Autumn Retreat: Beyond Cowboys & Detectives
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Showstoppers, Austentatious, Spontaneous Potter*. Some of the most successful improv in the UK is genre shows. A genre can mean beautiful costumes, familiar tropes, stirring music and, perhaps most importantly, a world the audience will recognise. It helps us find a shared world and narrow down possibilities so a show feels focused and coherent. And, perhaps most importantly, genre sells tickets.
But it can also be a drag. A repetitive, narrow set of expectations we never quite fulfill, a test we are always failing. The worst genre feels like there was no point improvising it in the first place. Over this weekend, we aim to find the joy and flexibility without getting caught in the traps. To find a way genre can support our open improv play, even if you feel you know nothing about it.
Over the weekend, you will examine how to break down genres so that they liberate rather than restrict. Starting with a couple of genres close to our hearts, you will examine what is important about genre play and how it can contribute to longform shows without taking them over. You will look at the expectations and attitudes embedded in genres and think about how we can keep older genres relevant and playful by subverting them.
"A perfect meld of learning, listening and laughter. Thanks Jules and Heather for a joyful weekend in a beautiful place." Spring Retreater 2025
Get Tickets
But it can also be a drag. A repetitive, narrow set of expectations we never quite fulfill, a test we are always failing. The worst genre feels like there was no point improvising it in the first place. Over this weekend, we aim to find the joy and flexibility without getting caught in the traps. To find a way genre can support our open improv play, even if you feel you know nothing about it.
Over the weekend, you will examine how to break down genres so that they liberate rather than restrict. Starting with a couple of genres close to our hearts, you will examine what is important about genre play and how it can contribute to longform shows without taking them over. You will look at the expectations and attitudes embedded in genres and think about how we can keep older genres relevant and playful by subverting them.
"A perfect meld of learning, listening and laughter. Thanks Jules and Heather for a joyful weekend in a beautiful place." Spring Retreater 2025
Get Tickets
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