improvised comedy workshop: “fresh up skills” march 6  

This Monday, March 6, we will explore great improv skills. Why do we say yes, when do we say no? What are the Big Five? What is the use of a birthday present? Why do we love the Peanut Butter Factory? A great workshop for advanced improvisers and for newbees too. A great opportunity to (re) start your improvised comedy life!

We will have lots of laughs and leave the building being better improvisers. Curious? Come along and find out!

   zoomprov workshop: “time travel adventures” february 24
This week’s Zoomprov workshop we will have fun with time travel. Confusion and lots of laughs guaranteed. The workshop will make you think about why things happen in a story. What history means for future.

Curious? Join this Friday, and find out.

  improvised comedy workshop: “great inspiration cards” february 20

This Monday, February 20, we will have lots of fun with a great pile of new inspiration cards. We prepared over a hundred new cards and they will be the fundament of a lot of funny surprises. What do you see in the pictures? How are you going to use the texts? In what way will this bunch of surprises make your scenes funnier? Perhaps even hilarious?

We will have lots of laughs and leave the building being better improvisers. Curious? Come along and find out!

  improvised comedy course: "romantic comedy!" (part4)

   improvised comedy course: "romantic comedy!" (part3) february 6

Four Mondays (January 9, 16, 30 and February 6 and 13) we are having a real nice series of workshops about Improvised Romantic Comedy. What are the secrets of this genre? How does this kind of story work? What are the tricks we use?

This Monday we will take a look at Functional Characters: the characters who make the story exiting, like the ex, the bitch, the pretty boy/girl, the clumsy helper et cetera. The workshop will start at 7:30 PM, but at 7 PM we will do a wrap-up of what we did last weeks for people who missed one or two workshops.

We will have lots of laughs and leave the building being better improvisers. Curious? Come along and find out!

   improvised comedy course: "romantic comedy! (part 2)" january 16

Four Mondays this month we are having a real nice series of workshops about Improvised Romantic Comedy. What are the secrets of this genre? How does this kind of story work? What are the tricks we use?

A great series of workshops indeed! This Monday we will take a look at Road blocks, hick-ups and the story spine. But first we will look back at what we did last week, so if you missed the first workshop of this series: no problem!

We will have lots of laughs and leave the building being better improvisers. Curious? Come along and find out!

improvised comedy course: "romantic comedy!" january 9, 16, 23 and 30

The four Mondays to come (January 9, 16, 23 and 30) we will have a real nice series of workshops about Improvised Romantic Comedy. What are the secrets of this genre? How does this kind of story work? What are the tricks we use?

Four workshops:
#1: Character building, teamwork and opening scenes
#2: Road blocks, story spine and hick-ups
#3: Functional characters that make the story exciting
#4 Showtime!

A great series of workshops indeed! We will have lots of laughs and leave the building being better improvisers. Curious? Come along and find out!

   improvised comedy workshop: "hat did I hear?!?" december 12

This Monday we will take a closer look at how to be clear in your scenes. What did you hear? What did you see? Nice tricks will be explored: active listening, “Be nice, say it twice” and the great “That’s right, Bob”. Plus… There is more!

A great workshop if you like to take you (almost) first steps into the world of improvised comedy. And it also is a nice way for more advanced improvisers to brush op the skills we tend to forget. And at the end of the workshop there will be lots of fun, playing scenes that are based on Rikus’ Inspiration Cards!

Curious? Come along and find out, Monday December 12!

  improvised comedy workshop: "game time!" november 21

This Monday we will have lots of fun with many improv games. A great workshop if you like to take you (almost) first steps into the world of improvised comedy. And it also is a nice way for more advanced improvisers to brush op the skills we tend to forget.

Curious? Come along and find out, Monday November 21!

  improvised comedy workshop: "negotiate! (part deux)" november 14

Just like in real life, on stage we negotiate a lot. That makes scenes so interesting! But how do we do that? Last Monday we have explored sorts of emotions and tactics and ways to use them. This week we will take a closer look at how to incorporate these tricks into scenes.
So yes, we will see and do nice stuff that will lead us to great stories. And don’t worry if you missed last week. This Monday we will have a wrap-up of what we did last Monday.

  improvised comedy workshop: "negotiate!" november 7

Just like in real life, on stage we negotiate a lot. That makes scenes so interesting! But how do we do that? A great topic for this Monday’s workshop: it’s about using emotions and tactics. You’ll see!

So yes, we will see nice tricks that will lead us to great stories. So yes, this is a great opportunity to explore these tricks, and we will also do some nice games and exercises to brush up our general skills. And it is not just learning, also lots of laughs are involved!

Curious? Come along and find out, Monday November 7!

  improvised comedy workshop: "huey, dewey and louie" october 24

“That’s right, Bob. Huey, Dewey and Louie are there and they will bring a great surprise to this Monday’s workshop!”
So nice! Just two sentences tell a lot about what we are going to do, this Monday’s workshop. This Monday, October 24, we will take a look at being surprised, doing things that seem to be confusing, but most of all we will see how we can build a story, based on what you just saw or heard…

Curious? Come along and find out!

   improvised comedy workshop: "the oyster" october 17

This week’s Zoomprov workshop we will explore a real nice medium form format. The Oyster. A great combination of monologues and duo scenes. Very, very nice, I must say…
Plus: we will have fun with inspiration cards and new choices. So apart of the learning, also lots of laughs are involved!

   improvised comedy workshop: "the improv story spine" oct 10


This Monday, October 10, we will take a look at how a story works. How to begin, how to tell the main story, how to end. Nice tricks that will lead you to great story spines.

