{{Short description|Improvised comedy and drama company}} {{Infobox organization | name = Hoopla Impro | purpose = Improvised drama and comedy | founded = 2006 | founder = Steve Roe and Edgar Fernando | location = The Miller, London Bridge | website = [http://www.hooplaimpro.com www.hooplaimpro.com] }} '''Hoopla Impro''' is an improvised comedy and drama company that was founded in January 2006 by Steve Roe and Edgar Fernando. Originally based in Balham southwest London, its shows moved to The Miller in London Bridge in 2010 and is the first and longest running improv theatre in the UK.
During that time it has grown to become the UK's biggest improvisation training school, teaching thousands of people every year at venues around London. It has collaborated with Google, Facebook,<ref>{{cite news |title=How throwing invisible balls helps top companies with creativity |url=https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/work/how-staff-at-twitter-and-facebook-are-attending-improv-classes-to-gain-an-edge-at-work-502249 |work=i}}</ref> Apple, ITV and Imperial College, and the company has been recommended by Time Out,<ref>{{cite news |title=Hoopla Beginners Improv Comedy Class {{!}} Things to do in London |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/hoopla-beginners-improv-comedy-class |work=Time Out}}</ref> The Evening Standard<ref>{{cite news |title=Seven improv comedy nights you need to go to |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/londons-best-improv-comedy-clubs-and-nights-a3834651.html |work=Evening Standard |date=10 May 2018}}</ref> and The Daily Telegraph.<ref>{{cite news |title=London's Best Improv Events |url=https://www.parkgrandkensington.co.uk/blog/londons-best-improv-events/ |work=Park Grand Kensington |date=16 August 2017}}</ref>
In 2017 the company refurbished the Hoopla Improv Theatre, becoming a permanent venue above The Miller. The venue launched in October with a 50-hour improvathon, featuring over 200 improvisers from across the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guide |first=British Comedy |date=2017-09-11 |title=Hoopla! to launch dedicated London improv venue with 50-hour marathon |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/news/2768/hoopla_impro_marathon/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=British Comedy Guide |language=en}}</ref>
alt=The Miller pub at night.|thumb|The Miller pub in London Bridge, Hoopla's main venue for shows.
==Annual Hoopla Improv Marathon== Hoopla runs an annual non-stop show for 29 hours every September, starting from 7pm on the Friday through to midnight on Saturday. It includes over 200 performers - many of whom are present throughout - and over 50 shows.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Holmes |first1=Paul |title=Hoopla Improv Marathon |url=https://thevelvetonion.com/2017/10/17/hoopla-improv-marathon/amp/ |work=The Velvet Onion |date=17 October 2017 |language=en |archive-date=29 January 2018 |access-date=16 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129075135/https://thevelvetonion.com/2017/10/17/hoopla-improv-marathon/amp/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Hoopla Improv Marathon |url=https://www.hooplaimpro.com/the-hoopla-improv-marathon}}</ref>
==Hoopla's UK & Ireland Improv Festival== In 2019 Hoopla launched an Improv Festival in London, bringing together improvised comedy acts from around the United Kingdom and Ireland. Among the performances were The Actor's Nightmare, Music Box and The Committee.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hoopla's UK & Ireland Improv Festival 2019! |url=https://www.hooplaimpro.com/hooplas-uk-ireland-improv-festival-2019/.html |work=Hoopla |date=14 December 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Improv has got big! |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/features/improv_has_got_big/ |publisher=British Comedy Guide |date=25 April 2019}}</ref>
