How to work a festival (IIN: 1 Oct 2026)

I’m back from the Robin Hood International Improv Festival 2026. It was the fifth year of the festival in Nottingham, UK, and also the largest so far: 7 days of shows, workshops, and camaraderie among improvisers from around the world. Check out some of the action on the RHIIF Instagram.

Working a festival, or, how to talk to people at parties

This year’s Robin Hood Festival was another amazing experience. I’m happy to report that physical improv is alive and well and wove itself into nearly all the shows I saw this year (over 20 hours’ worth). At its core, physicality is a set of actors’ tools that enhance any form of improv, whether comedy or drama.

There are too many highlights to mention them all, but for me, two shows stand out:

Sound Off (Bemme & Melange, Vienna Austria) - I’d been dying to see Anne Rab and Ursula Baumgartner’s completely wordless show for a long time, and it was amazing. If you’re into physicality, this show is a tour de force. Seek them out!
Helliday (International Ensemble) - The improvised horror movie I played in was a smash (slash?) hit. Directed by Beata Różalska and featuring Kaci Beeler, Paul Berrocal, Sarah McGillion, Hal Munger, Katy Schutte, Liam Webber, Markus Wisth Edvardsen, and ME! Easily one of the most fun and impactful improv shows I’ve ever been a part of. Hal interviewed several cast members (including me) for his Muprov Musings podcast.

Helliday - The improvised horror movie - photo of my character being killed — Me being horribly murdered in *Helliday* (photo c/o @robinhoodimprov)

I learned much that I will share in the coming months. Today I want to talk about how you work a festival. If you’ve never been to one, there are tremendous benefits to going: experiencing new show forms and ideas, learning in classes and conversations, and connecting with kind, generous, and excellent people from all over the world.

But working a festival can be challenging, especially if you’re visiting alone and (like me) feel occasional social anxiety. So, here are some tips to get the most out of your experience.

Embrace your anonymity

If you’re in a different city and new to the scene, no one knows who you are. This gives you the freedom to act like the pro improviser you truly want to be.

Yes, impostor syndrome exists (I still feel it sometimes, even after 25 years of professional work). But it can be easier to be socially brave in an environment where people have no context to frame you in. No matter your experience level, you won’t find a friendlier crowd of people willing to embrace you simply for your love of improv.

Obviously, you shouldn’t embellish your resume or pretend to be someone you’re not. If you’ve been improvising for a while, provide some simple facts about your experience and talk about your curiosity to learn more. If you’re a complete newbie, lean into it! Festivals are full of improv enthusiasts who love to talk about the craft and the shows they’ve seen.

Take an early class to meet people

If workshops are on offer at the festival, invest in at least one on the first or second day of the schedule. A class is the quickest and easiest way to meet people. You will have new friends by the end of the day, and they can be your anchors during other social experiences.

Asking people about classes—what they’ve learned and what classes they’re looking forward to—is a great topic for conversation.

Be respectful

Most festivals have a code of conduct for workshops, mixer shows, and events. These are reminders to respect others and avoid harassment. This often occurs at events when people monopolize others’ time. If you’re having a conversation with someone new, be aware of the length of your conversation and sensitive to their level of interest. A short conversation you can return to later is better than cornering someone for an hour. Remember, they want to meet other people too!

If you’re socially anxious, the code of conduct may also have information about how you can get help to introduce yourself around. Festival organizers and volunteers are glad to offer assistance.

Go to the pub

Even if you don’t drink or are exhausted from watching 3-4 hours of improv, the after-show party is one of the best places to meet and talk to people. They’re buzzing from what they’ve seen during the day and eager to chat about it.

With performers from that night’s shows, I recommend you avoid engaging them in more than a brief conversation. They are still processing their performance and will probably be mobbed by others who want to comment. Greet them, tell them your name and where you’re from, and thank them for their show. Mention one specific thing they did that you liked. Then come back to them on a future day for a longer chat.

