TUNBRIDGE WELLS FRINGE
PLAY IN THE MOMENT
Claqueur Impro Play in the Moment
July 1st 2025 Old Auction House. 8.00pm
July 4th Langton Pavilion Cafe 7.00pm
Four actors Jon Oram, David Brett, Maryjane Stevens and Abra Hunt step out onto a bare stage with nothing but three chairs and discover a play moment by moment. “It’s like stepping into a play that’s already happening, but none of them know who they are playing until the lights come up and then they begin to discover everything. The most challenging form of spontaneous theatre yet this is improvisation without a net. A shared experience with the audience: your feel the danger for the actors as they discover the story as it emerges".
Event Details
Genre: Theatre Duration: 60 mins Price: £12 Conc: £10 Age Suitability: 14yrs+
July 1st 2025 Old Auction House. 8.00pm
July 4th Langton Pavilion Cafe 7.00pm
Four actors Jon Oram, David Brett, Maryjane Stevens and Abra Hunt step out onto a bare stage with nothing but three chairs and discover a play moment by moment. “It’s like stepping into a play that’s already happening, but none of them know who they are playing until the lights come up and then they begin to discover everything. The most challenging form of spontaneous theatre yet this is improvisation without a net. A shared experience with the audience: your feel the danger for the actors as they discover the story as it emerges".
Event Details
Genre: Theatre Duration: 60 mins Price: £12 Conc: £10 Age Suitability: 14yrs+
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Venue: The Old Auction House
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Venue: Langton Green Pavilion Cafe
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THE MONDAY GROUP
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CLAQUEUR IMPRO WORKSHOPS EVERY MONDAY
7.30pm - 9pm
Rusthall Club, St Pauls St., Rusthall TN4 8RJ
Regular workshops to learn the basics of improvisation run by Jon Oram, ClaqueTheatre's Artistic Director. Workshops are every Monday in 14-16 week blocks Jan - April (Easter Break) May - July (August Break)September- December (Christmas Break). Workshops cover the basic principles of improvisation, mime, physical theatre, developing characters, status, group collaboration, comic improvisation and games, and play in the moment. We then direct the skills we learn to explore other improvisation genres such as role play, forum theatre, devising, educational drama as well as developing valuable social skills,
7.30pm - 9pm
Rusthall Club, St Pauls St., Rusthall TN4 8RJ
Regular workshops to learn the basics of improvisation run by Jon Oram, ClaqueTheatre's Artistic Director. Workshops are every Monday in 14-16 week blocks Jan - April (Easter Break) May - July (August Break)September- December (Christmas Break). Workshops cover the basic principles of improvisation, mime, physical theatre, developing characters, status, group collaboration, comic improvisation and games, and play in the moment. We then direct the skills we learn to explore other improvisation genres such as role play, forum theatre, devising, educational drama as well as developing valuable social skills,
Here is what people who have attended impro. workshops answered when asked
What Do You Get From Doing Impro?"
Why Should Others Try?
Paul A deeper understanding of relationships - in all contexts and all situations.
Chris Improvisation makes me smile and feel alive, I love and fear the getting up with no idea what is going to happen in equal measure.
That is what makes it so exciting. Everyone you work with is different and so every scene we play is different.
Dan Improvisation makes you a better creative collaborator. We're generally too precious with our own ideas, but if we listen to what
others have to offer and focus on building on those offers, it makes for a better idea that benefits from more than one viewpoint.
John I find Impro incredibly playful and calming as, when improvising, the only world that exists is the one you are discovering
on stage. I suffer with anxiety and when I’m improvising, it is genuinely the only time that I don’t worry about anything.
. This is the opposite of non-improvisers’ perceptions of what they’d possibly feel when on stage.
Gilly When I was first interested in the Impro Group in 2011, I had recently semi-retired from the Financial Sector and was teaching
English as a Foreign Language to adults. I had had 4 years experience of presenting on live Community Radio in Luxembourg but
was still very conscious of my conditioning (Convent-educated 'to be seen and not heard' and to 'think before I spoke') - and I
needed and desperately wanted to be more spontaneous. Though some may beg to differ, I am sure that Claqueur is having the
desired effect on me! I am still working at it!
Scott I get an exciting sense of free-fall in front of an audience. Improvisation requires so much trust and faith in your teammates that is
almost impossible to come out of a show without a sense of camaraderie.
