Relaxed improv for LGBTQIA+ Communities - no performance, no pressure, and no experience needed.
Come and spend 90 minutes playing, creating, and connecting with other LGBTQIA+ people in a relaxed, welcoming space.
Making It Up Together is a series of gentle comedy improvisation sessions focused on play rather than performance.
There are no scripts, nothing to prepare, and no pressure to be funny either. Everything is an invitation - you can join in, watch, take a break, or participate in whatever way feels right for you.
It suits complete beginners because we start from very simple, accessible play. It's the sort of thing we all did as kids and still have in us somewhere. People who've done improv before also stay interested because no two groups produce the same stories and scenes.
Who these sessions are for:
Accessibility:
These sessions are trauma-informed, neurodivergent-inclusive, and designed to be accessible to different bodies, experiences, and access needs.
The venue is wheelchair accessible, with quieter areas for those who need to take breaks, and has accessible, all-gender toilets.
We welcome knowing your access needs and will discuss these with you privately before the first session, so we can ensure you feel comfortable and supported.
What to expect:
Each session follows a similar shape: a gentle warm-up, a few short games, one longer piece and a close.
We’ll explain what’s coming at the start, so there are no surprises.
People can watch a game or play it, and nobody has to take part in everything to enjoy the session.
The focus is on listening, responding, creating and having fun together. No two groups make the same stories or scenes - and you might even leave with a few games you can play with friends or housemates.
You can improvise on your own, but it's working with other people that makes the play rich and interesting. The games ask people to listen to each other closely and build on what they get, which creates connection and moments of joy. A group tends to have its own running jokes by the end of a session.
Introducing your Improv facilitator Ali Hannon (they/them):
Hi, I'm Ali
Relaxed Improv came out of a wish to create spaces that didn't just accommodate neurodiverse and queer people, but centred them. I'm queer and non-binary, I use they/them pronouns, and I came out as gay in 2003. I'm also neurodivergent. I've been performing improv for fifteen years, eight of them with the Short and Girlie Show, an award-winning queer improv troupe, and I now run More to Honk With, Brighton's queer improv collective. I've also spent ten years teaching improv within queer communities.
For 90 minutes, you can step away from analysing, overthinking and trying to get things “right”.
Just listen, respond, create and see what happens.
People often leave feeling lighter than when they arrived — and you might surprise yourself with what you're able to do when there's no right answer to find.
Please consider adding a donation when selecting your ticket.
Thanks to funding from the National Lottery, we’re able to offer low-cost and free wellbeing support to LGBTQIA+ people who would otherwise be unable to access it. If you’re able to pay anything towards the cost of your class – please add a small donation at checkout.