Get in on the chat

Most festivals will have an online chat going. Ask a festival volunteer or producer for the link. Introduce yourself and say you’d love to meet up. Locals can suggest restaurants or attractions, both great opportunities to explore the city while chatting with new people. If you’re going to be somewhere, put it out there and invite others to join you.

Talk to the locals

Of course, you will want to speak to the international stars, but most of the people at the festival will be local improvisers. Get to know them! If you go back to the same city in the future, you won’t see the same international people, but many of your local friends will be there.

Ask one (deep) question

You will meet people you really want to learn from, and that’s cool. Improvisers love talking about their work and sharing ideas. But beware of the conversation becoming a Q&A session. A more interesting way to handle things is to find a single deep question you can converse around, like their opinion on physical improv, or how they train to keep their skills sharp. Or ask them what their home improv scene is like.

Leave notes

This seems VERY nerdy, I agree, but if you want to create future opportunities for yourself, you need to extend people’s memories of you beyond the festival. When you make connections, write your social media or other contact details for them. You can also recycle old flyers from your shows back home, or even get some cards printed up. And take notes for yourself too, to keep those connections going.

Working a festival takes some effort, but you will soon have new friends all over the globe, and those friendships may lead to many future adventures. How cool is that?

Things to Try

Exercises, scenes, and practices to work out your physical improv skills.

Explore improv festivals. If the above article makes you curious about checking out an improv festival, take the next step of finding one to visit. Find their social media channel and sign up for their email newsletter so you can keep up with the planning and upcoming activities. A festival will do wonders for your improv development.
Explore Viewpoints. I took a remarkable Movement class from Raschid Daniel Sidgi. There was a lot of exploration of Viewpoints, the system for conceptualizing movement and patterns to produce interesting effects on stage. It reminded me how effective this can be for improv, and that I’ve written about Viewpoints before. It might be time to update that article soon.
[SOLO/GROUP] Emotional Intensity. Do you know how your emotional expression presents itself on stage? Practice by choosing an emotion and playing with its intensity from 1 to 10. When done in a group, you can observe each other and offer ideas to help you understand and improve what other people see. You can also try this solo, either in front of a mirror or by filming yourself.

News and Links

How to Learn Improv by Watching
Nothing replaces learning improv by doing, but Alex Holland of The Free Association (London, UK) suggests some ideas for how we can learn from the improv we watch.

The Backline Podcast - Stage Fright
Rob Norman and Adam Cawley’s weekly podcast offers the most practical discussion and instruction on improv in the audiosphere. This episode is a fantastic look at stage fright in improvisers and how to manage it. (This free link will disappear soon. You can also subscribe to The Backline on Patreon for unlimited access to the archives.)

Book Review

Behind the Scenes: Improvising Long Form
by Mick Napier
(Get it from Bookshop.org *)

Napier’s Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out is a classic improv book, and here he looks more specifically at the various elements of long-form improvisation, from getting suggestions and performing openers to being funny and sustaining characters. Long-form is incredibly varied in style, and Napier’s attempt to generalize makes this a less satisfying follow-up to his earlier book. There are a lot of good ideas here, but you have to read carefully and decide which side of each discussion you come down on.

Pros: Good coverage of nearly every long-form aspect a performer or director will want to consider, along with practical tips from Napier’s own experience.
Cons: Ideas are a little loose for beginners. You will want to come back to this after you’ve had some experience with long-form performance.
Best for: Experienced long-form artists looking to fine-tune their presentation.

* Affiliate disclosure: If you buy a book through this link, I get a small percentage. Thanks for supporting me AND independent bookstores. (Note: at present, Bookshop.org only ships to the US and UK.)

Do you have any feedback about Improv Illusionist? Send me a message or just reply to this email. Seriously, I read everything and respond to nearly all of it as my schedule allows.

I’ll be back with more on November 5th.

Ex nihilo!

Improv Illusionist