Martin I love improvisation because it challenges me and engages my need to get out of my own skin and be someone else without the
fear of forgetting my lines. I try not to be nervous before a performance, because fear is based on worry about future events and
with Impro one doesn’t know what’s going to happen until after it’s happened.
Kate Endless variety and intrigue, we are always learning new things about each other and ourselves. Led by Jon, we keep stretching
our limits without realising it and have developed beautifully trusting, generous and inclusive relationships within the group. I have
learnt how to fail in a safe space and how to support others through listening, skills which transfer back into everyday life.
Richard The primary thing that I get out of performing in an impro group is that it's a lot of fun. It's fun partly because it's spontaneous,
partly because it's creative, and partly because it pushes us all out of our comfort zone and has us taking risks, and it suits a lazy
narcissist like me - I like to be on stage in the spotlight but I can't be bothered to learn lines. Also the camaraderie is great and it
involves a steep learning curve in how to genuinely cooperate with people. Plus I would sign up for pretty much anything Jon Oram
was teaching, even if it were a macramé class
"Why should others try Impro?"
Paul You're not on your own, it's about the group. Everybody should be there to make everybody else look good. It’s not about you
having to think up something funny on the spot, it’s about working together and creating stories from a collective imagination.
Dan Improvisation diminishes the fear of failure. We are often driven to succeed in life with failure not being an option, but through
failing - and even embracing failure - we learn more and grow much faster. Losing the fear of failure helps you stop "playing it safe"
and instead seek out exciting new ideas.
John When people ask about trying impro, I tell them that they already improvise in every new situation they’re in but use established
rules to make the situation successful. I often find that people, who know I improvise, will play along when conversations go off on
tangents and we find ourselves almost taking on characters. That’s when I point out that they’re “doing” impro and discuss it
more.
Gilly Because we have to listen to each other in order to be able to work together, on Monday nights one has to leave one's own troubles
at home and concentrate on what's going on and being said. I always leave the Club with a warm feeling - and sometimes, when
some moments have worked particularly well for the group, that feeling is even warmer! Many of us say that Impro is great
therapy.
Scott I have never met so many lovely, giving, and hilarious people as I have doing Impro. So, yes, give it a go. You’ll be surprised how
much saying “yes, and. . .” could change your life for the better.
Kate What have you got to lose? Only your dignity, pride and self-respect. What have you got to gain? The capacity to listen, the courage
to fail and the boundless humanity of your fellow improvisers. It is not about performance or being funny, it's about paying
attention and being honest, looking after each other and playing games. Child’s play.
Chris When someone asks me whether they should try Impro, and voices their own doubts, I would say that, at our weekly meetings and
regular shows, and with Jon's expert tuition and care, we are learning to listen to each other and working together. Our 'mission',
in fact is to look after one another. The objective of the exercise is to relax and enjoy oneself and one another and definitely
not to try to be funny. It doesn't always work but, in general, Impro is great fun! This Claqueur can definitely say, with feeling,
'Vive Impro'!
Jill Bottom line is I enjoy trying to learn the Impro 'techniques' even though I am scared every time I stand up! As I become more
familiar with the longer form games I am enjoying them although I do get anxious depending on who I may be playing opposite
and yes I am scared of failure and so want to succeed!! However when people ask about joining I am always very up beat with
saying how scared etc I am but with a smile on my face and really saying about them coming along and trying it out (especially
on a workshop weekend with the back to basics approach) as I find it hard to describe it all.
Richard “To anyone who's thinking of trying to perform in impro but hasn't tried it yet, I would say "Give it a go. You have nothing to lose,
and possibly much to gain. You might discover that it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on."
What Do You Get From Doing Impro?"
Why Should Others Try?
Paul A deeper understanding of relationships - in all contexts and all situations.
Chris Improvisation makes me smile and feel alive, I love and fear the getting up with no idea what is going to happen in equal measure.
That is what makes it so exciting. Everyone you work with is different and so every scene we play is different.
Dan Improvisation makes you a better creative collaborator. We're generally too precious with our own ideas, but if we listen to what
others have to offer and focus on building on those offers, it makes for a better idea that benefits from more than one viewpoint.
John I find Impro incredibly playful and calming as, when improvising, the only world that exists is the one you are discovering
on stage. I suffer with anxiety and when I’m improvising, it is genuinely the only time that I don’t worry about anything.
