
Comedy Blogedy is incredibly excited to announce that, working in partnership with Angel Comedy, Second City are making their UK debut in May providing training courses and performing improv for two weeks in London!
“Second City is the best job anybody in the American Theatre can get. It’s incomparable. If you come through Second City training, I think you can do anything.” BILL MURRAY
“Second City was the happiest time of my life” TINA FEY
“That was really where I learned everything about comedy, performance, even about life.” STEVE CARELL
“I went from high school to Second City, and I felt like I got accepted to Harvard” MIKE MYERS
Second City is the organisation that started the careers of performers such as Bill Murray, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Mike Myers, Amy Poehler and John Belushi and will be setting up shop in London’s own Angel Comedy in the heart of Islington.
Second City has spawned multiple comedy empires, almost everyone in the business of American Comedy has come through one of their courses over the past 50 years and is widely recognised as the most influential training centre for comedians, actors and directors alike.
For a limited run of two weeks at the beginning of May, UK performers will get the chance to take part in workshops aimed at teaching and honing the techniques and skills that have inspired so many prominent stars. The courses will be officially accredited from the Second City Training Centre taught by working professionals, all of which are former Second City performers themselves. As well as the classes, audiences will get the chance to see world-class improvisers perform nightly on the Angel Comedy Stage as part of the newly inaugural ‘Festival of Improvisation’.
“At its heart, The Second City is about collaborative creation – using the tools of improvisation to build something greater than the sum of its parts. The skills we develop make people better communicators, more versatile actors, better auditionees, and (we hope) funnier. We’re so excited to work with Angel Comedy and Comedy Blogedy to bring this program to London; home of so many of our comedy heroes.” KLAUS SCHULLER – Executive Director and Producer, Second City
“In my 30 years as an actor/writer/musician I have always relied on my Improv roots to be as creative and spontaneous as the situation needs. Whether I’m jamming with my band or delivering corporate training to top executives, the fundamental tools of Improv made good things happen.” KEVIN FRANK – Artistic Director, Second City
Angel Comedy is the newest and most exciting comedy club in London, it runs nightly and is now one of the most popular comedy clubs in London, and the UK. Most nights include last minute guests and announcements, you never know who might turn up, whether the newest comedy talent or your favourite TV stalwarts trying out new material. Angel Comedy was founded and is hosted by comedian Barry Ferns, (writer for E4, BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 4, 2014 Spirit of the Fringe Award Winner and Chortle Award Nominated MC) from their home at The Camden Head in Angel, Islington, N1.
“We’re incredibly proud to be introducing Second City to the London comedy scene. Nurturing and training new comedy talent is at the core of what Angel Comedy does, and it’s what Second City has been doing for over 50 years, along the way producing the biggest comedy performers in the world today. We are hugely excited to see how their history, knowledge and insight manifests in the new generation of UK comedy performers. Hugely excited #understatement” BARRY FERNS, Founder & MC at Angel Comedy
Partnering with Comedy Blogedy “the UK’s leading comedy blog” (Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards) seems a natural fit to bring the world-class training ground to the UK. The site which features interviews with established comedians, but also concentrates on seeking out the newest in emerging talent is known for it’s support of comics in their developing stages. Run by Sara Shulman who has often been asked to lend her opinion on various National Comedy competitions (Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Awards – Scout, Chortle Comedy Awards, Musical Comedy Awards, Up The Creek One’s to Watch, London Sketchfest) the partnership here seeks to allow UK acts access for the first time to the teachings of this world renowned institution.
“We’re really excited to be working with Second City. We’re all incredibly passionate about the importance of supporting and promoting talent, which is an important feature of Comedy Blogedy, and the training Second City can provide has huge potential to add even more creativity, innovation and humour to comedy in the UK.” SARA SHULMAN, Editor & Founder of Comedy Blogedy
In addition to the courses, there will be a week-long Festival of Improvisation that will run form the 10th – 16th at Angel Comedy, showcasing the UK’s best improvisers alongside the Second City alumni – expect the unscripted – and come and see what Bill Murray/ Tina Fey/ Mike Myers have been making all the fuss about.
The week long Festival of Improvisation will also run form the 10th- 16th showcasing the UK’s best improvisers alongside alumni from the states.
“The entire tradition of American satire can be summed up in three words: The Second City” NEW YORK TIMES
Courses run : 4th – 8th, 11th – 15th May
Festival of Improvisation: 10th-16th May
APPLICATIONS & MORE INFORMATION:
http://www.secondcity.com/courses/toronto/immersions-intensives-workshops/