So yes, this is a great opportunity to explore these tricks, and we will also do some nice games and exercises to brush up our general skills. Plus: we will have fun with inspiration cards and new choices. So apart of the learning, also lots of laughs are involved!

Curious? Come along and find out!

  improvised comedy workshop: "acting skills for improvisers part 1" oct 3

This Monday, October 3, we will take a look at some acting skills for improvisers. Improv is not about acting beautiful, we are no Shakespearean players, but some acting skills will make your story even more believable. So yes, this is a great opportunity to brush up these skills with nice games and some exercises. Plus: we will have fun with inspiration cards and new choices. So apart of the learning, also lots of laughs are involved!

Curious? Come along and find out!

   Improvised comedy workshops: Planning

Here is the planning for the weeks to come:
Mondays: In Real Life workshops in the Polanentheater in Amsterdam, starting 7:30 PM
Wednesdays: Text based Messenger workshops, staring 8 PM
Fridays: Zoomprov workshops, starting 8 PM

As always the workshops will be suitable for newbees as well as advanced improvisers, because everybody will be coached on his or her own level! We will always provide a safe and warm atmosphere for everybody!

Everybody is warmly invited to join. More information about the topics will always be shown on Facebook and website a few days before the workshop takes place. But if you plan to join, please let me know as soon as possible, so I can organize things well.

More information needed? Just ask by sending an e-mail to info@formerlyknown.nl or by calling/texting/WhatsApp to 0626230077.

Looking forward to see you all, on many Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays! May the Yes be with you!

  improvised comedy workshop: “gametime!” june 27

This Monday, June 27, we will take a look at the skills we have trained the weeks that lay behind. How? We will play some nice theatre sports games and in the second part of the workshop we will play a bunch free scenes. So we will brush up our skills and have lots of laughs too!

Curious? Come along and find out!

   improvised comedy workshop: "find the end" june 13

This Monday, June 13, we will take a look at how to find the end of scenes. How do we recognize a scene has come to an end? How do we establish the end? And we will look back at what we did when painting locations and miming activities. Plus: we will have fun with inspiration cards and new choices. We will learn something and have lots of laughs too!

Curious? Come along and find out!

  no workshop june 6

We had real nice workshops this week. Monday at the Polanentheater and Wednesday at the World Wide Impro Web we have explored the framework that is the fundament of almost every story. (Once there was, and every day, until one day, and because of that…)

This Monday there will be no workshop because of Pentecost. This Wednesday we hope to play Episode One of a totally improvised soap opera on Zoom. More info about this will follow shortly.

Look what a bunch of fine people totally nailed last Monday’s workshop!

   improvised comedy workshop: "create locations, mime actions" may 30

This Monday, May 30, we will take a look at creating locations and miming activities. What do these skills bring you to use in your scenes? Why do we love IKEA? We will learn something and have lots of laughs too!

Curious? Come along and find out!

  improvised comedy workshop: "summer is coming!" may 2

This Monday, May 2, we will have our first improv-in-the-park of this season. We are welcoming the summer that arrived in The Netherlands. So let’s go outside and have some fun. Smell the fresh air in the Sarphatipark, see what this nice environment brings you! We will brush up our skills, do funny games and have fun based on our world-famous Inspiration Cards! How nice is that!

   improvised comedy workshop: "endowing at the coffee machine" march 21

This Monday, March 21, we will take a look at endowing and embracing the character that is a mix of what you come up with and what you are given by your scene partners. There is a difference between the actor’s personality and the character’s personality. How does that work? How can we help each other? Talks at the coffee machine about a third character will help you to explore this. What an interesting topic!

Curious? Come along and find out!

  improvised comedy workshop: "mime it!" february 28
This Monday, February 28, we will take a look at miming objects and actions. How do we make a call without smashing our phone? How do we move a roll of carpet as a team? And how do we multitask? We do an activity while talking about something totally different… How nice is that?

So come along and find out!

  improvised comedy workshop: "valentine loves improv" february 14

This Monday, February 14, is a very special day! It’s Valentine’s day! A day filled with love. And some little mystery’s too. Who loves me? Who is this secret admirer?
We have created a real nice workshop. About being kind to each other in scenes, both the actors and their characters. How do we show affection, without making things too obvious? How do we play scenes where no problem whatsoever arises?
And yes, there will be lots of chocolate and heart-shaped sweets. And feel free to bring your loved ones along this time, and see what happens…

So come along and find out!

  improvised comedy workshop: "Guess it!" january 31

This Monday, January 31, we will brush up some basic skills of improv, because many people have not done improv in real life for a while, and then our skills tend to get a but rusty. But there is more: we will have lots of fun by paying nice guessing games. “Household Objects”, “Press Conference”. Hilarious fun will pop up!

