Brighton Improv - Advanced Music Improv Course: Acting the Song

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Class description

Our advanced improv courses are where things get bold, playful, and a little bit wild.

These sessions are designed for performers who’ve completed our core curriculum and are ready to push their skills further — whether that means deepening your scenework, playing with experimental forms, or diving headfirst into genres, musicals, or theatrical mashups.

Here, teachers take creative risks. Students explore the edges of what improv can be. Together, we make space for discovery, collaboration, and serious fun.

🎭 Want to stretch?

🎤 Want to surprise yourself?

🎪 Want to co-create something no one’s tried before?

If you’re curious what’s on the other side of your comfort zone — this is it.

Advanced Music Improv Course: Acting the Song

Musical improvisation isn’t just about finding a clever lyric. It’s about inhabiting a world, telling a story, and performing with confidence, whatever the style demands.

In this advanced course, you’ll explore a range of distinctive styles, from classic golden age to contemporary character-driven musicals, from songs with soul to comedy turns. You’ll see what makes each style unique and use them to develop the skills that make improv compelling: emotional commitment, clear choices, strong character perspectives, stage presence and connection with your scene partner and the audience.

This course includes inspiration from:

  • Rock for commitment and presence
  • Sondheim for authenticity and emotional truth
  • Disney for heart and imagination
  • Kander and Ebb (Chicago) for theatricality and Panache

    • …and more

    By spending time in each style, you’ll become more comfortable stepping into different performance worlds, discovering new ways to play and making bold, joyful, engaging choices.

    End-of-term Showcase

    You'll perform in an end-of-term showcase for friends and family on Thursday, 3rd December at the Lantern Theatre.

    (Policies page here.)

    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.

    Liz Peters

    Liz is an acclaimed improviser, performer, and facilitator who brings decades of stage experience into the training room with energy, warmth, and wit. She trained as an actress at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and went on to study improvisation at the legendary iO in Chicago. Since then, she has performed across Europe and the U.S., touring with international ensembles and celebrated improv groups including The Maydays, Yes Queens, Bumper Blyton, and Scaramouche: The Improvised Rock Opera. A certified Embodied Facilitator, Liz is also the author of Own It! How to Boss Your Fears, Free Your Voice and Inspire The Room, which explores confidence, presence, and authentic communication—skills she champions in her teaching. At AndAlso, Liz brings her expertise in improvisation, physicality, and performance to corporate training sessions that unlock creativity, build confidence, and encourage dynamic expression. Her facilitation style is bold, supportive, and joyfully engaging—whether she’s helping teams communicate with clarity, connect emotionally, or navigate the unknown with confidence. Liz specialises in embodied expression—helping beginners discover their playful side, and guiding experienced professionals toward deeper presence, vocal freedom, and spontaneous creativity. She creates learning environments that feel both safe and exhilarating. Favourite improv moment: Creating a fully improvised rock opera from scratch in front of a festival audience and watching people leap to their feet at the end. A powerful reminder that taking risks together can be electrifying—and joyful.