The Pretend Company presents: Improv Cinema Club Part 2

Brought to you by The Pretend Company, Improv Cinema Club is like no other film club or improv class. Part discussion group, part experiential improv workshop, this is a unique opportunity to bring theory, emotion, personal reflection and theory together to better explore and understand two amazing art forms. Each session will be a mix of lecture, discussion and improv exercises. Rest assured it’ll be very chilled, collaborative and open to experimentation in the moment. Led by film critic and improviser Tara Judah and writer, director and improviser Chris Mead, this second of two sessions, inspired by Cinema Rediscovered’s Comics Come Alive strand provides a unique opportunity to explore iconic films in a nuanced and in-depth way. Expect to speak, think, move and connect with others.

How does style inform content? Why does conflict need morality to inform its journey to resolve? How does a protagonist come unstuck? In this workshop we’ll look at the various states of heroes and anti-heroes – especially those stuck in arrested development – to better understand and explore the limits and freedoms of genres, styles and stereotypes. Join film critic Tara Judah and improviser Chris Mead to unpick and explore these themes through discussion, improv exercises and scene work at Improv Cinema Club. 

Ahead of The Pretend Company presents: Improv Cinema Club Part 2, watch Ghost World (Sat 25 July 16:30) and/or any of other films screening in this strand before the session (including Danger: Diabolik, Josie & the Pussycats, Scott Pilgrim and Oldboy).

Practical info: We recommend bringing a notebook for anything you might like to write down, a large bottle of water to stay hydrated, and to wear comfortable clothes that you can move around the space in. If you require any further information, please email: tarajudah@hotmail.com  

About The Pretend Company: 

Chris Mead is a renowned improv director, performer and teacher. He is a senior teacher at Hoopla, London's largest improv school, and co-founder of The Pretend Company, which teaches theatrical improv and stage craft to both improvisers and actors. Internationally, he is one of the European circuits most in-demand practitioners and is known for his thoughtful teaching, joyful stage presence and absolute commitment to pushing the art form forward.  

Tara Judah is a film critic with 10 years’ experience working in film exhibition in Australia and the UK. She has worked for Watershed, BFI, Sight & Sound, Monocle24, BBC World Service, Screen Daily, Senses of Cinema, MUBI and others. Tara is also a performer and improv instructor at Bristol Improv Theatre. She is a member of the long-running improvised soap opera Closer Each Day at the Wardrobe Theatre.