So come along and find out!

   improvised comedy workshop: "silly walks" January 24

This Monday, January 24, we will brush up some basic skills of improv, because many people have not done improv in real life for a while, and then our skills tend to get a but rusty. Plus: this is a good way for people with little or no improv experience to step in. But there is more: we will also use some silly walks as a way to create nice little stories. How wonderful is that….

  improvised comedy workshop: "teamwork" november 22

This Monday, November 22, we will take a look at the fine art of team work. You move, they talk. You tell a story together. How does “the typewriter” work? This all will make all of us laugh, and you will find out how you can create wonderful stories with your scene partner!
And as always we will play some nice improv games and do some exercises to brush up your improv skills. As said, you will laugh a lot, we promise!

So come along and find out!

zoomprov workshop: “recognize the offer!” november 12

By special request this Friday’s Zoom workshop will be about recognizing offers. Your scene partner can help you to bring your story forward by endowing you and by giving you a nice piece of imput. The trick is, to recognize this. Therefor it is important that if a player gives an offer, he of she must be very clear about that: the player who recieves it, then has a very easy life. Brief talking and active listening are great tools for this, so that is what we are going to practise. You will find out how that brings your scene forward!

   improvised comedy workshop: “time jumps” november 1

This Monday, November 1st , is the first Monday in this winter season we live in official winter time. A good reason to take a look at time jumps. What happened yesterday? Last year? What will happen next month? This all will help you to create wonderful storylines. What a fantastic workshop!

  zoomprov workshop: "the power of silence" october 22

This Friday’s Zoom workshop will be about the power of silence. We use to talk a lot, but just saying noting for a while can be a very powerful tool!
At the end of the workshop you and your partner will shine like superstars! How nice is that!

Curious? Join this Friday, and find out.

  workshop: “short stories” October 11

This Monday, October 11, we will see how great it is to create just short stories. Just a situation, a wish, a problem and a solution. Even the Dutch animation series “De Fabeltjeskrant” ("The Fable Daily") nailed that, so we can do that too! This simple structure helps your story go forward. What a fantastic topic! And yes, we will bring the puppets!
And as always we will play some nice improv games and do some exercises to brush up your skills. You will laugh a lot, I promise!

So come along and find out! As always the workshop will be suitable for newbees as well as advanced improvisers, because everybody will be coached on his or her own level!

zoomprov workshop: "fine weather and great food!" october 8

This Friday’s Zoom workshop will be about starting scenes and painting platforms. The trick? No problems! Everything is OK. The shoes fit well, the seats are comfortable. A nice way to get to know and to like the characters in the scene. And we will once more do a new game, I developed: The good news and the bad news… At the end of the workshop you and your partner will shine like superstars! How nice is that!

  improv workshop: “mime it!” October 4

  zoomprov workshop: "lego. always lego till the end" october 1

This Friday’s Zoom workshop will be about being brief, a topic that can never be given too much attention. And we will take another look at clear ends of scenes. These skills will lead you to clear and hilarious scenes! And we will once more do a new game, we developed: The good news and the bad news… At the end of the workshop you and your partner will shine like superstars! How nice is that!

Curious? Join this Friday, and find out.

workshops: “problem solved not solved” and “the invisible man” september 24/27

   text-based workshop today! september 20

  zoomprov workshop: “the finish” September 17

This Friday’s Zoom workshop will be about finishing scenes in a clear (and often hilarious) way. It helps your scene partner to recognize the end and it prevents going on with lots of blah blah blah after the climax when the point is already made.

And as always we will take a look at some other skills too. At the end of the workshop you and your partner will shine like superstars! How nice is that!

Curious? Join this Friday, and find out.

  workshop: “character play” September 13

This Monday, September 13, we will take a look at some fine tricks that help you to create great characters. Looks, speech, habits. How nice is that… And as always we will play some nice improv games and do some exercises to brush up your skills. You will laugh a lot, we promise!

So come along and find out!

  zoomprov workshop: “the doc cooper format (part trois)” september 10

This Friday’s workshop is once again about the Doc Cooper Format. It is a format developed by our nice friend and colleague trainer Martin Boedicker. It is a real nice framework to create stories: hightening and inner conflict, how do we achieve them?

Curious? Join this Friday, and find out. And if you were not with us last Fridays: no problem, we will take a look at what we did last weeks too.

  workshop: "tricks, tricks, tricks and tricks!" september 6

This Monday, September 6, we will take a look at some fine tricks that make the life of improvisers funnier and happier. Advanced tricks for newbees and basic tricks for experienced improvisers! How nice is that… And as always we will play some nice improv games and do some exercises to brush up your skills. You will laugh a lot, we promise!

   zoomprov workshop: "the doc cooper format (part deux)" september 3

This Friday’s workshop is once again about the Doc Cooper Format. It is a format developed by my nice friend and colleague trainer Martin Boedicker. It is a real nice framework to create stories: heightening and inner conflict, how do we achieve them?

