Tag Archives: improvisation

2014 – Battle of WITs, Fringe

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Wellington’s best loved community improv troupe is back with another glorious season of Battle of WITs, and this time you can see it for FREE! The Wellington Improvisation Troupe (WIT) want to share the love with their hometown. All the Sunday evenings of this Fringe Festival come on down to the Fringe Bar and watch teams of intrepid improvisors battle it out to be crowned the champions.

Original theatre will be made up on the spot by tireless teams formed from a frothy mix of
Wellington’s leading improvisers and some courageously adorable newcomers. Choose your favourites, and help them soar to victory on a tide of audience approval.

Director Geoff Simmons promises that each night will be an evening of spur-of-the-moment storytelling and glorious failure. He explains that improv is “sometimes serious and frequently hilarious, either way I promise each night be a show that no one has ever seen before – or ever will again”. So, grab a drink and enjoy an unrepeatable blend of improvised games, tales, songs and shenanigans.

This Fringe Festival there are no tickets on sale for Battle of WITs. There may be a hat handed round, but just ignore it if you don’t have money, or don’t have fun.

“One of the safest bets for a good time at the Fringe ” – Theatreview
“I laughed so hard I couldn’t see” – Salient
Part of the  Fringe Festival 2014
When: Sundays 7pm, Feb 9th, 16th 23rd, and Mar 2nd.
Where: the Fringe Bar, 7pm

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NZ Improv Festival

NZ Improv Festival, 2013

September 17-21 2013 at Bats Theatre. WIT had a fine fine time playing with all our improv friends at the 2013 New Zealand Improv Festival. The #Divas were wonderful, and the special festival penultimate episode of Young and the Witless saw characters’ lives reshaped in some surprising ways. We had fun on stage and off; including mixing it up with other players in the ensemble shows and taking workshops with amazing visiting teachers. The comment from one reviewer, that “being in a theatre full of improvisers high on five days of fun can make one think that anything is possible” is about right. Thanks and cheers to all the people who made it happen … the producer, the musicians, the lighting guy, the players,  the setters-up-of-things, the leaflet hander-outerers, the lovely reviewers, the lovely sponsors, the lovely audiences. And super dooper especially to Festival Producer Jennifer O’Sullivan and Artistic Director Christine Brooks! Much much more at The New Zealand Improv Festival website.

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Improv Divas hashtag

# Divas

For one night only, on the opening night of the 2013 New Zealand Improv Festival, WIT’s Improv Divas present . . . Hashtag Divas.   

What’s really going on behind those cheery smugdates we all see on our Facebook timelines? In scenes inspired by real-life Facebook updates, the Divas explore this pervasive social medium where everyone’s lives are on display – but the truth is a lot harder to pin down.

The Improv Divas, New Zealand’s only all-female all-improvised comedy act, in an entertaining evening of on-the-spot storytelling.

Nicola Pauling
Kate Wilson
Mary Little

Date/Time

Date(s) – 17/09/2013
9:30 pm – 10:30 pm
BATS Theatre

show photographs: A Little Art

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Isn’t it time you learnt to improvise?!

WIT’s next The Joy of Improvisation course starts at the Community Education Centre at Wellington High School, for eight weeks on Thursday nights at 7.30pm, from October 17th – complete improv beginners very welcome.  No need for any drama or comedy experience either, although if you have had some you’re welcome too.

Discover your creative potential and learn how to work in a team using the skills of improvisation to spontaneously create short scenes and stories in a safe and positive group environment.

Read more about our training in general, or go straight to CEC’s website and signup now!   Contact us if you have any specific questions.

Young and the Witless 7, 2013

littlesupriseWellington’s Riskiest Show Gets Rural

Opening night photos

Wednesdays in August/September  at The Fringe in Allen St, except for a special performance at BATS on September 18th.

In its tenth year of bringing spontaneous theatre to Wellington’s stages, WIT is ecstatic to present the seventh annual season of the capital’s longest running improvised theatre experience – The Young and the WITless 7. Featuring eight weeks of improvised theatre with no scripts, no limits, and no holds barred, The Young and the WITless 7 returns to the stage at the Fringe in its new home on Allen St, bringing to life the sagas and stories of the people of fictional Te Awaiti.

Continue reading →

everyone happy

Discover Improv May 2014!

Four times a year WIT runs The Joy of Improvisation, a series of classes  tailored to those who are completely new to improv or have had a break of a few years, and want to have fun learning how to improvise short scenes and stories in a safe and positive group environment.  There is an end-of-course demonstration of group exercises for family and friends.

The next course runs for eight weeks on Thursday nights, beginning at 7.30 on the 16th of May, led by the fabulous Nicky Hill.  This is run in association with the Community Education Centre at Wellington High School; enrol directly through their website.

This WIT Level 1 course is a pre-requisite for further courses and membership of WIT, New Zealand’s largest and friendliest improv community.  If you have extensive improv experience already, or aren’t sure if this course is for you, please contact us.

More about our training.

All-Star Micetro, 2013

Micetro improvised comedy

Fringe Festival fixture (and former Fringe best comedy winner) Micetro is back for another bite of the cheese.

