Belfast Improv Festival 2026

ABOUT THE FESTIVALThis is the fifth Belfast Improv Festival, and we're proud to once again collaborate with Improv Fest Ireland to host performing groups, individuals, and teachers from all across the world.Teaching in Belfast and Dublin this year:* Diana Brown
* Bodei Brouwer
* Bill Cernasky
* Navaris Darson
* Betse Green
* Maro Lesioti
* Erica Maity
* Alan Pakosz
* Courtney PongEach night we'll have a number different shows - some will be comedic plays, some will be musical, and some are indescribable. What unites them is that they're all improvised on the spot.Festival VenueAll shows take place in Lavery's Bar, Bradbury Place, in the second floor comedy club. All workshops wil take place in Lavery's or in the nearby Seamus Heaney Centre.
........The festival was founded in 2018 by Paul Mone, director of Belfast Improv. The inaugural festival featured teams from China, Europe, the UK, US, and Ireland.

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Shows run from 7pm - 10.30pm each evening.FRIDAY 25th September7pm - Belfast Ensemble (IRL)
7.30pm - International Ensemble (INT)
8.15pm - Banana Hut Gang (UK)
8.45pm - Aunt Batty Knows (UK)
9.30pm - Turtle Logic (DE)Performer ProfilesSATURDAY 26th September7pm - Yessandos (IRL)
7.30pm - International Ensemble (INT)
8.15pm - Murder INC (UK)
8.45pm - Having a LARP (UK)
9.30pm - Performer JAM (INT)Performer ProfilesSUNDAY 27th September7pm - Gamez (UK)
7.30pm - Tailored Swiftly (NL)
8.15pm - Jellyfish Improv (IRL)
8.45pm - Bill & Betse (US)
9.30pm - Squad Goals (INT)Performer ProfilesMONDAY 28th September7pm - Ducks Without Borders (US)
7.30pm - Eagerly Waiting (GR)
8.15pm - Diversity Hires (IRL)
8.45pm - The Mockumentary (US)
9.30pm - Performer Jam (INT)Performer Profiles

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Belfast EnsembleThe Belfast Ensemble show will be a fast-paced collection of scenes and stories to kick off this year's festival.

International EnsembleCoached by Betse Green and Bill Cernasky, the International Ensemble will feature players from all over the world performing together for the very first time.

Banana Hut GangThis show is a completely improvised story, BACKWARDS - it’s an improvised play that starts at the end and ends at the start!About UsThe Banana Hut Gang, a light-hearted, fun and highly-energetic improv group who perform a captivating and thrilling show that audiences love!They have performed at Edinburgh, Camden, and Barcelona Fringe Festivals.

Aunt Batty KnowsWelcome to the theatre of consequence, where each tale begins with ordinary people doing ordinary things and ends with a dark comeuppance they never see coming.Tales From The Armchair takes you from the everyday to the eerie.
Sometimes frightening, sometimes funny but always uncanny.About UsAunt Batty Knows… is a group of five women from Liverpool, in our 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, returning to the professional stage in our mavern years. Our aim, to bring forth the unconscious stories of the uncanny and give them room to breathe.

Turtle LogicTurtle Logic brings sharp, character-driven, and unpredictable comedy to the stage. In Twin Flowers, two distinct stories unfold—separate yet intertwined—with connections that gradually reveal themselves in surprising and playful ways. The journey twists and turns, leading to an ending that feels both inevitable and unexpected. We aim to entertain by challenging assumptions and sparking joy by inviting audiences into our playful, unpredictable world.About UsTurtle Logic has been performing in Berlin since January 2023, and have a monthly show at Comedy Cafe Berlin.

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YessandosYessandos are a Belfast-based team who specialise in Musical Improv. They'll be performing their signature musical format that has delighted Belfast audiences.

International EnsembleCoached by Betse Green and Bill Cernasky, the International Ensemble will feature players from all over the world performing together for the very first time.

Murder INCEvery night, it's a raucous, improvised, made-to-order murder with Murder Inc. - where the audience chooses the setting, the characters, and even motives. After 10 years of sold-out shows in the North of England, Murder Inc is thrilled to be part of this festival. Come see the show that our audiences on TripAdvisor say 'had me crying with laughter', 'is just awesome', and that 'everyone should check out'. One lucky detective even takes home a 'prize'

Having a LARPHaving a LARP want to bring you on an epic quest - whether it's removing a sword from a stone, hunting witches, or search in the Black Friday deals for the perfect pressie.Each quest will delve into the character's back stories, secrets, and quirks - and end up with the silliest ending possible!

Performer Jam
Join us for a late night festival jam, where Improvisers sign up, get sorted into random teams, and perform a 6 minute show!This jam has been a festival favourite for the last two years, so we're excited to have it return.

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GÄMEZGÄMEZ are a high-energy short-form improv group from London. They perform a mixture of classic improv games and games they’ve created with the aim being audiences have a great time. The first short-form house team set up by Hoopla Impro, they perform regularly in London, and have also performed at the Camden Fringe and Brighton Fringe, and at improv festivals at Copenhagen, Barcelona , and Dublin!