And as always we will take a look at some other skills too. At the end of the workshop you and your partner will shine like superstars! And we have a great surprise for the participants! How nice is that!

Curious? Join this Friday, and find out.

   workshop "new season opening" august 30

Ow yeah, the time has come to return to the Polanentheater for a new season of Improvised Comedy workshops. We are going to focus on ways to create and connect locations and also the people involved, and based on what we find out when doing that we create fantastic and hilarious longform stories. A real nice format, that is very interesting for more advanced improvisers, but also nice for newbees, because we will always take a look at some basic skills too.

It would be very nice to have you around at the workshops. Mondays, from 19:30 till 22 hrs. Starting this Monday.

  zoomprov workshop: "the doc cooper format" august 27

This Friday’s Zoom workshop is about the Doc Cooper Format. It is a format developed by my nice friend and colleague trainer Martin Boedicker. It is a real nice framework to create stories: heightening and inner conflict, how do we achieve them?

Curious? Join this Friday, and find out.

   improv in the park workshop: “be positive” august 2

Last week we had to cancel our ParkProv workshop because the very bad weather. This week the weather forecast is better, so this Monday we will do some improv in the park. The topic: be positive. We will see that beginning your scene in a positive way will encourage the audience and your fellow improvisers to start liking the characters in the story. We will find out how easy that is, so just look and see. Not at all as hard as it seems… So yes, it is great to start with some friendliness.

  zoomprovworkshop “chateauzac à la campagne” july 30

Last Friday’s workshop was about creating a nice little town and its people. Based on that, we played a bunch of nice scenes. Some serious, some hilarious. It was a blast. This week we will do this again, and we extend this with playing with stereotypes. So we will visit the French countryside, and create the nice village of Chatauzac. So yes: Vive la France!

   parkprov workshop "be positive!" july 26

This Monday we will do some improv in the park. The topic: be positive. We will see that beginning your scene in a positive way will encourage the audience and your fellow improvisers to start liking the characters in the story. We will find out how easy that is, so just look and see. Not at all as hard as it seems… So yes, it is great to start with some friendliness.

  workshop “peyton place goes eastenders” july 23

   workshop “in character!” june 21

This Monday we will take a look at playing characters. How do we use our voice, our vocabulary, our body language? Let’s see. There are very nice tricks, so we are going to nail this topic in a hilarious way! And we will play great scenes and do funny games. And yes, once again we will meet the fluffiest cat the world has ever seen!

So come along and find out!

   workshop “back to real life” june 14

We are very glad to announce that the plan is to meet in real life again at the Polanentheater on Monday June 14. Welcome back!
It’s been a while since the Formerly Known Improv People who live in or near Amsterdam have met. The government has cancelled most restrictions because the numbers of COVID are low again. Therefore the Polanentheater has reopened its workshop rooms and its foyer!

This Monday we will just have lots of fun in our first IRL workshop of the year!

workshop “the big five” may 21

   workshop “so long, farewell!” may 17

During the strictest pandemic restrictions we have organized a series of text-based improv workshops for people who are fed-up with all this Zoom and Teams day after day. We started this series in December 2020. Since the lockdown measures are loosened, Formerly Known Improv hopes to go back to Real Life workshops in the Amsterdam Polanentheater in the foreseeable future.

This Monday, May 17, will be the last text-based workshop of a series of about twenty editions. Let’s make it a reunion!

   workshop “find the end!” may 7

This Friday we will take a deep dive in the fine art of recognizing when a scene has ended and ways to create that clear ending. Many improvisers tend to keep on going, while their scene has clearly reached the end. Then it most likely will become boring chit-chat. We can do better!

  workshop “finding the end” may 3

This Monday’s workshop is called “Finding the end”. It is important to recognize that fantastic moment you have ended your scene. After this climax, after this punchline, you can not make the scene even better. And, by public demand, we will do another round of Telephone Ladders! And there are more surprises in the box!

So yes, it’s gonna be another amazing text based improv workshop, this Monday at the World Wide Improv Web, starting at 20 hrs!

   workshop: “say no when you say yes!” april 30

Due to public demand we have started a series of Zoom workshops. This Friday we will take a deep dive in the fine art of saying “Yes, and”. We say yes to the given offer or suggestion, but that does not mean we have literally say yes to what was suggested.

Curious? Join this Friday, and find out.

   workshop “cinema (part deux)!!!” april 26

Fed-up with all this Zoom and Teams day after day? We have a real nice alternative to offer! As long as the lockdown takes, there will be Text Based Virtual Web Based Improv Things every Monday at 8 pm.

This Monday’s workshop is called “Cinema (part deux)”. For the weeks to come, we will have lots of fun with movie spoofs! And, by public demand, we will do another round of Telephone Ladders! And there are more surprises in the box!

   workshop “locations!” april 23

This Friday's theme is about locations. Scene-painting is a great tool to inspire actors for the scene they will play. And we will take a look at some basic skills too. At the end of the workshops you and your improvised comedy partner will shine like superstars! How nice is that!