==Hoopla's 20th Anniversary Festival== Hoopla celebrated its 20th anniversary in the Spring of 2026 with a massive festival featuring groups showcasing the past, present, and future of Hoopla. The festival featured groups that performed early on at Hoopla and went on to perform on The West End, TV & Radio. This includes: Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Austentatious, Abandoman and Mischief Theatre (who later went on to do The Play That Goes Wrong) plus members of the Comedy Store Players.<ref>{{cite web|title=UK’s Hoopla Improv Theatre Launches 20th Anniversary Festival |url=https://stagelync.com/news/hoopla-uk-improv-20th-anniversary-festival |publisher=Stage Lync |date=24 February 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Hoopla Celebrates 20 Years with Anniversary Improv Festival in London |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Hoopla-Celebrates-20-Years-with-Anniversary-Improv-Festival-in-London-20260217/ |publisher=BroadwayWorld |date=17 February 2026}}</ref>
==Regular Performers== The listed teams are Hoopla-produced house teams, and regular weekend show performers. {|class="wikitable sortable" |- !Name!!Improv Type!!Date Established!!Members!!class="sortable"|Reference |- |Comediasians |Short-form and Long-form |2019 |Tulasi Das, Jillian Ellis, Simon Gomes, Mohini Kotecha, Stephen Lee, Aaron Punnen, Yuyu Rau, Gurinder Sandhu, Anasuya Sharma, Anupam Sharma, James Taverner, Holly Thompson, Sheila Ung, Stephen Wan, Duncan Wrigley, Kelsey Yuhara | |- |The Descendants||Narrative long-form House Team||2018||Carly Brazier, Carsten Jung, Jess Williamson, Leo Maxwell, Lisa Ronaghan, Matt Cosgrove, Matt Sparkes, Matt Stainsby, Sarah McKinless, Sarah Wiliams, Will Sebastian, Chloe Wittet|| |- |[http://www.dnays.com/ Do Not Adjust Your Stage]||Long-form||2010||Rhys Collier, Tim Grewcock, Shaun Lowthian, Helen O'Donnell, Nick Oram, Freya Parker, Clare Plested, Freya Slipper, Matt Stevens|| |- |[https://www.hooplaimpro.com/BAME Do The Right Scene] (originally named Nu Z Land)||Multiple||2017|| Tai Campbell, Monica Gaga, Athena Kugblenu, Kemah Bob, Adam Courting, Joel Semakula, Mary Parker, Rosie Bergonzi, Joshua Jackson, Folusho Falegan|| |- |Dreamweaver Quartet |Musical Long-form |2017 |James Witt, Greg Birks, Francesca Reid, James Irving, Rhiannon Vivian, Fraser Parry | |- |[https://gamezimprov.com/ GÄMEZ ]||Short-form House Team||2018||Alastair Thomas, Alice Hudson, Charlotte Gaughan, Chloé Dall’Olio, Dave Heron, Ella Bamforth, Euan Brown, Harriet Hughes, Harry Turnbull, Jack Turner, Jessie Rutland, Miriam Hall, Nadine Bailey, Nell Guy, Rachael Fernandes, Ryan J Murphy, Stephen Wan, Tom Bridge, Unai Garcia|| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamezimprov/ |title=GÄMEZ Improv website |website=gamezimprov.com |date= 22 November 2023|access-date=22 November 2023}}</ref> |- |[http://www.grandtheftimpro.com/ Grand Theft Impro]||Improvised Sketch||2003||Dylan Emery, Phil Whelans, Charlotte Gittins, Alan Marriott|| <ref>{{cite web |url=https://thevelvetonion.com/2017/10/17/hoopla-improv-marathon/ |title=Hoopla Improv Marathon |website=thevelvetonion.com |date= 17 October 2017|access-date=18 June 2020}}</ref> |- |[http://www.themaydays.co.uk The Maydays]||Long-form||2003||Heather Urquhart, Jen Rowe, Rebecca MacMillan, Liz Peters, Jules Munns, Rhiannon Vivian, Joe Samuel, Juwel Haque, Jenny Haufek|| |- |Michelle||Long-form House Team||2019||Chris Rosser, Folusho Falegan, Jon Nguyen, Kate Heward, Lilla Hodossy, Isabelle Glinn, Tom Jacob-Ewles, Mandeep Singh, Melissa Parker, Michael Kunze, Will Dixon, Paul Creasy, Reanne Farley, Sabrina Luisi, Teresa Senyah|| |- |[https://musicboximprov.com/ Music Box] |Musical Long-form |2009 |Andrew Gentilli, Greg Birks, Rachel Lyons, Rory Vierya, Lewis Harrison-Barker, Ben Tailor-Hamblin, Tom Hodge | |- |[https://track96.com/ Track 96]||Hip Hop||2019||Alicia Mungford, Amelia Mehra, Carsten Jung, Hugh Edwards, Katy Schutte, Michael Kunze, Miriam Hall, Russ Morgan, Sanj Surati, Tulasi Das |- |- |The Playground||Multiple||2015||Breaking & Entering: Maria Peters, Lauren Shearing. Regular guests: Rachel Parris, Suki Webster, Amy Cooke-Hodgson, Charlotte Gittins, Pippa Evans, Ruth Bratt, Briony Redman||<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/blog/six-all-female-comedy-gigs-not-to-miss-this-spring-050516 |title=Six all-female comedy gigs not to miss this spring |website=www.timeout.com |access-date=18 June 2020}}</ref> |- |[http://www.therhexperience.com/ The RH Experience]||Long-form||2008||Conor Jatter, Luke Spillane, Tom Webster, Will Dixon, Dan Attfield, Ben Murphie, Ella Jean, Tom Bacon|| |- |- |Whoop Ass!||Short-form||2025||Melissa Parker, Greg Birks, Phoebe Kozinets, Mandeep Singh, Isabelle Glinn, Pip Palmer, Hannah Warman, Sam Bartley, Bec Bartley, Liam Brennan, Victor Arctutus Estrella, Andrew Gentilli, Boo Miller, Monica Gaga, Chris Rosser || |- |}
