Aug 18-24 2025
Welcome to Improfest 2025's main festival week!
During the week, improvisers from all over the world will gather in Mölndal and Gothenburg to hold workshops in the art form and perform in improv shows.
The festival's workshops explore improvisational theatre in all its forms and are led by instructors from Australia, Palestine, the UK, Greece and the USA. The workshops provide opportunities for improvisers and other performing artists to add improvisational techniques to their repertoires and for the curious to find new tools in everyday life. Whether you want to learn how to portray characters in new ways, to tackle different genres or get a crash course in improv as political activism, you can count on finding a course in that and much more at Improfest.
All workshops and performances will be held at Konstkollektivet's premises in Mölndal and at Redbergsskolan and Redbergsteatern in Gothenburg. Festival passes and other tickets will be available soon.
Improfest 2025 is a festival dedicated to improvisational theatre in all its forms. The festival invites improvisers from Sweden and the rest of the world to give performances and offer workshops in various parts of Sweden during the period May to August 2025.
This year, we will extend the festival to several places in the region, e.g Lidköping, Skövde, Mellerud, Lerum, Alingsås. Most of the shows will be in Swedish except for the once in Alingsås, Stockholm and Malmö. The workshops in Skövde and Mellerud are beginners workshops in Swedish, the rest of the workshops will be held in English.
Lidköping - 24 maj (SWE)
Källan & Gbgimpro Comedy Night (med Jonas von Essen)
Skövde - June 7-8 (SWE)
Marit Bergman & Gbgimpro Comedy Night (med Jonas von Essen)
Workshop: Ellen Bobeck
Mellerud - June 14 (SWE)
Nassim al Fakir & Gbgimpro Comedy Night
Workshop: Martin Rositzka
Malmö - Aug 2-3 (ENG)
Dilan & Moa med Gbgimpro
Workshop: Raffi Feghali
Alingsås - Aug 9-10 (ENG)
Workshop: Joe Bill
Stockholm - Aug 12-15 (ENG)
Black Lady Improv, Improvisationsstudion & Gbgimpro
Workshops: Joe Bill, John Gebratatose
Lerum - Aug 16-17 (ENG & SWE)
Lotta Lundgren & Gbgimpro Comedy Night
Workshop: Patti Stiles
Venues
The first part of the festival week will be at Konstkollektivet i Mölndal. You can get here by train and/or bus.
If you go by train it will take you about 10 min from Gothenburg train station to Mölndal city and then a 15 min walk to Pixbovägen.
Konstkollektivet
Pixbovägen 5, 431 36 Mölndal
📆 Aug 18-20
KONSTKOLLEKTIVET
MÖLNDAL
AUG 18-20
REDBERGSTEATERN
GOTHENBURG
AUG 21-24
The grand finale will be in our beutiful theatre Redbergsteatern in Gothenburg.
You get here by tram or bus in about 10 min. The stop is called Redbergsplatsen.
Redbergsteatern
Örngatan 6, 416 67 Göteborg
📆 Aug 21-24
Shows
Note that more shows are about to be annonced. Stay tuned!
THURSDAY AUG 21
Britta
Gbg/Sthlm, Sweden
In a world longing for genuine relationships and unforgettable meetings, Britta shows up like a good old friend ready to offer you the best of every day awkward situations. Let's enjoy those lovely moments of painful silences mixed with too much eye contact. Meet Britta!
ITS
Stockholm, Sweden
Ladies and gentlemen, dreamers and daredevils—step right up! Enter a carnival of strange dreams and second chances, where a dead troubadour waits for a dream (maybe yours?) to bring him back to life. If he wakes, hold on tight! You’ll be swept into a wild, musical ride through the ups and downs of chasing a dream—what it’s like to crave it, catch it, and pay the price.
Redbergsteatern
📆 Aug 21 🕒 19:30
Redbergsteatern
📆 Aug 21 🕒 18:00
FRIDAY AUG 22
Wet Skeleton
Liverpool, UK
Agent of chaos, Jen takes you on 3 seperate journeys as we discover what weird people get up to when they're just living their everyday lives. After all, we're all just Wet Skeletons.