Watch as a crew of eager improvisers go head to head in a battle of wit, spur-of-the-moment storytelling and glorious failure. The audience will decide who gets eliminated and who will survive to be crowned ‘Micetro’.  Continue reading →

WIT show posters

Impro Unwrapped, WIT’s Christmas Cracker 2012

2012_improunwrappedIn association with the Australian Impro Collective, Wellington Improvisation Troupe presents Impro Unwrapped – an international goodwill project that invites audience members to bring along a gift to put under the on-stage Christmas Tree.

We will randomly select and unwrap gifts during the show. The unwrapped gifts will be the inspiration for our Christmas stories and songs all made up on the spot, without a script, without a rehearsal, live before your very eyes! At the end of the night, gifts will be re-wrapped and donated to the fine folk at Wellington City Mission to pass on to those less fortunate, in addition to all proceeds from this performance.

 

 

WIT show posters

A Christmas Cracker, 2012

eventfinder

MEDIA RELEASE: For immediate release
A Christmas Cracker
4 – 7 and 11 – 14 December at the Gryphon Theatre

Wellington Improv Troupe has a whole lot of silliness planned for this upcoming silly season. From an improvised pantomime to misbehaving puppets; from heartwarming fundraising to the end of civilisation itself! This December, Wellington Improvisation Troupe presents A Christmas Cracker – two weeks of improvised theatre that promises comedy, charitable Christmas cheer, pantomime horses and more surprises than a leaked Ministry document.

Running at Gryphon Theatre on 4-7 and 11-14 December, WIT presents its first bumper season of shows to celebrate the holidays. From the people that brought you The Last Saloon, The Wishing Tree and The Young and the WITless VI, and performances from both new members and old hats, this is a season not to be missed.

“This season has something for everyone” says creative lead Geoff Simmons, “We go right from the silly family fun of Pantomime to the black comedy spoof of the end of the world in Apocalimpro. If the Mayans are right at least we will all go out laughing”.

Week one features a mix of old and new; first up at 7pm, Micetro, WIT’s competitive format that pits improvisor against improvisor, enthusiasm against experience and wit against wit, with a cast of WIT regulars and our latest batch of graduates from our beginner training classes (CEC Wellington). At 8:30pm Duets makes its debut. A show of partnerships, where for 20 minutes each duo has only each other and the stage for inspiration. Each show will feature a different trio of duos. And finally, at 10pm Thursday and Friday, Puppets vs People takes to the stage, with an array of mischievous and downright naughty puppets playing off against WITsters in this late night show. Scenes are created live on stage using ideas straight from the audience. Join us for WIT’s first foray into puppetry – a show that humorously explores what it means to be human. Not suitable for children, unless your children are already cynical reprobates, inured to bad language and worse behaviour.

Week two is another mix of magic. Introducing Panto, with all your favourite characters – the hero, the Dame, the villain, the talking horse, all in an enchanting setting, but with a twist – it’s all made up on the spot. And to celebrate the long awaited End of the World on 21 December, the second slot brings you Apocalimpro, which will show how the End will begin in a sleepy Kiwi town. This dark show promises a completely different end of the world every night. Puppets vs People pops up again on the Friday, and the whole Thursday is devoted to Impro Unwrapped, an international goodwill project that invites audience members to bring along a gift to put under the on-stage Christmas Tree. Gifts are then selected at random, unwrapped and become the inspiration for a Christmas story. At the end of the night, all gifts are rewrapped and donated to the St Vincent de Paul Society, along with all the ticket proceeds of the show.

Tickets are available now through Eventfinder.co.nz – catch just one show, or settle in for a night of frivolity with our 2 and 3 show passes!
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Presented by Wellington Improvisation Troupe (WIT), Wellington’s not-for-profit, community-based improvisational theatre group. WIT performs and teaches the skills of improvisational theatre at community venues around the Wellington region.
WELLINGTON
Week 1
Micetro 4-7 Dec @ 7pm
Duets 4-7 Dec @ 8:30pm
Puppets vs People 6-7 Dec @ 10pm
Week 2
Panto 11-12, 14 Dec @ 7pm
Apocalimpro 11-12, 14 Dec @ 8:30pm
Impro Unwrapped 13 Dec @ 8pm
Puppets vs People 14 Dec @ 10pm

Venue: Gryphon Theatre, 22 Ghuznee Street

The Wishing Tree, 2012

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20th to 24th November, 2012

Returning to BATS Theatre, The Wishing Tree is New Zealand’s magical season of improvised theatre.

According to an ancient Japanese myth, there is one enchanting night where wishes come true. In honour of this myth, some of New Zealand’s finest improv artists conjure up stories inspired by the wishes of the audience.

Together we explore the unchartered territory of our dreams. Be careful what you wish for…

Created by Rama Nicolas, The Wishing Tree has been performed across Europe, the US and Australia and is presented in New Zealand by WIT. Book now – the last season at BATS sold out!

“The intimacy and ambience was enchanting…” – Theatreview
“…considerable theatrical bravery.” – The Dominion Post
“Elegant and touching…you must go and experience the show for yourself.” – Salient

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Photographer Ali Little