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Genre Kaleidoscope

Original price was: £120.00.Current price is: £95.00.

Using different story styles (“genres”) to open up new worlds for improv, laughter and play. Each week we’ll dive into a different genre—from fairy tales to Westerns, Shakespeare to soap operas—and use it as a springboard for character, embodiment, laughter and discoveries. You don’t need to know anything about the genres in advance. We’ll discover them up together in class. Genres are like suggestions – riverbanks to channel the flow of creativity.  What we come up with is ours entirely!

  • Eight weeks
  • Mondays 6-8pm UK time – 6 October-24 November
  • Thursdays 6-8pm UK time – 9 October-27 November
  • Min 5, Max 10 participants
  • £120 Early bird price £95 until 29 September
SKU: N/A

Playing with styles opens up fresh, new ways of being on stage. Instead of defaulting to “a couple washing dishes in the kitchen,” genres take us to new worlds, characters, ways of being.  I’ve performed in genre-based troupes and loved them both!  “Breaking Bard” – improvised Shakespeare and “The Pickwick Capers” – improvised Charles Dickens.


Some of the Genres We’ll Play With

These aren’t set in stone but to give you a flavour… Some weeks we’ll spend the whole class in one genre. Other times we’ll dip in and out of more than one.  We might add a new ones, if they’re requested.

Into the Woods – Fairy Tales

Enchanted forests, wise teachers, magical objects, heroes and villains, happily-ever-afters.

Into New Worlds – Science Fiction

When the rules no longer apply: aliens, time travel, and ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances.

Drama-Rama – Soap Operas & Telenovelas

Big emotions, dramatic pauses, and everyday lives suddenly turned upside down.

Detectives & Details

Listening like Sherlock Holmes, responding to tiny offers, interrogations and unmaskings. Discovery is in the detail!

Silent Films

Exaggerated overacting, physical comedy, and minimal words, playing to a soundtrack.

Shakespeare

Kings and queens, witches and ghosts, poetic fools, and gloriously overblown metaphors. (No need to know any Shakespeare!)

Western

Small-town life, big-time stakes, duels of status, and the power of silence.

Myths & Legends

Gods and mortals, creation myths, big archetypes, and wacky rituals.


Qs and As

I can’t make all the classes—will I be able to follow what’s going on?

Yes – the more you can come the better but each class is self-contained so you don’t need to attend every week. I’ve kept the price low enough that I hope it’s good value it even if you miss a couple.

Do I need to know anything about the genres?

No – they’re inspirations, not exams :-). We’ll cook up our own original versions in the moment.

Accessibility

You’re welcome with any range of physical mobility. The only requirements are:

  • Being able to use Zoom (or being willing to learn a few simple buttons).
  • A decent internet connection and space to play.
  • Good English. Many non-native speakers come to classes.  It’s not a language test but you should feel comfortable enough to follow a conversation.

If you have specific needs, let me know. If this class isn’t the best fit, I’ll see if I can suggest another option.

What’s the cancellation policy?

  • If I have to cancel, you can have a full refund or transfer, whichever you prefer.  I’ll try to give you as much notice as possible, usually at least a week for courses.
  • If you cancel more than 7 days before the start: full refund.
  • If you cancel less than 7 days before: 50% refund.
  • After the course starts: no refund.

Some images from some of my genre based groups – The Pickwick Capers (a Charles Dickens style show – I’m at the bottom in the hat!) and a promotional image for Breaking Bard (Shakespeare – I don’t think we got a photographs). 🙂

Image Credits

“I really, really enjoyed it! It was fun, connecting, revealing, challenging and liberating.”

Hannah Bose, Florida USA

“I was very reluctant to try improv at first. I imagined that I’d be put on the spot to tell jokes and that sounded like the opposite of fun. I was afraid of doing it wrong or looking silly. Little did I know that these would be two of the things I would find utterly joyful about the classes. The penny quickly dropped that this is exactly what I need to work on as a recovering perfectionist who uses seriousness as a comfort blanket. I soon found that the impact went way beyond the two hours in class, into how I face uncertainty in my day-to-day life, how comfortable I am to follow the flow in coaching, and the way I converse with people.

Andrew is a marvellous teacher – through his gently encouraging facilitation and the community he builds around the classes, I felt really at ease and able to step into the limelight more than I’d ever imagined. It really feels like you have a whole team cheering you on every time you give it a go. Wonderful stuff!”

Gemma, London

“I am so glad I took the plunge to do the course. I love the sessions. I have really found another side to myself.”