==Diversity== Hoopla aims to promote diversity in improv and comedy.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hoopla Improv Festival Returns This April|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/uk-regional/article/Hoopla-Improv-Festival-Returns-This-April-20190328|work=BroadwayWorld|date=28 March 2019}}</ref> Hoopla hosts a monthly night for BAME players, run by Do The Right Scene. After a 'Crash Landing' workshop, it presents a performance called 'Special Delivery'.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Black Women Transforming London's Improv Theatre Scene|url=https://blackballad.co.uk/arts-culture/the-black-women-transforming-londons-improv-theatre-scene|work=Black Ballad|date=2 January 2020}}</ref> {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20180614144712/https://zealimprov.com/ Zeal]}} and runs an LGBT 'Loud and Queer' night at Hoopla.<ref>{{cite news |title=Show of the Week|url=https://thephoenixremix.com/2018/09/10/show-of-the-week-interview-loud-and-queer-zeal/|work=The Phoenix Remix|date=10 September 2018}}</ref> The Playground is an all-female monthly night run by Lauren Shearing and Maria Peters's two-person improv show Breaking & Entering.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lauren Shearing| url=https://www.laurenshearing.com/improv}}</ref> In 2016 it was named by ''Time Out'' as one of "Six all-female comedy gigs not to miss this spring".<ref>{{cite news |title=Six all-female comedy gigs not to miss this spring|url=https://www.timeout.com/london/blog/six-all-female-comedy-gigs-not-to-miss-this-spring-050516|work=Time Out|date=4 May 2016}}</ref>
Hoopla offers a number of diversity scholarships to people who are unemployed or on low-income, students, key workers, over 60s, under 23, homeless or in sheltered accommodation or BAME.<ref>{{cite news |title=Diversity Scholarships |url=https://www.hooplaimpro.com/diversity-scholarships|work=Hoopla Impro}}</ref>
==Media coverage== Hoopla Impro's work has featured in several leading publications in the United Kingdom. In April 2014, the Evening Standard of London reported on the rise of tech workers in the city attending improvisation classes at Hoopla.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rise of the improv geeks: why London's tech workers are taking comedy |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/rise-of-the-improv-geeks-why-londons-tech-workers-are-taking-comedy-classes-9295516.html |work=Evening Standard |date=28 April 2014}}</ref> In 2017, the British Comedy Guide reported how The Miller was becoming Hoopla Improv's dedicated venue, starting with a 50-hour improvisation marathon.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hoopla! to launch dedicated London improv venue with 50-hour marathon |url=https://www.comedy.co.uk/live/news/2768/hoopla_impro_marathon/ |publisher=British Comedy Guide |date=11 September 2017}}</ref>
In June 2019, author Jessica Pan wrote an article for the Guardian on her experiences from a visit to Hoopla.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pan |first1=Jessica |title=I was an introvert with a grey life – until I learned to let go on stage |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/17/i-was-an-introvert-with-a-grey-life-until-i-learned-to-let-go-on-stage |work=The Guardian |date=17 June 2019}}</ref>
==Saturday Night Live UK Connections== Several of the current SNL UK cast members and writers have performed at Hoopla. SNL writer Lorna Rose Treen joined a Hoopla house team in 2021 and regularly performed at Hoopla until 2023 doing both improv and sketch. Cast member Al Nash performed sketch comedy regularly at Hoopla in the early stages of his career. Writer Omodara Olatunji has performed both improv and stand-up at Hoopla with Do The Right Scene.<ref>{{cite web |title=Do The Right Scene|url=https://www.hooplaimpro.com/bame |publisher=Hoopla Impro |date=8 May 2026}}</ref> <ref>{{cite web |title=Saturday Night Live|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002sc3x |publisher=BBC Radio 1 |date=20 March 2026}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://iwantyoutoknow.co.uk/2018/02/hoopla-improvisation-course-review-london.html Course reviews] * [https://blackballad.co.uk/arts-culture/the-black-women-transforming-londons-improv-theatre-scene The Black Women Transforming London's Improv Theatre Scene]
Category:2018 establishments in the United Kingdom Category:Improvisational theatre