Curious?

  workshop “springtime” april 12

This Monday’s workshop is called “Springtime”. We are going to have lots of fun because spring is not only on the calendar, but also in our hearts. What this means? Find out this Monday at 8 PM!

zoomprov workshop “grab your tools!” april 9

This Friday’s Zoomprov workshop is about how to use the utensils you have in your improv toolkit. What are they? How do you use them? Why use statements, why be brief, how does LEGO work? What is a Doc Cooper? Curious?

  workshop "great album covers" march 29

Dear improv friends,

As long as the lockdown takes, there will be Text Based Virtual Web Based Improv Things every Monday at 8 pm.

This Monday’s workshop is called “Great Album Covers”. We are going to have lots of fun with fake album covers. By public demand, we will also do another round of Los Translacionnes! And we will do a reprise of the nice trick of scenepainting!

   workshop: “fantasy island” march 22

This Monday’s virtual text-based workshop is called “Fantasy Island”. In this workshop we will take a look at scene painting. For instance: a scene in a post-modern Starbucks will look different then a scene in The Golden Horse Pub. The medieval city center looks different then suburbia. So yes, scene painting is a nice thing to take a closer look at.

   workshop: “be brief, because if you et cetera” march 15

As long as the lockdown takes, there will be Text Based Virtual Web Based Improv Things every Monday at 8 pm.

This Monday’s workshop is called “Be brief, because if you are not brief you become a steam roller that will never give way for other players to do or say something and the audience might fall asleep and will no longer notice your tons of brilliant ideas so, ow, sorry, this is what happens when you use too much text”. Last week we found out that some people find it hard to just reply on the last thing they heard and just to add one thing to that, and not six. This is not as hard as it seems, but it needs a lot of practicing.

   zoom workshop: "interview relay (estafette)" march 4

This week the theme is “interviews”. We have taken a look at that last Monday at our text-based virtual workshop, and this Thursday will take a look at it from a total other point of view. The Interview Estafette Relay! We will use this topic to practice character play.

   workshop "the ten word interview" march 1

This Monday’s workshop is called “The Ten Word Interview”. Both Monday (text-based) and Thursday (Zoom) workshops we will have fun with interviews. In very different ways… Monday we will train briefness, in a great exercise we developed, inspired by the interview game we will do Thursday.

  workshop “landed on mars” feb 22

As long as the lockdown takes, there will be Text Based Virtual Web Based Improv Things every Monday at 8 pm.

This Monday’s workshop is called “Landed on Mars”. Interstellar fun!

   save the dates!

Here is the planning for the weeks to come.

Text-based workshops: every Monday, so FEB 22, MAR 1, MAR 8, MAR 15

Zoom workshops: Some Thursdays, some Fridays: THU FEB 25, THU MAR 4, FRI MAR 12.
The plan is to kind of alternate Thursdays and Fridays so as many people as possible can join the Zoom workshops.

Information about the content, exact time and links to participate to the workshops will be published here some days prior to the workshops.

We are looking forward to see you on the World Wide Improv Web. And may the Yes be with you!

   text-based and zoom workshops

Dear improvisers,

News about the text-based workshop and about the Zoom workshop

About the text-based workshop:

"Complicated telephone calls!" Due to the lockdown there will be a Virtual Web Based Improv Thing this Monday at 8 pm.
We will again take a hilarious look at hilarious album covers, but there is more. Due to public demand we will do the hilarious Telephone Ladder Game.

Click here for more information.

About the Zoom workshop:

Some people have already informed us that they want to participate. We have not decided yet about what day of the week we will choose. Thursday or Friday? Let us know by sending an e-mail to info@formerlyknown.nl if you would like to participate, and what day you prefer!

For now: stay safe, stay healthy, and may the Yes be with you!

   virtual workshops during lock down

Due to the lockdown we organize a series of Virtual Web Based Improv Things, every Monday at 8 pm.

Every week we take a hilarious look at hilarious album covers, we have lots of fun with short stories and we explore nice ways to say yes, and find out the tricks of great teamwork. The workshops are text-based, with nice videos to watch.

Wanna join? Please let us know by mailing to info@formerlyknown.nl, and we will have lots of fun!

  workshop “it’s about emotions!” December 14

   workshop “the meaning of life’ december 7

Monday December 7 will be the next workshop of our nice course about Improvised Romantic Comedy. In the general skills part this workshop we will take a look at a format that is The Meaning Of Life. It’s about narrative and making connections. In the RomCom part we will take another look at making the love-to-be impossible and connecting scenes with each other.

Click here for more information.

workshop "it's the connection" november 30

workshop “love letters, spiders and romcom” nov 23

  virtual workshop: “teamwork!” nov 16

Chances are, Monday, November 23, we will be live in the Polanentheater, forecasts are positive. We will keep you posted.
But this Monday, November 16, we will do one of our famous Virtual Web Based Improv Things. We found out that a text based virtual workshop works fine. It’s proven that you can use it to activate your fantasy gland, and also you can do real nice team work.
This Monday we will take a look at how good teamwork can be the fundament of great stories. Helping each other, making clear statements, building on what already is… Yes, nice equipment for your improv tool belt!

   virtual workshop “stupid advertisements” nov 9

We are in a kind of lockdown, but don’t worry… This Monday, we will do one of our famous Virtual Web Based Improv Things.

