Online Improv - Musical Ensemble: Character Songs

Name: Online Improv - Musical Ensemble: Character Songs
Start: 2026-09-14T15:00:00.000Z
End: 2026-12-07T17:00:00.000Z
Location: Zoom

Next class:

Monday14 September16:00

Zoom

1/12
Monday14 September16:00 – 18:00
2/12
Monday21 September16:00 – 18:00
3/12
Monday28 September16:00 – 18:00
4/12
Monday5 October16:00 – 18:00
5/12
Monday12 October16:00 – 18:00
6/12
Monday19 October16:00 – 18:00
7/12
Monday2 November16:00 – 18:00
8/12
Monday9 November16:00 – 18:00
9/12
Monday16 November16:00 – 18:00
10/12
Monday23 November16:00 – 18:00
11/12
Monday30 November16:00 – 18:00
12/12
Monday7 December16:00 – 18:00

Class description

Welcome to the Advanced Online Improv Musical Ensemble course, a deep dive into the world of musical shortform. This term, we’re jumping into Character Songs.

About Us:

The Musical Ensemble is a globally connected group of passionate performers who have been crafting musical magic online since the onset of the pandemic. With members from all over the world, our ensemble thrives on a shared love for musical improvisation and the drive to explore diverse creative genres.

What to Expect:

🎭🎵 Character Songs: Finding the Character in the Music! 🎵🎭

Are you a musical improviser who wants to create songs that feel completely rooted in character? Join our latest ensemble course, where we'll explore how *character, physicality, voice, worldview, and music* can come together to create memorable improvised songs and scenes.

We'll investigate what happens when a character gets to sing — not just what they sing about, but *how they sing it, why they sing it, and what their unique perspective brings to the song.*

About the Course:

A chance to dive deep into the world of *character-driven musical improvisation*. We'll explore how changing your voice, physicality, status and energy can transform a song, while also discovering how a character's beliefs, desires and worldview can shape the lyrics and musical choices.

We'll play with classic musical theatre archetypes — from *villain songs and "I Want" songs to comic characters, unlikely heroes and ordinary people caught up in extraordinary circumstances* and discover how to make these familiar forms feel fresh and completely improvised.

What You'll Learn:

🎤 Sing in Character: Explore how voice, physicality, accent, rhythm and musical style can instantly communicate character and bring your songs to life.

🎭 Find the Character's Point of View: Discover how a character's wants, fears, beliefs and worldview can drive lyrics, storytelling and musical choices.

😈 Master the Archetypes: Dive into classic character songs including villain songs, "I Want" songs, comic songs and songs of transformation — and learn how to play with the expectations of each form.

🌟 Ordinary & Extraordinary: Explore the contrast between ordinary characters having extraordinary days and extraordinary characters having completely ordinary ones — and discover the rich comic and dramatic possibilities in both.

🎶 Character Through Music: Experiment with how different musical styles, tempos, rhythms and song structures can reveal something about who a character really is.

What Makes This Course Unique?

This isn't just about *playing a character while singing. It's about discovering how the character can actually generate the song.

We'll explore the delicious moment when character, music, and story collide, when a character's physicality changes their rhythm, their worldview shapes their lyrics, and the music itself reveals something they didn't even know about themselves.

Expect big characters, tiny characters, heroes, villains, weirdos, romantics, eccentrics, and plenty of people who have absolutely no business bursting into song… but do anyway.

Come and discover who your characters become when they find their voice. 🎭🎶✨

To apply to join the Musical Ensemble for our autumn term in 2026, please email heather@andalsoimprov.com

Ready to remix your musical shortform toolkit and help invent the next great game? We can’t wait to sing with you!

12 Mondays from the 14th September with a 1-week break after 6 weeks, 16:00–18:00 UK time.

Final week = online performance showcase!

Teachers

Joe Samuel

Joe is a musician, improviser, and creative facilitator who helps corporate teams unlock creativity, collaboration, and communication through the power of musical improvisation. Trained in music at Royal Holloway University, Joe has been Musical Director for Brighton’s The Treason Show and The Maydays, and has led music direction at major European improv festivals in Barcelona, Amsterdam, and Lyon. He has performed with leading improv artists worldwide and co-authored a book on musical improv, combining deep expertise in music with improvisational theatre. At AndAlso, Joe designs and delivers workshops that use musical improv techniques to help teams listen better, respond faster, and innovate together. His facilitation blends musicality with practical exercises that develop trust, presence, and adaptability in professional environments. Joe is also a pioneer of online musical improv sessions, bringing engaging and interactive experiences to remote and hybrid teams across industries. Favourite improv moment: Leading a spontaneous blues jam at a European festival where music and story merged to create an unforgettable shared experience.

Heather Urquhart

Heather is an award-winning improviser, trainer, and creative facilitator who works at the joyful intersection of performance and professional development. She performs internationally with Olivier Award-winning Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, The Maydays, and The Comedy Store Players, and is a sought-after teacher of musical and narrative improvisation. Her approach is playful, honest, and rooted in years of live experience, onstage and off. As Founder and Head of Corporate Training at AndAlso, Heather helps businesses apply the principles of improv to real-world challenges like communication, collaboration, creative thinking, and adapting to the unexpected. She has designed and delivered training for clients including Amazon, Investec, GSK, King’s College London, NHS Leadership Academy, The British Council, and many more. Originally trained in physical theatre, Heather studied improvisation in Chicago at iO and The Annoyance Theatre. Her facilitation style blends humour, warmth, and sharp insight, helping people feel comfortable enough to stretch, experiment, and discover new ways of working. Whether she’s coaching a group of senior leaders or guiding a room full of improv newbies, Heather’s superpower is making the scary stuff feel exciting—and even fun. Favourite improv moment: Giving the England Rugby Team a crash course in improv, then performing a show with them for the sports press. Watching elite athletes who thrive under physical pressure suddenly wrestle with the unknown onstage was a reminder that everyone’s comfort zone looks different, and that courage comes in many forms.