Naomi, Brighton

“I absolutely loved your introductory class! Improv is definitely outside my comfort zone, but you created such a welcoming environment, and you very skillfully calmed everyone’s nerves. I had a lot of fun, and it was wonderful to uncover a playful aspect of myself that had been buried for a long time.”

Lisa Fisher, California

“Andrew’s class was an invitation to explore myself on a deeper level.  I’m glad I went.

Being able to feel at home within the gentle, playful and somewhat stretching environment meant that I could explore more of what has been holding me back from showing up as myself in the moment, and that need to get it right – that being me wasn’t or hasn’t been enough could pass on through.

It’s so much more than what my understanding of improv was. It’s like a game in which you get to play lots of different aspects of yourself.

It’s definitely designed with fun and laughter in mind.  If you allow yourself, you will not help but laugh.

Andrew is a gifted host and facilitator and brings so much fun energy to the space. Worth exploring if you haven’t been!”

Lisa Fernandez, Wales UK

“Andy holds a beautiful container for the people in his groups.  He helps with his own presence to bring connection between his participants so we all felt relaxed with each other. I originally signed up as the last 1.5 years made me forget easiness and lightness.  Doing the course, I remembered this crucial side of myself, which I consider in the end one of the strongest gifts a person can have and share with others:  Creating ease and fun in the present moment. I don’t believe we’re here to worry all the time about the future… I already signed up for another class!”

Lisa, Enthusiast of the Present Moment

“I enjoyed it a lot and it opened a window to the world of improv. There are opportunities for us to get out of our comfort zone yet it remains fun and safe. I left the session energized, proud of my journey through my fears and slowly accepting and taming my troll(s).”

Sylvain Mahe | Executive Coach, Singapore

“An invaluable introduction I would highly recommend to anyone interested in having some fun with improvisational groupwork & gameplay, connecting and working with others in a really relaxed and flexible space. I was curious about and interested in trying out this course having had some great memories of my amateur dramatics at school.

Must say this surpassed my expectations as I had a lot more fun than I thought I would have for starters, experienced some creative highs (even if only in my mind) and also felt inspired to apply some of my newly found wisdom and favourite lessons learnt to connect and carry on the fun with others in my day to day experiences which is priceless, as well as making some great new friendships and memories. Many thanks to Andy to for being very inspiring helping me really get in touch with my inner nitwit again. Hooray!”

Matthew, West London

“If Mister Rogers, Ted Lasso, and Wallace (of Wallace and Gromit) had a baby, the result would be Andrew Cain. Andy is kind, compassionate, patient, safe, and inviting…and he’s really expanded my definition of what it means to be human. Over the course of three months, I’ve cried, laughed, smiled, and surprised myself more than I ever thought possible. What started as a mission to lighten up instead turned into a deep acceptance of self. I’m not perfect, and that’s OK. And as Andy points out, that might even be what makes me amazing. Thank you, Andy.”

Kathy Tagudin, Mind-Body Specialist, Orlando FL

“I loved, loved, loved the taster session. It’s more like a favourite pair of jeans that makes me feel fab physically and emotionally- that will carry me well through life. That I can wear for any occasion, feel comfortable and supports me to express myself through language, movement and somatic sensations.”

Nicola Gorb Speech and Language Therapist

“I had always been terrified of improv. When I finally took the plunge in Andrew’s highly safe and encouraging workshop, it was a joy to meet my playful side. I amazed myself at what I did and how much I enjoyed it.”

Reethah Desai, UK

“It was a very safe and playful environment that you created during the workshop. I really appreciated the care you took with all participants.”

Susanne Bentley, Belgium

“I can’t tell you how much I’ve loved this class. Andrew’s teaching, the games we’ve played, and my new friends from all over the world. I think the title for the class is perfect because you do end up surprising yourself and just plain having fun!  I never would have dreamed of signing up for an improv class a year ago, but Andrew makes it so joyful and so safe to be as you are, to try things out, to take chances! This class has been the highlight of my week for 9 weeks now. I get to play and laugh and be human with others who are doing the same. I always leave with a smile on my face!”

Leigh Sloss, Yoga Therapist, New Hampshire, US

“Andy has this phenomenal capacity to meet you exactly where you are and welcome you safely and gently into a journey of discovery filled with joy, lightness and connection. The sessions are fun, supportive and insightful in the most organic way. As a therapist, what I appreciate more than anything about what Andy shares is how deeply therapeutic it feels in its invitation to playfulness and curiosity.

I can’t recommend improv with Andy highly enough!”

