‘Improv and Intimacy’ with Lucy Fennell

Name: ‘Improv and Intimacy’ with Lucy Fennell
Start: 2025-10-25T10:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-10-26T18:00:00+01:00
Location: 50 St Paul's Road, BS8 1LP Bristol, United Kingdom

Schedule

Sat, 25 Oct, 2025 at 10:00 am to Sun, 26 Oct, 2025 at 06:00 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

50 St Paul's Road, BS8 1LP Bristol, United Kingdom | Bristol, EN

The way we rehearse and stage scripted scenes of intimacy has been revolutionised by the advent of Intimacy Direction; championing consent, open communication and carefully negotiated choreography.
But where does this leave the intimacy found in improvisation? How can performers possibly gain enthusiastic consent when the action is spontaneous? What measures can an improv group take to instil safer practices in their rehearsals and performance and to elevate the way they use physical and emotional intimacy to tell stories?
Over the weekend we will use discussion, exercises and teacher lead learning to explore the five ‘pillars of intimacy’ and how they interact with improvisation, as well as how we can use them to confidently and safely navigate the use of both physical and emotional intimacy in our improv.

This course is invaluable for improvisers as well as directors and teachers of improv and will cover:

· Ways that improvised theatre is being influenced and supported by the field of professional intimacy direction.
· Exercises to develop safe improvisation of scenes of intimacy in its many forms.
· The ways language can be adjusted to open up dialogue around consent in scenes that include intimacy.
· Exercises to open the way for individuals and groups to safely use physical intimacy to tell stories.
· Strategies that allow improvisers to separate the personal from the performance, and increase resilience by practicing self care.

Lucy is an improviser, intimacy director for stage and intimacy coordinator for TV. She gained her accreditation with Intimacy for Stage and Screen and has gone on to work across networks including Netflix, HBO, Disney, Apple and the BBC, with shows including Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, True Detective: Night Country and Toxic Town. Most recent intimacy direction work includes Visit from an Unknown Woman at Hampstead Theatre, and All’s Well That Ends Well at The Globe.
Lucy is a qualified teacher and instructs in intimacy practice at drama schools including Arts Ed, Trinity Laban and Guildhall.
She is a founding member of Impromptu Shakespeare and as well as improvisation, Lucy has trained in Lecoq, clowning and bouffon.
Lucy is interested in cultivating authentic, candid improvised performance and is committed to creating a nurturing, open space for participants to discover, learn and be inspired.