This Monday we will take a next look at how to make fun of book covers. What a great way to spice up your fantasy! Also the workshop will contain some all-time favorites, like “Stupid advertisements” and “Abbreviation Galore”. Amazing, isn’t it?

workshop “show and tell” october 5

  workshop "your favorite suggestion" sept 21

   workshop “powerfull statements” september 14

This Monday we will take a look at how we can spice up our story by using very powerful statements. Less blablabla, more efficient lines. And we will review some general skills as well. And, as promised, we will end the workshop with a real nice improv game! Isn’t that nice…

So come along and find out!

   workshop “i am so embarrassed about you, but i admire you a lot.” september 7

This Monday we will once more take a look at recognizing and accepting offers. But there is more. We are going to play scenes in which we will strengthen our fantasy gland while we explore the power of emotions in the story. Isn’t that fantastic? And we will invent very funny utensils.

So come along and find out!

   workshop “great offer!” august 31

This Monday we will take a look at telling who you are and we will explore the recognizing and accepting of offers. Keep it simple, and you’ll be fine. Just see where the story will lead you to... It is not so hard as you think it is. You will be surprised! And there will be a lot of fun anyway, since we are going to do some real nice games…

   workshop “a good start” aug 24

This Monday we will take a look at how a good start of a scene or a story can be a wonderful fundament for the things to come. We will look at both short form as long form. What do we want? What do we need? What things seem tiny, but are of great importance? It will be a lot of fun, and you will leave the room as a better improviser.

More information? Click here.

  workshop “the hunt” august 17

Welcome back to the Polanentheater! We still follow the Corona guidelines, but we will have lots of fun with a not-so-big group of improvisers. This Monday we will take a look at dealing with double offers, and we will look at a great game: the hunt! And there is more: we will have a great cooldown with The fluffiest Cat The World Has Ever Seen!

So come along and find out!

restart workshops august 17

Monday August 17, we will restart our real life workshops in the Amsterdam Polanentheater. In a series of nice workshops we will:
* fresh up and improve our basic improv skills
* encounter two-offer deals
* mime and show body language in a believable way
* interact with our audience
* take a close look at the power of a good start of a scene
* explore how to find the end of a scene

The workshops will be on Mondays from 19:30 till 22 o'clock at the Polanentheater. We will follow the Corona safety rules before, during and after the workshops, so there will only be space for a limited amount of participants. If you want to join, please make a reservation by sending an e-mail to info@formerlyknown.nl .

Be welcome! And...

May the Yes be with you!

workshop “countries, people and stereotypes” june 29

   workshop “body language” june 22

Last week we used lots of text, this week we will take a look at how to show emotions. Not by telling your emotion with words, but by facial expressions, posture, distance, tempo. And we will see how taking a proper look at your fellow improvisers will help you to recognize the emotions his or her character is showing. And above all of that, we will find out, how emotions influence others, how they interact.

   safety measures during restart workshops in this corona era

Dear improvisers,

We have decided some safety rules:

The maximum number of participants per workshop will be seven. Reservation is compulsory.
We do our very best to keep 1,5 meter distance to each other.
We wash our hands before the workshop and there is hand cleaning liquid available.
No shouting, no singing.
Everybody has his own chair, puts his coat on it and his bag underneath it. Need a chair in a scene? This chair!
No hugs et cetera.
Only join if you have no Corona symptoms.

Information about the first real live workshop will follow soon.

  no web based workshop this monday

  workshops cancelled untill further notice

   workshop “especially for you” march 16 cancelled

As an improviser, you live in a world that is especially created for you. A location, a situation, everything designed by your fellow improvisers. A great gift that provides the fundament of your story. What a great topic to take a closer look at… We will see how clarity will help you to go forward, we will see how looking, listening and accepting this world, especially created for you, will provide lots of fun and great adventures!

  workshop “the fluffiest cat and lots of games” march 9

Last week’s workshop was a great success. Lots of fun with hilarious games. What a way to flaunt your improv skills. Therefore this Monday we will do some more games. Ever done the Easy Does It Sequence Game? Did you once have a close encounter with The Fluffiest Cat The World Has Ever Seen?

   workshop “games, games, games and games” march 2

The weeks that lay behind, we did a lot of exercising. We worked on very nice skills. But to use all these skills at the same time, we need to practice. And what is the best way to practice? Yes: games, games, games and games.

   workshop “look and listen - icing on the cake” feb 24

The past two weeks we worked on the great topic “look and listen”. This Monday will be the icing on the cake. A nice trick to make scenes very interesting, is to create misunderstandings on purpose. If you recognize these very fine offers, your nice scenes will be even more fantastic! For instance: a scene in an Italian restaurant, where the customer ordered a pizza without cheese, and the kitchen prepares a pizza with extra cheese…

   workshop “look and listen (part deux)” feb 17

Last week’s workshop was about the fine art of looking and listening. As we all found out, looking and listening are very important skills in the world of improvised comedy. The participants liked the workshop so much, that they asked for a part two. And as always your wish is our command. So this Monday we will take a closer look. And we will also do some exercises about really saying yes to offers and about starting scenes without problems of conflicts yet.