Aisha Fakhro, Bahrain

“I’ve just completed ‘The Delight of Surprising Yourself’, Andy’s beginners’ improv course, which I hugely enjoyed. Andy was great at helping us all develop as well as connecting us together as a group. Apart from being great fun it has helped me to slow down, really listen, be more comfortable with uncertainty and more spontaneous. I would hugely recommend it and am looking forward to the follow on course.”

Lucy, Southampton, UK

“I come to class feeling like a boiled zucchini and leave feeling like everything is possible.” 🙂

Nadra, Italy

“I wanted to give it a go as it seemed fun and I was not disappointed! Andrew is a wonderful host with a great sense of humour. Everyone feels welcome. Looking forward to play and connect again :)”

Sophie, Belgium

“I love how you are so open and honest about yourself.  The sessions are so helpful on all sorts of levels, as well as really fun. Would love to do more!”

Lucy, UK

“Thank you for providing such a warm and welcoming spot to explore.”

Lisa Bayer-Maisel, California

“It was really fun – very supportive and encouraging 🙂”

Hon Chong, Bratislava

“I joined Andy’s Play / Connect online session without any experience of improv or even knowing what to expect. I just knew that I needed a healthy dose of playfulness, laughter and connection. Andy and his session did not disappoint. He was able to bring strangers together in an online format with ease and grace. We all had the luxury of being with each other in such a fun way and forget for a short time the current perils. I highly recommend him and his fun-loving work.”

Jamie Abrams Founder | YogaJamie

“This week I hosted my first, “Inner Play Lab,” where I helped others play around with different ways of defusing our thoughts, feelings, sensations, and judgments. It’s had rave reviews!!!  Your class helped me to have the confidence to be spontaneous, to tolerate being in the space of the unknown, and feel into what’s alive in the moment – and in doing so, you are helping me to support others in doing the same.”

 

Kati, Psychotherapist, USA

“I always felt welcome, no matter how I showed up. The course has helped me to notice many patterns and train new ones in a safe and fun environment. I absolutely recommend it, even if you are slightly terrified of improv and you’ve never done it before (like me). Andrew will inspire you, with tact, enthusiasm and kindness.”

Fabiana, Coach & Dance Teacher, Switzerland
“Doing improvisation with Andrew has allowed me to refine my communication skills and to cultivate curiosity. As a professional speaker and facilitator I feel not only more confident but also more able to avoid being sabotaged by my inner critic who tries to be too perfect and who can drain my energy! The improvisation practice has helped my facilitation style become more spontaneous and playful which is really super both for myself and my audiences. Working with Andrew is an absolute pleasure. He is as professional as he is playful and approachable.”
Celynn Morin, Wellbeing Speaker, Author & Facilitator

Debbie talks about overcoming her initial fears and how it’s helped her in her coaching business.

Debbie Lee, Scotland

“I was nervous but Andrew skilfully led the session which was really fun and flew by. It left me wanting more and I’ll be back as soon as I can!”

Marie Cockerell, UK

“I had lost the ability to experience joy after a burned out scenario. I got help and manage to acknowledge my own needs in and outside motherhood, joy was one of them so I took Andrew’s taster class… immediately felt taken care of, a place to be as “wrong” and nervous and worried by language skills (not native English) but having fun while at it… so freeing. My body said yes, this is it!, and so, for the next following weeks got to meet others like me that didn’t “look” like I was feeling but also share they were feeling as I was. Andrew took care of us. I had fun, was the peak of my week, my face got hurt of all the laughs oh and also every session by… 20mins in I was already coughing because all the laughing.

I also needed the kindness Andrew is… I felt welcome.

I want to keep the giggle muscle growing and I’ll go to Andrew’s gym.

Thank you.”

Paulina Valverde
Mom (and only care giver) of a toddler and trying to set up a business.

“I loved today so much.  The timing was perfect for a zoom session although I actually really wanted it to go on longer in many ways!  To have two hours of freedom from mind talk and a sense of play was heaven! You facilitated it like a true craftsman.”

Jo Miller, UK

“I was everything Andy said he liked to work with – uptight, perfectionist, stiff, and self-judgmental.  The 8 weeks of his course was nothing less than transformational for me!

I feel more comfortable in my own skin in a way that I haven’t before.  I trust myself in the moment.  I have already noticed my anxiety go down when things don’t go according to plan.  I laugh and play in a way that I haven’t for years.

He built connection and a sense of trust, ease and fun in the group.  I felt connected to everyone and it was great to meet people from around the world!  I highly recommend any of his courses and can’t wait for the next one!”

Aislinn Canarr, Maine USA
Choose day

Mondays 6-8pm UK Time, Thursdays 6-8pm UK Time