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Canadian Comedy Award winners Rob Norman and Adam Cawley discuss weekly improv-based topics based on a theme.
233 Episodes
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This week Rob and Adam reflect on the year and give spread thanks to improv communities across the world: Ann Arbor, Chris the Cameraman, mentorship from Greg Yates, and never giving up on the dream of a Magnet House team.
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In this episode, Rob and Adam dive into the challenges of handling heavy offers, navigating information overload, and figuring out how to deal with unexpected “bulldozers” that can derail an improv scene. They break down practical strategies, share examples, and explore how to keep scenes playful, collaborative, and fun.
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This week, Rob and Adam tackle a tricky question: does your improv teacher have secrets to share, or are they full of it? With countless improv styles—many of them contradicting each other—it can be tough to know what to believe. Rob and Adam explore how improv ideas get passed down, why some “rules” stick, and how performers can figure out what’s actually useful.
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This week Rob and Adam discuss the transitioning your skills from the classroom to the stage. Why is it so hard to do what works in an exercise, onstage in front of an audience?
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Rob and Adam talk about navigating your improv career, dealing with self-doubt, and having honest conversations with yourself about what's possible and what is probable.
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This week, Rob and Adam dsicuss the time-honoured tradition of playing to the "Top of their Intelligence" by having a very dumb discussion about characters, point of view, and what amount of "smart" are you required to bring with you onstage.
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Improv is not historically known for being offensive, but sometimes improvisers cross the line. Why is comedy so frequently associated with offense? Does comedy need to be provocative to be funny? What do you do if you offend your audience? All this and more.
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This week Rob and Adam chat about framing scenes prior, during, or after the action. Do scenes always need to start in the middle? What's the best way to execute a tag-in? If you mention an event, does it always have to happen onstage?
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This week Rob and Adam, discuss platforms and tilts for improv scenes, how sketch influences scenes, and how to create action without blindsiding their scene partner.
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The improv world is full of technique. What techniques help individual improvisers? What techniques benefit the theatre you play at? Are there techniques you should embrace? Or some that you should avoid?
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This week Rob and Adam discuss tethering: the act of linking your emotional state to what your partner is doing. Also, some great questions about tethering from our friend Martin in Estonia.
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The truth is out! After a tumultuous three weeks apart, Rob and Adam return to the podcast to air thier grievances, resolve differences, and answer your questions about improv.
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This week Rob sits down with one of the organizers of the Robin Hood Improv Festival in Nottingham, Lloydie, to discuss competition, inclusion, and finding community in the face of rejection.
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This week Rob and Adam debate the merits of Game of the Scene, pulling premise, and how to create meaningful patterns that bolster your longform show.
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This week Rob and Adam discuss connection, rapport, relationships onstage and offstage. Also, is it possible to have a meaningful connection with a stranger onstage?
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This week Rob and Adam discuss improv forms! What makes a good improv form? When does your improv format get in the way of your scenes? Also, the beloved format "Darwin's Christmas Tree" returns to the podcast!
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This week, Rob and Adam dive into where improv ideas come from, how to wrestle with creative blocks, and why the supposedly “whimsical” act of creating can be surprisingly… boring.
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There's nothing more unfair when an audience picks their collective favourite onstage. How important is it to be likable onstage? What can you do to stay on the good side of a discerning crowd?
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This week Rob and Adam discuss the careful art of taking lessons from the classroom and applying them to the stage.
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This week Rob and Adam discuss personal growth, improvement, and developing yourself throughout your improv career.
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Nice episode. i can definitely use it.