If you missed last Monday’s workshop: no problem.

   workshop “look and listen” feb 10

Look and listen! It is very important to be aware of what is happening around you. So looking and listening are very important skills in the world of improvised comedy. There are very nice skills to help your buddies on stage, and there are nice tricks that help you noticing what is said and done. Laughs and learning, that will be the main themes of this Monday’s workshop.

   workshop “hi status, lo status” feb 3

Status is an important issue in the world of improv. How do we show and tell high status? Or low status? How can status shift? Ow, and by the way: the audience loves the underdog! Ow, and the person with a low social status can outsmart the upper class dumbo…

There are lots of tricks to have fun with status, and use it in your scene. Enough material tol make a great workshop out of it.

  review workshop jan 20

What a fantastic workshop it was. Ten very gifted improvisers flaunting the skills they learned during our workshops. Very well done.

Scenes in a shoe testing lab, in a South-American forest, the usual grocery store. Stories about plumbing, trust, cooking, morning-loneliness. Lots of character play, great examples of clear physicality.

And a quick lean on each other. Notice the difference that occurred when the next persons joined.

  workshops “improv toolkit” jan 6, 13, 20 and 27

In the January Monday workshops we will explore the most important tools that will make our improv lives easier and funnier. A very rewarding series!

More information you will find here.

   workshop dec 30 is sold out

The special Radio Play Workshop of this Monday can only accommodate eight participants. It is sold out. Better luck next time!

   workshop “2019 highlights” dec 23

This Monday workshop we will do something special. In the year 2019 we gave over sixty workshops. What were the very happy moments? What were your favorite exercises and games? Based on this information, we will make the workshop into a wrap-up of a very successful Knowmads Improv/Formerly Known Improv year!

   workshop “uncle jochem’s number system” dec 16

How do we achieve more tension in scenes? How do we allow ourselves to really feel what is going on? How does it affect you and your audience if your scene partner says or does something really meaningful? There is a great instrument to work on this. It's Uncle Jochem’s Number System, developed by the famous improv trainer Jochem Meijer. How does it work? If you come to think of it, it actually is rather easy. Just practice!

  review workshop dec 9

What a great examples of brilliant scenework you all showed in tonight’s workshop! Fantastic! Doing something is so much better than just saying something! You all nailed it.

We saw over twenty versions of just the same procedure in a church. Faces, gestures, tempo, distance, they all say so very, very much about the way characters relate to each other. Much about what happened before the service… So very well done by all of tonight’s participants!

And there was more: we had a sneak preview of Uncle Jochem’s Number System, the subject we will take a deep dive in next week…

   workshop: “be positive” dec 2

Many improvisers go for conflicts or problems right away. But if you want to build a nice platform and explore what kind of characters you and your fellow improvisers are playing, it is a good idea to begin your story in a positive way. It’s about happiness, caring, bonding.

Yes, this skill needs a little practicing.

   workshop “three is not a crowd” nov 25

In the world of improv people we see very many two person scenes. But how about three persons on stage? Just one more improviser in the scenes brings a bunch of possibilities. But how do we bring these threesomes to the max, instead of opening the box of Pandora? How does focus work? Coalitions? What happens to the energy in your scene?

Let's see.

   workshop "admiring and insulting” (part deux) nov 18

In the world of improv, the characters we play should have opinions about each other. Therefore we should express our feelings. By body language and by words. Last week we had a very fine workshop about this topic. But there is more to be said an done when it comes to admiring, loving or disapproval on stage, so participants asked for a part two.

And yes, your wish is our command. So… There we go again...

review workshop nov 11

   workshop "admiring and insulting” nov 11

In the world of improv people should have opinions about each other. As our trainer very often says: “It’s not about the cake”. So state your opinion. By body language and by words. But how do we do this in a safe way? How do we insult people in a good way? How do we make clear we admire our scene partner? What is this escalation ladder? Join this Monday's workshop and find out!

  review workshop nov 4

What a great workshop it was. You all did a fantastic job, miming props, equipment and places. So much commitment, so many laughs. We will never ever forget the crispy club sandwich, with extra calcium…

And what a success was the new game “Thanks for last night”, a newly developed guessing game, based om Danish politeness. You all were so smart! Well done. Very well done!

workshop “props and places” nov 4

We, improvisers, usually do not use props or furniture (only some chairs or blocks). To this, there are pros and cons. The cons are that you must be very clear in how to create objects and locations, because if you don’t, your fellow improvisers nor the audience will know what you are doing and holding and how your location is organized. The pros, however, are great. The budget is never a problem. You can wear the king’s crown, wreck a space ship, ruin an original Rembrandt painting. Unlimited possibilities!

   review workshop oct 28

What a great workshop it was! Time jumps to the max. A great tool to make you think about how scenes work. A great tool to spice up your concentration and narrative skills.