Hailing from the best city on earth (Liverpool!) Jen is an improviser, poet, teacher and coach as well as being a producer at a Shakespearian theatre.
She have performed in all-female comedy troupes and Liverpool's first UCB style team. As the co-director of the Liverpool Improvisation Festival, she is passionate about exploring improvisation in all forms, and supporting communities to perform and learn new ways to be spontaneous.
Redbergsteatern
📆 Aug 22 🕒 18:00
Turtle Logic
Berlin, Germany
Turtle Logic is a long-form improv team based in Berlin and proud winners of the 2024 Comedy Cafe Berlin Cage Match Tournament. Featuring Zoe Langer, Pip Roper, Laura Kenny, Simone O’Donovan, Georgia Riungu and Rocio Ciganda, the team brings sharp, character-driven, and unpredictable comedy to the stage.
In Twin Flowers, two distinct stories unfold—separate yet intertwined—with connections that gradually reveal themselves in surprising and playful ways. The journey twists and turns, leading to an ending that feels both inevitable and unexpected.
With diverse perspectives and a fearless approach to improv, Turtle Logic crafts performances that entertain, challenge, and delight—inviting audiences into their ever-evolving world.
Redbergsteatern
📆 Aug 22 🕒 18:35
A Very Capable Boy
London, UK
Deep, dark, emotional (and funny) improv from TV’s Greg Baxter and the late, great Nathan Dean. Join these two giants of improv* as they inhabit a world of strange people, sad places, happy objects and unknown events, guaranteed to move, amuse, charm and perplex you through an hour of your valuable time.
They promise to try their absolute best, and you can’t say fairer than that.
* Greg and Nathan are both 5’10”, and therefore taller than the UK average height.
Redbergsteatern
📆 Aug 22 🕒 19:30
Groundhog
London, UK
From London’s acclaimed theatre, The Free Association, come Cagematch champions Groundhog. A talented, hilarious, attractive and humble team. More to the point, they are an improv comedy group made up of four Free Association veterans, bringing you a brand new original format.
Inspired by the classic film ‘Groundhog Day’, they will perform an organic Longform show, using repetition as it’s heart.
Groundhog are Alex Holland, Naomi Petersen, Alison Thea-Skot and Jim Archer. Aka the FA’s Head Teacher, the FA’s former Artistic Director, a critically acclaimed character comedian and some guy who’s been nominated for a couple of Baftas.
Redbergsteatern
📆 Aug 22 🕒 20:20
SATURDAY AUG 23
Fluff
London, UK
Big Little Place is the new comedy play from improv theatre company Fluff. Made up entirely on the spot, the show creates a relatable community of characters in a location chosen by the audience. Whether it's an over-excited party of passengers on a cruise ship, or the stressed-out staff of your local coffee shop, the results are packed with laughs – and pathos. Join us as we find the funny in familiar people and situations, all based on your suggestions.
Redbergsteatern
📆 Aug 23 🕒 19:30
Black Lady Improv
A Black Lady Improv Show
This joyful celebration features an all-Black women cast serving characters, wit, and the kind of chemistry that only comes from shared sisterhood. Expect big laughs, real moments, and scenes that flip the script on everything you thought you knew about improv. Come through and witness some of improv’s most powerful voices taking up space, making up stories, and making history—in real time. This is more than just a show—it’s an experience.
With Shannon Stott, Coko Galore, Stephanie Rae
Improstudion
Blekingegatan 28, SStockholm
📆 Aug 14 🕒 21.45-22.35
SUNDAY AUG 24
Mixer show
TBA
SATURDAY AUG 23
Workshops
All workshops will go on sale May 4
More info will be released shortly!
Note that more workshops are about to be annonced. Stay tuned!
