I am not a carpenter.  I would go a little further and say that most things I have attempted to construct from wood in the past have stayed together more through optimism than joinery.  So when I conceived the idea of a bespoke bedside table for the rather unique space to my left as I...

All views expressed are authors own. by Rhiannon Vivian To preface this slightly scatterbrained blog, I want to say that I’m aware I have a mighty privilege. And I’m beyond grateful for it. I want to always consider how I can use it to help others. * * * I might have just free fallen...

Silence in Improv: Interview with Rebecca MacMillan   Your course ‘Beyond Words’ focussing on silence in improv starts soon. What gave you the idea for this course? For me, there are two things about silence in improv. I realised some years back that in my own improvisation my ‘panic response’ is to be overly verbal....

Between March and October 2020, we’ve delivered around 580 online improvisation classes and in so doing, we’ve become one of the world’s foremost providers of online improvisation courses, classes and experiences. We have also had a big impact on people’s online communication skills. Here we take a look at how we did it, where we’re...

Improvised Puppetry: Interview with Jennifer Jordan   What excites you when it comes to improvised puppetry? Improvised puppetry has so many possibilities. The fact that puppetry opens up possibilities which are restricted in human improv by the laws of physics. I also love the different sides of improvisers which get revealed when performing through a...

Regency Square Maydays Studio closure It is with great sadness that we announce the closure of our Brighton studio, primarily due to the on-going effects of the coronavirus pandemic. We have loved our studio (and we know a lot of you have too) but the space is too small to hold classes safely, and in...

Katy Schutte once created a deliciously gross character called Margaret, who lived at the bottom of the schoolyard and gave weird advice to children. I think we all understood her to be dead (after all, it was from the darkly gothic Happily Never After). Anyway, Margaret was a fleeting role and the show continued largely...

A guest blog from Rita Suszek I’m not interested in how people move: I’m interested in what makes them move Pina Bausch Lockdown, day 7998375. My unruly body only accepts leggings and sweatpants; I eat my fears and try to moderate my information intake. Going for walks sounds both nice and risky. Face covering is...

The Maydays at Denman College.   It is with a heavy heart that we must announce the cancellation of our Maydays Improv Retreat 2020 due to the unexpected permanent closure of Denman College which we were informed about yesterday. We know that this will be disappointing news for some of you and difficult to hear...

As a company we’ve been deeply affected by the events of the past fortnight. We wish to express that we stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. And we are committed to improving diversity and inclusion within our company. We are The Maydays. We’re aware that we are a company of 13 white...

Like a petulant toddler, I have been dragged protesting and whining into the world of online Improv.  Initially as an attempt to replace my role in the once ‘real world’, and then as time went on and with a little more curiosity than resentment, as a way to explore something new different and potentially exciting. ...

On April 9th 2012, I wrote an improv blog which talked about the concept of Beginner’s Mind. On April 14th 2020, I find myself sitting down to write an improv blog about the concept of Beginner’s mind. A perfect reminder of beginning again, and begin again we must. Improv is people standing in circles. Improv...

Impro Fest Online: Spotlight on Online Improv   Before the current crisis, we had just started our ‘Spotlight on Brighton Improv’ series. We’ll still be running that, but in light of recent events we’ll also be doing a ‘Spotlight on Online Improv’ series. We want to give a shout out to friends around the globe...

Online improv tips to help onstage improv   These last few weeks have been tough for many of us and we all have different ways of coping. Mine has been to try and carry on in as normal a way as possible by trying to do the things I normally do. For me, that’s the...

I have been doing improv for over 20 years and somewhat jadedly, I thought I’d seen it all. It turns out I was wrong, which I am delighted about, as these weeks of doing online improv classes have thrown up some of the most weird and wonderful things NONE of which I’ve seen before. Here...

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” ? Charles Darwin. Here at The Maydays our business is connection. It’s about getting people playing together, communicating and laughing. Improvisation is one of the most group orientated...

The Maydays and Nursery present online improv drop in classes In these strange times, and with the current government advice against unnecessary social contact, the Nursery and the Maydays will be working together to experiment with online improv classes. We recognise that the global situation is grave and unprecedented and we believe the community and...

Dear friends of The Maydays, This is very hard to write as under the current circumstances our company is facing a time of huge uncertainty for the future, however, we hope to address all questions here. The headline is that all our operations are ceasing until further notice due to coronavirus. Our spring courses are...

  Spotlight on Brighton Improv The Maydays began in Brighton; it’s where we have our monthly improv residency at the Komedia and The Maydays Studio where we run our Brighton improv school. When we started we were one of a couple of improv troupes but 15 years later Brighton has a very healthy scene. In...

It’s around two months before Brighton Fringe 2020 kicks-off, and, oh, how things have changed for improv over the past 15 years! When The Maydays took part in their first improv show at the Marlborough Pub theatre, we were one of a tiny handful of improvisation companies in the area, which included Off the Cuff,...