David Elms
Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th August, 10.30-5pm both days
at Acting Coach Scotland
One ticket covers the full weekend:
£110 community
£130 standard
£175 supporter
Become a more confident, present, and committed long-form player over two playful days with improv veteran David Elms.
Rip it up. Start again. Review the fundamentals and rewire your brain to prioritise presence and playfulness over speed and wit. This two-day course will focus on comfort, ease, and getting out of your own way. Open to improvisers of all levels, including absolute beginners, this course has been run a dozen times in London and received nearly a hundred 5-star reviews.
"Easily the best improv teacher in London"
"The most fun I've ever had doing improv"
"Like starting at the end of a 15-year improv career with all the answers"
"I can safely say that nobody teaches Game of the Scene better than David Elms"
David is the founder of improv community leapday, and the creator of the breakout improv show David Elms Describes A Room, which enjoyed a critically acclaimed, total sell-out run at last year's Edinburgh Fringe. "A lesson in the transcendent power of collective imagining" ★★★★ The Guardian.
Ali james
Imagine the setting… a simple space with a box, an apple (or any other single thing), and a one-word suggestion from the audience. How much could you and your team make happen with just those three things for inspiration?
Forget talking heads and get physical and emotional in this workshop designed to reduce internal (and external!) chatter and increase theatrical storytelling. Enter a space where Ali encourages zero judgement of others and (sometimes transformationally) yourself. When we strip away the distraction of internal dialogue and focus on building together truly moment to moment, we can make magic.
Wednesday 26 August, 6.30-9.30pm
Renfield Centre (Grant Room), 260 Bath Street
Tickets:
£20 community
£35 standard
£50 supporter
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Previous workshops
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Elevate your improv skills in one immersive, focused weekend. Unlock a style of comedy that feels effortless.
Date: Feb 6–8, 2026 | Location: Glasgow (Govan & Merchant City)
We are thrilled to announce our first IN-PERSON residency of 2026. We are flying in Chris Mead (Senior Teacher at Hoopla, The Pretend Company) for a full weekend of Elite Coaching.
What to Expect:
10 Hours of coaching: Direct instruction from one of the UK’s most sought-after improvisers.
A “residency” format: Work with the same ensemble all weekend to build deep trust and group mind.
Final Showcase: The weekend culminates in a live show at blackfriars on sunday.
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Suzi Barrett (Virtual): Friday & Saturday evenings. A rare chance to learn directly from one of the best!
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Grand Finale: All roads lead to the Bonanza SBT Show on Sunday, December 14th at Blackfriars, where you'll perform for a live audience!
This unique format has been honed to perfection at ACS. Join us for a weekend of world-class coaching and performance!
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"A masterclass in quiet, unhurried comedy." — The Guardian
We have arranged a world-class learning opportunity for our community with David Elms (Musical Comedy Awards winner, Harry Hill’s ClubNite). Known for his work grounded in play, clarity, and craft, David is running two intimate workshops designed to take the pressure off your performance. -
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Hear Me Out: Find the Fool A lot of comedy revolves around someone's 'foolish' behavior. Therefore, a very useful skill is knowing how to make YOURSELF the fool. We will practice becoming 'fools' by heightening our emotions, by having 'bad' ideas, by focusing on unexpected goals. We will also practice knowing the difference between a 'gift' and an 'unreasonable demand.' It all comes down to having an unusual thing in the scene. Lots of short two-person scenes, be ready to do a lot of reps.
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Shannon O’Neill has been with UCB Theatre since 2000, holding almost every position from Student to Artistic Director.
You’ve seen her on Broad City, The Other Two, High Maintenance, The Chris Gethard Show, and more. She currently produces and performs in RaaaatScraps: The World’s Best Improv Show in NYC.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your booking, the following terms apply:
7+ days’ notice: Full refund to your original payment method.
Between 7 days and 24 hours’ notice: A full credit will be issued in the form of a voucher, valid for 12 months from the date of issue.
Less than 24 hours’ notice: No refund or credit can be provided.