old buddy Dave Morris, for example.

Dave is well known in the improv community for this inspiring Tedx Talk, and as curator of The Way of Improvisation. He is also a generally awesome guy. He and I wwre in a rap group together. I haven’t seen him in years, and this year we’ve got him and his co-conspirator Missy Peters coming out for the fest.

Will Luera, who has a super impressive resume, and I got to meet and play with in Barcelona in the autumn, is also on his way. I’m looking forward to working with him again.

And NYC-based Mike Brown, who I bonded over solo improv with, and have had the good fortune to meet up with in a couple of different places (Brussels, Amsterdam, Barcelona), is also coming. So of course I’m excited!

And this year, we’re also opening up the Slapdash stage to other international groups: we’re accepting applications from groups for performance slots for just two more weeks! We’re going to be bringing in some exciting new acts to London, and they’ll be announced at the end of April.

We’ve also got participant packages.

Basically, Slapdash is coming, and I’m damned excited about who I know is coming, and also about the possibility of meeting some groups and individuals who I don’t know, and sharing the stage and some laughs with them.

So fun.

I can’t wait.

By Liesbeth Smit|2017-09-14T08:43:40+00:00April 3 2014|

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Alon, Tel Aviv

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Larissa, Amsterdam,

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Serena, Amsterdam

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Marton, Budapest

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Natasha, Amsterdam,

“I LOVED the fucking GREAT and positive energies in the workshop. They so got me going. Perhaps the highest moment during this festival was laughing in the workshop (to the dances… :)).”

Ben, Tel Aviv

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Chris, London

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Tracy, Dublin

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Furio S., Berlin

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Andrew, Brighton

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Laura, Amsterdam

“Ryan’s improv workshop is incredibly fun but also ruthlessly effective. Participants are taught to drop their inhibitions, let their imagination flow and and embrace the positive attitude at the heart of improv. They are also treated to Ryan’s personal blend of enthusiasm, wit and generosity.”

Jeremy, Brussels

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Derek, Amsterdam,

“Very inspiring and useful workshop. Picked me up from where I’m at and helped me develop strategies to improve developing scenes and my performance skills.”

Anonymous, Switzerland

“Ryan seemed to know just what to do to get the best from everyone. I would jump at the opportunity to do another workshop led by him.”

Calum, Brighton

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Martin, Tampere

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Imaan, Amsterdam

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James, Brighton

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Andy, Brussels

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Simon, Amsterdam

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Samora, Amsterdam

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Pedro, Lisbon

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Elsa, Lisbon

Go time for Slapdash 2014!

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Go time for Slapdash 2014!

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