MÖLNDAL
Konstkollektivet
Hard Topics
This workshop will highlight what happens to us as performers when a scene becomes scary, offensive, or insensitive, and we freeze or lose ourselves. We explore some approaches to get the agency back when we find ourselves somewhere uncomfortable, tools for improvising mindfully, and finding a proactive voice for you and your show. We will learn the SwagHat format. A living room-style discussion, and then we perform scenes inspired by the conversation.
TRIGGER AND CONTENT WARNING: this is a class on scenes when you find yourself dealing with topics of race or socially and politically charged situations - which means it will include discussions and scenes dealing with race, gender* and other very personally sensitive areas and how to move forward thoughtfully, respectfully and meaningfully when you find yourself there.
John Gebretatose
John Gebretatose is a comedy and improv community trailblazer with over 15 years of experience. He founded Good Camel Comedy Theater, an arts company dedicated to humor that speaks truth to power and fosters diverse voices. As the co-executive director and former Director of Diversity and Inclusion at HUGE Theater in Minneapolis, John has led significant diversity initiatives that have shaped the regional improv landscape. He co-founded the Black and Funny Improv Festival and Blackout Improv, which spotlight and uplift underrepresented artists. Additionally, John is an award-winning podcast host for “MinneCulture” on KFAI radio, further showcasing his passion for cultural storytelling.
Find Your Flow
A Freestyle Workshop
for All Levels
Have fun practicing freestyle rap in a supportive and encouraging environment. Whether you're an experienced MC or brand new to the mic, you've got something unique to bring to the table and we wanna hear about it! We will cover different methods for building a verse, practice rapping from a place of authenticity, rap in scenes, and finally, create our own larger-than-life rap personas for a laugh-filled round of "Build A Rapper." This workshop is perfect for everyone from DJs to dental hygienists, because whatever level you're coming from, you will be met with an appropriate challenge and a space where everyone is celebrated just for having the courage to show up. Push past your fear of failure and find your flow!
Stephanie Rae
Stephanie Rae is a full-time improv practitioner, freestyle rap artist, and corporate facilitator. She is the founder of the Black Improv Alliance and a Creative Director at freestyle+, where she leads dynamic workshops that blend humor and strategy. Her work as an advocate has provided scholarships and free training to hundreds of BIPOC improvisers, and her background in law and higher education gives her unique perspective. Stephanie has performed and guest played with Baby Wants Candy, North Coast, the Groundlings, Free Daps, and the Tony Award-winning Freestyle Love Supreme - even earning a hug and compliment from Beyoncé herself.
A verbal and
enthuastic Yes and
(Non-binary & Female identifying only)
This workshop recognizes and validates the moments when an improviser feels uncomfortable on stage. Here improvisers will discuss those moments and practice tools to address them on stage within the context of a scene or game.
Areas of Study:
-Moving through the freeze
-Techniques to exit a scene
-Saying no in a scene
-Protecting yourself and your character
Note: This workshop is designed for female-identifying and non-binary folx only.
Shannon Stott
Shannon Stott is an improviser based in Austin, TX. She has been performing and teaching Improv to theater students and corporate clients since 2001. Shannon utilizes improv as a tool to change lives both on and off the stage, encouraging her students to carry these tools out of their theaters and into their workplaces and homes
Competetive Improv
TheatreSports, ComedySportz etc.
TBA
Coko Galore
Coko Galore (she/they)
is a comedic actor, writer, director and producer. Her credits include The Untitled Black Sketch Project (co-producer), This Hour is 22 Minutes (writer), former Artistic and Managing Director of the Bad Dog Comedy Theatre (2020-2022), and appearances in Pretty Hard Cases (CBC), Tallboyz (CBC), and The Accused (Fox).
Coko is currently performing at
The Second City Mainstage in Toronto.
No isn’t always a block
Sometimes the best yes is a no
No isn’t always a block – Sometimes the best yes is a no
Learning to accept each other’s offers is vital in improvisation. However, many improvisers end up being trained in a ‘Pavlovian’ response to create improvisation through saying yes! to everything without understanding the offer or the story. This workshop will show you that sometimes the best Yes is a NO!