Tailored SwiftlyTailored Swiftly offers luxury, bespoke theatrical experiences to their clients. One audience member will have a show tailored precisely to their measurements and desires. Periodic fittings and check-ins are included to guarantee a perfect product. This is improv at its most improvised.About UsSome people have work spouses; Erica and Bodei are improv spouses. They fell in improv love 3 years ago and have found their art to have become easier, richer and more fun when doing it together.Erica, originally from the USA. is one of the leading forces in the Eindhoven improv community and Artistic Director of IMPRO Amsterdam Festival, with Bodei as her assistant Artistic Director.
Bodei is also Artistic Director of Longform at easylaughs, one of the 3 main English improv theatres in Amsterdam.Combined, they have well over 20 years of improv experience.

Jellyfish ImprovDublin-based Jellyfish Improv will perform Twilight Mirror - a sci-fi improv show that turns modern life inside out. Inspired by Black Mirror, The Twilight Zone, and Dr. Who, the cast builds a dystopian alternate reality shaped by today’s technologies and social pressures.Each performance moves through normalcy, escalation, and aftermath, revealing the humor, humanity, and unease hidden in our everyday interactions.

Bill & Betse'Bill & Betse' is an American long-form improv comedy duo from Portland, Oregon, featuring married improvisers Betse Green and Bill Cernasky. They perform relationship-focused, narrative-driven improv—notably their fast-paced "Revolver" format where an audience prompt sparks true-to-life stories from their decades of marriage.Bill & Betse are also teachers at this year's festival, so don't miss this opportunity to see masters in action!

Squad GoalsSquad Goals is this year's teacher's show! All of this year's teachers will perform together for the first time!

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Ducks Without BordersOhio-based Improv team Ducks Without Borders wants to hear about your most recent rabbit hole. You know what we’re talking about - a simple internet search brings up an unexpected Wikipedia that brings up an unexpected Wikipedia and, next thing you know, the sun has set, you’re 40 pages deep, and now an unofficial expert on a niche topic that may never come up in your life again. Tell us about your rabbit hole and we’ll tell you what else is true about that topic by building a world of fully improvised characters and storylines that you won’t find on Wikipedia.

Eagerly WaitingEagerly Waiting is an improvised theatre performance by Maro Lesioti and Gabriel Caropreso, exploring intimacy, absence, and longing in a world shaped by distance.Set across three stage spaces—two grounded in “real life” and one poetic, imagined “virtual space", the performance moves fluidly through nonlinear time, where memories, projections, and desire overlap. Through live composition, shadow, and spatial separation, the work examines how connection is built, sustained, and undone.

Diversity HiresThe Diversity Hires! Putting Asian voices on the improv stage—literally. Tune in as they talk, rant, and spill the chai on anything and everything… then watch those conversations unfold into scenes full of culture, food, family, and a dash of visa anxiety.About UsAn all-Asian improv group based in Ireland, The Diversity Hires were formed to create a supportive platform for Asian voices in the improv scene. While the group was founded with representation in mind, at its core The Diversity Hires are simply a group of friends brought together by shared cultural experiences.

Mockumentary NOW!
Voted the best film of 1992, Mockumentary Now! is not a film. It’s an improv team of seasoned performers trying to piece together a documentary on the fly, live on stage. Each documentary is inspired by an audience suggestion of an upcoming fictional event. Through imaginary cameras (you the audience), characters reveal their most vulnerable and unthinkable inner thoughts through interviews while preparing for the big moment.About UsThis is the Denver-based team's first time perfomring as a troupe in Ireland, and they're very excited!!

Performer Jam
Join us for a late night festival jam, where Improvisers sign up, get sorted into random teams, and perform a 6 minute show!This jam has been a festival favourite for the last two years, so we're excited to have it return.