And we did one of the hardest improv games: the backwards interview. Twenty fine improvisers nailed it. And yes, now we know everything about East German breweries we never knew we wanted to know.

   workshop “travel in time, part deux” oct 28

Two weeks ago we took a look at how time jumps can improve your skills in creating stories. It made you think about how stories develop, how they are built. We had lots of fun and we learned a lot: what a great reason to come up with a sequel!

  review workshop oct 21

Jeej… We found many ways to find the end of scenes. See the posters we used, and watch the happy faces after the workshop!

Fine job, well done everybody!

   workshop oct 21

Sometimes scenes are too long. The improvisers have made their point, achieved many laughs, created a hilarious punchline. Then what… Scenes just crumble on and on. Boring, boring… So this Monday we will take a look at the fine art of finding the end of your scene.

   review workshop oct 14

What a great workshop it was! You nailed it! Time jumps, stories backward. But most of all you impressed everybody with the decades-exercise. A life span story.

You almost made us cry with the story about the young business girl and the male gold digger who over the years turned into a helpless woman and a very loving, caring husband. Heartbreaking to see how they spend her last days on their boat. Beautiful. It is so true: improv does not always have to be funny. Bittersweet is great too!

So yeah. You all did an amazing job!

   workshop “travel in time” oct 14

Last weeks we looked at endowing, and in the beginning of September we took care of some of the very important basic skills of improv. This Monday will be the ideal date for some time travelling.

   workshop “endow, part deux” oct 7

Last Monday we took a look at ways to endow and be endowed. It is a skill you can never have practiced too much! So this week we will continue endowing. More exercises, more games. And there is more: a special way to begin and a special way to end the workshop. For more information, click here.

   review workshop sep 30

What a fantastic workshop it was! Endow or be endowed, that’s the question… Being endowed by words, end being endowed by inspiration cards: pictures of people told you what kind of person your characters were… Twenty great improvisers nailed it!

Such a big group, and still everybody got enough stage time. This means that we had to postpone some of the planned exercises to next week. Yes, there will be a workshop about endowing part 2!

Well done, y’all. Very well done!

  workshop "endow" sep 30

  review workshop sep 23

What a great workshop it was! We saw a great improvised solo about the Swiss mounains, chocolate, a cave, a car sales man and a watch, performed by Richard Roling as a taster of the Remifestival. And in the workshop we worked hard to answer the questions that better be answered in every scene: The Big Five. We saw great scenes. On a boat, in take-away-shop, near a church et cetera. You all nailed it. Well done, very well done.

   extra: solo improv

Ever seen some solo improv? This is your chance. Very fine solo improviser Richard Roling will play an improvised solo story, this Monday from 19:30 till 20 hrs at the Polanentheater.

Submit quickly, because there are only fifteen places available. You can submit by sending an e-mail to info@formerlyknown.nl.

Admission is € 6, but it is for free if you join the Formerly Known workshop that will start after the solo show. Or admission is free, if you join the Formerly Known workshop that costs € 6. So what could possibly go wrong?

So join us. This Monday, september 23, at 19:30 hrs, Polanentheater, Polanenstraat 174, Amsterdam. More information wanted? Call 0626230077.

   workshop basics of improv sep 19

Have you ever wondered “What is this improv thing my friends are always bragging about”?

This Thursday is your opportunity to have a taster of what improvised comedy is about. A two hour workshop about the basics of improv, with some nice exercises and some funny games.

So visit us and feel the vibes, this Thursday, 19-21 hrs. For more information click here.

   review workshop sep 16

What a great workshop it was! A bunch of very fine improvisers worked on the art of listening & looking. And what a success it was! Very hard exercises were totally nailed by you. Great job!

And sitting on a bench, you made very clear, why you hate golf so much… From this day on, that stiff upper lip game will never be the same.

two extra workshops

  workshop sep 16

In the world of improvised (comedy) theatre it is very important that we listen well to what has been said by our fellow improvisers. It is also important to let our fellow improvisers know, that we have noticed what is going on. This trade of the art is what we call ‘active listening’. There are many nice exercises to improve this important skill. And at the end of the workshop we will play nice scenes in which some chairs are involved. Wut? Scenes with chairs? Come and see!

   workshop “stolen cookies” sep 9

This Monday we will take a look at the fine art of saying yes to any surprise that comes in your way. Moving to Portugal? Buying a Harley Davidson? Giving birth to triplets? Everything is just fine. Let’s find out what a nice fundament for great stories this skill will bring you! And we will do a brand new game: stolen cookies. What this is about? Take a look!

   review future party sep 5

What a fantastic party it was, last night! A very nice way to say a goodbye to the Knowmads building!

Nice to see some old improv friends showing up for this special occasion. Very much appreciated! Great energy, love and laughs in the air, people brought nice foodies and drinks.

And wow, what a very nice Improvised Disaster Movie: “The Sinking Ferry”, performed by six of our finest advanced improvisers! We are so very, very, very proud of what you have achieved in your summer advanced class! And there was more. Great revolving doors, great scenes played by everybody, based on a new batch of inspiration cards. Lots of clapping, very friendly words.

Thank you all so much for this wonderful night. A great tribute to our Knowmds/Formerly Known improv community! Looking forward to see you all Monday at the Polanentheater.

new future party at knowmads sep 5

review workshop sep 2

workshop sep 2