Patti Stiles
Patti is an actor, director, author, playwright and teacher who specialises in improvisational theatre. She is a former Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre (CA), Dream Kitchen Theatre (CA), Impro Melbourne (AU) and the International Theatresports Institute (CA), and a founding member of the award winning Die Nasty – the live improvised soap opera (CA). Her tutelage and mentorship has strongly influenced many improvisors and improvisation companies all over the world. Such as Rapid Fire Theatre (CA), Impro Melbourne (AU), Spontaneity Shop (UK), Closer Each Day (UK), Smoking Sofa (FR), Teatro A Molla (IT) and I Bugardini (IT), B.L.U.E – the musical (IT), Courtyard Playhouse (UAE) and the award winning Austentacious (UK).
Genre Boy
In this workshop, we will look at how to dive headfirst into our preferred genres but also, what we can do when we are faced with those less common genres that we don't know much about.
We'll be covering tropes and we'll examine how narrowing a genre down to a sub-genre can open us up to different moves.
Finally, we'll examine how genre can help us create new short-form games and new long-form formats.
Kate McCabe
GOTHENBURG
Redbergsskolan/teatern
Master class on you
Master Class is designed for the experienced improviser and is focused on providing specific feedback on the individual from an experience outside eye. We look at strengths, patterns and habits. The aim is to bring a greater awareness of your work, provided challenges and open areas for growth.
Patti Stiles
Patti is an actor, director, author, playwright and teacher who specialises in improvisational theatre. She is a former Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre (CA), Dream Kitchen Theatre (CA), Impro Melbourne (AU) and the International Theatresports Institute (CA), and a founding member of the award winning Die Nasty – the live improvised soap opera (CA). Her tutelage and mentorship has strongly influenced many improvisors and improvisation companies all over the world. Such as Rapid Fire Theatre (CA), Impro Melbourne (AU), Spontaneity Shop (UK), Closer Each Day (UK), Smoking Sofa (FR), Teatro A Molla (IT) and I Bugardini (IT), B.L.U.E – the musical (IT), Courtyard Playhouse (UAE) and the award winning Austentacious (UK).
Back from The Brink
Ever been on stage and felt like your show was tanking? Of course you have!Everyone has bad days, whether you’re ten minutes or ten years into your improvjourney. In fact, bombing on stage is a rite of passage for every improviser. Andlisten, I don’t want to take that away from you, because fundamentally it will makeyou a better performer. But it’s never too late to turn things around. In this workshopwe’ll explore how you can bring your shows back from the brink through teamwork,trust and commitment. No cheap tricks or short-cuts; just confident, connectedimprov that will make you fall in love with your show again and bring your audiencealong for the ride.
Naomi Petersen
Naomi is a critically acclaimed improviser and actor, and was previously Artistic Director at The Free Association. She has been improvising for over a decade, and regularly teaches at the FA and beyond. She was a member of OG Harold Team Sweet FA alongside the likes of Jim Woods, Graham Dickson and Liz Kingsman, and now performs regularly in FA headline shows including This Doesn't Leave The Room, 3, St Doctor's Hospital and more. She is also a founding member of improv supergroups SORRY and Cagematch champions Groundhog. She has performed improv all over the UK at The Soho Theatre, The Arcola, Vault Festival, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe and internationally in Berlin, Amsterdam, Chicago and NYC. Naomi is basically obsessed with improv and can't quite believe her luck that she does it for a living.
Big, Dumb, Joyful
Improv
Big swings, shoot for the moon, this workshop explores finding that inner buzz, your own philosophy to go on stage and make moves from and towards joy. What makes you feel silly, playful, and magical? “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose”. Yes coach!
Alison Thea-Skot
Alison Thea-Skot is a critically acclaimed actor, comedian, improviser and writer. ‘The reigning queen of character comedy’ Evening Standard. Selected as one of the Observer’s Female Millennials Changing Comedy, the Evening Standard's Best Comedy Shows to See and The Telegraph's Best of the Fringe. She can be seen on Comedy Central, Sky, BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and she has worked with Bad Robot & Paramount Pictures. Alison is a highly skilled improviser, performing for over 12 years on the UK’s biggest stages. As well as developing improv TV formats for ITV & BBC, she is a founding member of ‘Groundhog’. She regularly performs & teaches at The Free Association Improv Theatre in London, she’s hosts and stars in the smash hit ‘Uncle Glen’s Menagerie’ and has guest performed with multi award winners ‘Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel’.
