Autumn Retreat - Bring it Back: Pattern, Variation, and Freeform Improv

Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October

Improvisation can take many forms. It can be thoughtful, playful, rigorous, or ridiculous. It can be a creative discipline, a social practice, or a personal exploration. Whatever form it takes, what we love most is when improvisers come together for a few days of focus, laughter, and discovery.

Each autumn, we gather at the beautiful Roffey Park in Sussex for a weekend of intensive classes, good food, and even better company. It’s a chance to step outside your weekly habits, reconnect with your practice, and explore new directions in your work.

The musical stream is taught by Heather Urquhart, with live music and the non-musical stream by Jules Munns. Both streams offer a mix of deep exploration and practical skill-building, with time for play, reflection, and collaboration.

This retreat is aimed at improvisers with one or more years of regular practice, or Level 3 and above on the AndAlso pathway.

If you’re not sure which level fits best, drop us an email to hello@andalsoimprov.com.

Improvisers love the new.

The next idea. The next scene. The next twist.

But this weekend, we invite you to try the opposite.

Rather than constantly adding, what happens if we use what’s already there? What images, relationships, themes, melodies, or moments have more to offer? What are we not done with yet?

Across two parallel streams - Longform Improv and Musical Improv, this retreat explores how rich, surprising, and emotionally satisfying shows can emerge when we return to ideas, rather than abandoning them.

Inspired by freeform improvisation, we’ll explore how structure can emerge organically through recurring themes, shared instincts, patterns, callbacks, motifs, music, and the ensemble’s collective curiosity. Instead of “finding the game” or forcing a format, we’ll discover what the show wants to become by paying attention to what keeps pulling us back.

By the end of the weekend, you’ll feel more confident creating coherence with the simplest of tools; trusting your instincts, following connections, and shaping improvised work collaboratively in real time.

Because bringing it back doesn’t mean giving up creativity or control. Quite the opposite. Returning to what has already appeared creates shows with more shape, more resonance, and often more surprise.

with Jules Munns

Capacity: 14 participants

This stream explores freeform longform improvisation, discovering structure through repetition, contrast, theme, and ensemble instinct.

Together, we’ll explore how scenes can echo and evolve, how callbacks can deepen meaning rather than simply land jokes, and how recurring details create satisfying, connected shows without predetermined structure.

with Heather Urquhart & Joe Samuel

Capacity: 16 participants

In this musical stream, we’ll explore how songs, themes, melodies, rhythms, and emotional ideas can return and evolve across an improvised musical piece.

Rather than chasing the next shiny idea, we’ll practise recognising what wants to come back. Musically, emotionally, and theatrically, and use repetition, variation, reprises, and thematic callbacks to create musicals that feel connected, playful, and alive.

Together, we’ll explore how recurring musical and narrative ideas can help an improvised musical discover its own shape organically, creating work that feels both surprising and satisfying.

Venue:

Roffey Park, a beautiful retreat venue set within 40 acres of parkland just outside Horsham. With spacious, light-filled studios, comfy en-suite accommodation, excellent food, and peaceful grounds to explore, it’s the perfect place to play, rest, connect, and immerse yourself in improv.

Schedule:

Arrive from 16:00, dinner at 17:00, with the first class starting at 18:00

Workshops continue until 16:00 on Sunday afternoon, with optional evening activities on Saturday.

Travel:

Roffey Park is located just outside Horsham in West Sussex, with easy access from Brighton, London, and the surrounding areas.

For those travelling by train, Horsham Station is the nearest station, with regular direct services from London Victoria, London Bridge, Brighton, and Gatwick Airport. Taxis from the station to Roffey Park take approximately 10 minutes.

There is plenty of free parking available on site for those travelling by car. AndAlso, 4 EV charging points.

Non-residential tickets include all workshops plus breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Accommodation not included.

Tickets - please tell us on the booking form which type of room you would like if staying for the full residential experience:

Class sizes are limited to 14 for longform and 16 for musical improv.

A £100 non-refundable deposit secures your place. Balances are payable eight weeks before the event (by the 1st September). Deposits are transferable up to that point.

Cancellation Policy

What experience level is required to attend this retreat?

To take this class, you will need to be comfortable performing longform improvisation. Experience with forms such as the Armando, montage, or freeform longform is recommended. In the AndAlso system, this means level 3 or above. If you are unsure whether this intensive is right for you, please email us at hello@andalsoimprov.com.

I have never attended an AndAlso retreat before. How does it feel?

There’s a reason they’re called retreats. Expect a focused, playful, immersive weekend with plenty of time to explore ideas in depth. That said, AndAlso retreats are supportive environments. We aim for challenge, rest, laughter, and enough space for ideas to settle.

Can I come alone? Or if I am new to the AndAlso community?

Absolutely. Our community is very friendly, and people travel from all over the world to our intensives and retreats. We work hard to make a class feel like a team as quickly as possible.

How many people will be taking part?

Our retreats are capped at 16 participants for the musical stream and 14 for the longform stream, though Roffey Park’s layout allows us to add second classes if the first fills quickly.

What is the timetable for the weekend?

The rough schedule is as follows, though timings may shift slightly. To get the most from the weekend, we recommend arriving in time for Friday dinner.

Friday

4pm Arrival opens

5pm Dinner

6pm Class (meet upstairs in the hall)

Saturday

8.30am Breakfast

10am Class

1pm Lunch (and group photo)

3pm Class

6pm Dinner

8pm Hang time

Sunday

8.30am Breakfast and check out

10am Class

1pm Lunch

2pm Class

4pm Time to go home

Where is the retreat being held? And how do I get there?

This retreat takes place at a new venue for AndAlso: Roffey Park in Sussex. The venue has ensuite rooms (single, double, twin, and accessible), extensive grounds, and facilities including a gym and swimming pool.

Roffey Park is a seven-minute taxi ride from Horsham station, with straightforward connections from central London, Gatwick, and Heathrow. Closer to the event, we will help participants coordinate taxi sharing.

For our Sussex community, the venue is around a 40 minute drive from Brighton, with ample parking on site.

What happens after class finishes on Friday and Saturday night?

Although some people will want time to relax after a long day, we always make space for community time. Friday is usually a relaxed hangout and Saturday is a lightly themed improv jam.

Will there be a performance?

For this retreat, there is no public performance, though if we have two classes, they may perform for each other over the course of the weekend.

Do I have to stay on site?

No. For the first time this year, we are offering day tickets. These include all tuition, evening entertainment, lunch, and dinner. This option allows our Brighton community, and anyone who prefers their own bed, to take part without staying overnight.

Will I have the opportunity to share accommodations and access needs before the intensive?

Of course. At AndAlso, we do everything we can to make our classes welcoming and accessible. You can share access requirements when booking, and you are always welcome to contact us at hello@andalsoimprov.com.

Can I attend part of the weekend?

Due to the nature of the syllabus, attending part of the class is not possible for this retreat.