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Bodei Brouwer (Netherlands)When Bodei was 4, her parents said, ‘That’s enough! Let some drama teachers figure you out”. After giving scripted theatre a chance for 16 years, she retired. She started with improv 12 years ago in Amsterdam and has since played, trained and taught on 5 different continents.
Bodei is Artistic Director of Longform at easylaughs Amsterdam and co-artistic director of IMPRO Amsterdam festival.As a teacher, she has a strong focus on experimentation. She loves sharing theory and knowledge without filling her workshops with endless speeches.Bill Cernasky (US)Bill Cernansky has been improvising with ComedySportz Portland for 25 years, and at festivals around the world with the group B.A.B.E. in their show 'I Love Musicals', and in the duo B&B with his wife Betse Green.He is a former ensemble member of Portland's Brody Theater and Curious Comedy Theater, & long-running improv team Peachy Chicken.Navaris Darson (US)Navaris started teaching character-based improv at The Groundlings Theatre (LA) in 2013. In addition to serving as an instructor at The Groundlings and at Verve Studios in Arizona, Navaris has taught improv at UCLA and USC, and he’s served as a featured instructor and performer at the ITS Comedy Festival (Sydney), SAVI FEST (Arizona), Camp Improv Utopia West (California), and at Sacramento Comedy Spot. In the year ahead, he’s absolutely thrilled to be a part of the Belfast and Dublin Improv Festivals!As an improv instructor, Navaris stresses connection, specificity, and the importance of making joyous choices. He works with improvisers of all skill levels, and he greatly enjoys helping students develop improv skills that will benefit them professionally and personally.Betse Green (US)With over 20 years of improv experience, Betse Green is a seasoned teacher, performer, and director who has brought her expertise to stages and classrooms across the US, Canada, and Europe. In Portland, she performs regularly at Curious Comedy Theater and Portland Comedy Theater, and is a core member of independent ensembles including B&B (with her husband of 36 years, Bill), B.A.B.E., Broad Selection, and Bliss.Known for her sharp wit, deep knowledge, and infectious energy, Betse creates improv that’s as grounded and collaborative as it is hilarious.Maro Lesioti (Greece)Maro Lesioti is an actress, improviser, director, and musician based in Athens. She is one of the artistic directors of the Worlds Apart Residency, a board member and instructor at ImproSynthesis School of Improv, and was the co-director of the 2025 I.TH.A.C.A. Improv Festival in Athens.Maro studied at the Hellenic Conservatory, Modern Times Drama School, and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, and has taught improvisation and theater workshops in Greece, the U.S.A., the Netherlands, Portugal, and Italy, and directed and performed in a range of plays and short films over the past decade.Erica Maity (Netherlands)Erica Maity started improvising in the United States over a decade ago but has called the Netherlands home for four years (first Eindhoven, now Rotterdam). She has been on casts with Curious Comedy Theater (Portland, OR, US) and Florida Studio Theater (Sarasota, FL, US) and has performed in well over a dozen festivals internationally.She currently performs with the group Tailored Swiftly and teaches and coaches both independently and in collaboration with SPARK and the Improv Community of Eindhoven.

Workshops are scheduled twice a day: morning sessions from 10am - 1pm, and afternoon sessions from 2pm - 5pm.Most workshops will be taking place at the Seamus Heaney Centre (SHC), University Road, Belfast.Workshop details below schedule
FRIDAY 25th September - SHC(10am - 5pm) - 'Ensemble Workshop' - Betse Green & Bill CernaskySATURDAY 26th September - SHC(10am - 5pm) - 'Long-Form Clap-In' - Navaris Darson
(10am - 5pm) - 'The Odyssey' - Maro LesiotiSUNDAY 27th September - SHC
(10am - 1pm) - 'Scenes about Nothing' - Bodei Brouwer
(10am - 1pm) - 'The Biggest Loser' - Navaris Darson
(2pm - 5pm) - 'I Am Not Afraid To Exist' - Maro Lesioti
(2pm - 5pm) - 'The Hook and The Anchor' - Erica MaityMONDAY 10th November - SHC
No workshops at present, but may be scheduled with demand.Teacher Profiles

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'Long-Form Clap-In' - Navaris DarsonLearn about Groundlings-style long-form improv! During this workshop, improvisers will play within the structure of The Groundlings’ Crazy Uncle Joe Show, exploring how to quickly generate ideas, make bold choices, heighten relationships, and successfully weave through multiple expanding storylines.'The Odyssey' - Maro LesiotiParticipants explore how the structure, themes, and poetic devices of "The Odyssey" can serve as tools for improvisers to build expansive, immersive worlds. By examining how the poem balances reality with myth, performers will learn to craft compelling narratives that stretch beyond conventional storytelling, embody heightened characters, and transport audiences into uncharted, imaginative realms.'Scenes about Nothing' - Bodei BrouwerDon't make it personal, don't build a relationship and whatever happens: no conflict! Scenes about nothing are wonderful palette cleansers in a busy show. In this workshop, Bodei will give you the 3 factors that make scenes about nothing some of the most entertaining scenes around.'The Biggest Loser' - Navaris DarsonLosers get the laugh! In this workshop, we’ll explore the improv principle of “choosing to lose” – including how to drive the comedy with character flaws; winning arguments by losing; and embracing negative labels as gifts and using them as gateways to specific character information.'I Am Not Afraid To Exist' - Maro LesiotiThis workshop explores the irreverent act of acceptance. Going beyond the mechanics of “yes, and,” this workshop invites participants to embrace themselves, without using acceptance as an excuse to overstep boundaries. Through exercises that cultivate trust and deep listening, they will practice saying “yes” to their identities. Freedom will be unlocked on stage and in life.'The Hook and The Anchor' - Erica MaityThe Hook and the Anchor: a simple method for creating characters that are unique and memorable. You'll learn to link characters to your own life experience (the anchor) to give them a clear point of view, lock them in with physicality and repetition (the hook), then send them off on autopilot, freeing up your own brain to connect with your scene partners and discover the moment.Performer Profiles

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