Playful Voice of Reason
Voice of reason is often misrepresented as the ‘boring’ part of the scene. Oh, it’s a vital role that allows us to frame and play game whilst keeping the baseline reality in check? Eurgh, fine! I’ll do it but I’m not happy about it. “I don’t want to have to eat my vegetables” etc.
In this workshop, we’ll dig into the VoR and look at how much fun you can have in this role. We’ll practise how to play grounded without being ‘boring’, how to say no whilst being a part of the fun, and ask ourselves whether the VoR is even a ‘role’ at all.
Alex Holland
Alex is an award winning comedian, writer, improviser, and headteacher at The Free Association improv theatre in London. Alex joined The FA theatre at its birth in 2014 as part of the first house teams before joining their teaching staff and then moving on to his current role overseeing all classes, syllabus, and teachers at the theatre. He can be seen performing in house show This Doesn’t Leave The Room, is director of the halloween spooktacular 666 Hell Lane, and is a member of cagematch champions and powerhouse improv team Groundhog.
How to be a Wierdo
'How To Be A Weirdo' is a workshop focused on taking your characters to the next level. Try new tools and approaches to character development in improv and help build confidence to let your own inner-weirdo out on stage. Try techniques to more fully inhabit a range of different roles, surprise the audience, surprise yourself! Expand your acting range and trust your instincts, to discover you actually have a whole party of characters hidden in your improviser's backpack.
"If you're lucky enough to find a Weirdo, never let them go!"
Laura Risenborough
Laura Riseborough is an Improviser, Actor and Character Comedian.
In the UK, Laura has performed in comedies and dramas for the BBC, Disney, Royal Shakespeare Company, Barbican Theatre, 21Soho, Hampstead Theatre, Arcola Theatre, Old Vic New Voice & The Pleasance. Internationally she has performed in the US, Canada, Cuba, France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Irland and South Africa.
As a Improviser, Laura performs and teaches long-form at The Free Association in London, along with coaching a number of other UK teams. She has guested on tour with Austentatious, Steen Improvises with Friends & the Great Job podcast. She can be seen performing in her regular teams '666 Hell Lane', 'Fluff' & 'Northern Powerhouse'. Last year she played at Das Improv Fest in Berlin, Edinburgh Fringe and International Comedy Festival in Scotland.
Laura trained in Classical acting, Method acting, Clown and Commedia Dell'Arte. But she's been preparing for the 'How To Be A Weirdo' workshop all her life!
Playing Politics
(aka Woke 2.0)
Improv is heading more and more towards comedy. Though this is a recipe for a very entertaining night (and we want our shows to be entertaining), we miss improv that can tell a story without the pressure of being funny and just for the sake of telling a good story. This workshop gives us techniques that help us focus on story, reality, and emotion.
Raffi Feghali
Raffi Feghali is a theater maker, peacebuilding consultant, and trainer working mostly in Europe, USA, and the Middle East while being based between Amsterdam and Beirut. As a theater maker, he draws on the meeting point of improvisational theater (improv) and storytelling (especially that rooted in the “hakawati” tradition) in order to inspire his performing, writing, directing/devising, radio dramas, sound design, and music making. He is a member of the Lincoln Theater Center Directors Lab 2018. Raffi is a trainer of various improvisational theater topics as well as other theater skills. He coaches multiple stand-up comedians, storytellers, and actors on performance skills and provides guidance in the development of their shows.
The Planning Group
Improfest was founded by Peter Nordstrand in 2015. In 2023, the festival received new direction in the form of Gbgimpro and is now run by a project group with Martin Rositzka as project manager.
this is us!
Collaborators:
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