Improv Comedy

Naked & Scriptless

Spontaneity and imagination is where every creative work begins, so why does improvising terrify so many of the industry’s top practitioners? Students will learn to embrace the fear and freedom of acting without a script, how to trust their instincts and find the comedy, tension and game of a scene with their fellow performers. This class will focus on storytelling, characterisation and grounded techniques that can be applied to improvised scenes and beyond, all taught by Lori and Leona.

TUTOR: LORI DUNGEY

Lori has been an actor, tutor and writer and for over 30 years, specialising in improvisation. She came to Wellington 25 years ago from Canada for an International Theatresports Tournament and never left. Based in Auckland, she works as an actor, tutor and Creative Director with ConArtists. She’s a two-time World Theatresports champion and has performed in Canada, Singapore, Fiji, Australia, Germany, and all over NZ, including a successful season at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Hamilton Rose Festival with Austen Found – The Undiscovered Musicals of Jane Austen. Lori has performed in the Comedy Festival with ConArtists and at the Herald Theatre in Auckland for the Stamp season. Most recently she performed with ConArtists in their Enid Untold: Five Go Mad on Improv – an Enid Blyton themed play.  Before the current global glitch, Lori travelled to Germany each year to attend Ring Co.  Lori is also and experienced screen actor with acting roles in both film and television including Lord of the Rings films and the television series Xena and Hercules.

TUTOR: LEONA REVELL

Leona is the Outreach Director at Centrepoint Theatre in Palmerston North, where she creates and leads inclusive theatre programmes for young people, adults and communities across the Manawatū. She is passionate about making theatre accessible and using improv to build confidence, communication, collaboration and the courage to fail joyfully.

A two-time National Theatresports Champion, Leona was a founding member and co-director of SpontaneoUS, Centrepoint Theatre’s resident improv company for more than a decade. She is also the founder of Imagination Station, an improvised show created especially for children. Leona leads the Manawatū High School Theatresports programme, and would love to see the return of a National Theatresports competition for youth.

Leona is a multiple Regional Theatre Award winner, a regular Showquest judge and a familiar face on Manawatū stages and at community events as an Emcee. Her recent performance credits at Centrepoint Theatre include Last Song, Last Song, Actually…?!, Feilding Market Fiasco, That Bloody Woman and An Act of God.

When she isn’t teaching, performing or bringing people together through theatre, Leona can usually be found crafting up a storm or embracing her inner crazy cat lady.