. This is the opposite of non-improvisers’ perceptions of what they’d possibly feel when on stage.
Gilly When I was first interested in the Impro Group in 2011, I had recently semi-retired from the Financial Sector and was teaching
English as a Foreign Language to adults. I had had 4 years experience of presenting on live Community Radio in Luxembourg but
was still very conscious of my conditioning (Convent-educated 'to be seen and not heard' and to 'think before I spoke') - and I
needed and desperately wanted to be more spontaneous. Though some may beg to differ, I am sure that Claqueur is having the
desired effect on me! I am still working at it!
Scott I get an exciting sense of free-fall in front of an audience. Improvisation requires so much trust and faith in your teammates that is
almost impossible to come out of a show without a sense of camaraderie.
Martin I love improvisation because it challenges me and engages my need to get out of my own skin and be someone else without the
fear of forgetting my lines. I try not to be nervous before a performance, because fear is based on worry about future events and
with Impro one doesn’t know what’s going to happen until after it’s happened.
Kate Endless variety and intrigue, we are always learning new things about each other and ourselves. Led by Jon, we keep stretching
our limits without realising it and have developed beautifully trusting, generous and inclusive relationships within the group. I have
learnt how to fail in a safe space and how to support others through listening, skills which transfer back into everyday life.
Richard The primary thing that I get out of performing in an impro group is that it's a lot of fun. It's fun partly because it's spontaneous,
partly because it's creative, and partly because it pushes us all out of our comfort zone and has us taking risks, and it suits a lazy
narcissist like me - I like to be on stage in the spotlight but I can't be bothered to learn lines. Also the camaraderie is great and it
involves a steep learning curve in how to genuinely cooperate with people. Plus I would sign up for pretty much anything Jon Oram
was teaching, even if it were a macramé class
"Why should others try Impro?"
Paul You're not on your own, it's about the group. Everybody should be there to make everybody else look good. It’s not about you
having to think up something funny on the spot, it’s about working together and creating stories from a collective imagination.
Dan Improvisation diminishes the fear of failure. We are often driven to succeed in life with failure not being an option, but through
failing - and even embracing failure - we learn more and grow much faster. Losing the fear of failure helps you stop "playing it safe"
and instead seek out exciting new ideas.
John When people ask about trying impro, I tell them that they already improvise in every new situation they’re in but use established
rules to make the situation successful. I often find that people, who know I improvise, will play along when conversations go off on
tangents and we find ourselves almost taking on characters. That’s when I point out that they’re “doing” impro and discuss it
more.
Gilly Because we have to listen to each other in order to be able to work together, on Monday nights one has to leave one's own troubles
at home and concentrate on what's going on and being said. I always leave the Club with a warm feeling - and sometimes, when
some moments have worked particularly well for the group, that feeling is even warmer! Many of us say that Impro is great
therapy.
Scott I have never met so many lovely, giving, and hilarious people as I have doing Impro. So, yes, give it a go. You’ll be surprised how
much saying “yes, and. . .” could change your life for the better.
Kate What have you got to lose? Only your dignity, pride and self-respect. What have you got to gain? The capacity to listen, the courage
to fail and the boundless humanity of your fellow improvisers. It is not about performance or being funny, it's about paying
attention and being honest, looking after each other and playing games. Child’s play.
Chris When someone asks me whether they should try Impro, and voices their own doubts, I would say that, at our weekly meetings and
regular shows, and with Jon's expert tuition and care, we are learning to listen to each other and working together. Our 'mission',
in fact is to look after one another. The objective of the exercise is to relax and enjoy oneself and one another and definitely
not to try to be funny. It doesn't always work but, in general, Impro is great fun! This Claqueur can definitely say, with feeling,
'Vive Impro'!
Jill Bottom line is I enjoy trying to learn the Impro 'techniques' even though I am scared every time I stand up! As I become more
familiar with the longer form games I am enjoying them although I do get anxious depending on who I may be playing opposite
and yes I am scared of failure and so want to succeed!! However when people ask about joining I am always very up beat with
saying how scared etc I am but with a smile on my face and really saying about them coming along and trying it out (especially
on a workshop weekend with the back to basics approach) as I find it hard to describe it all.
Richard “To anyone who's thinking of trying to perform in impro but hasn't tried it yet, I would say "Give it a go. You have nothing to lose,
and possibly much to gain. You might discover that it's the most fun you can have with your clothes on."