want to IMPROVe your acting?

8 Week Improvisation Masterclass for professional actors with Holly Austin

Are you terrified of improvisation?

Do you think you have to be funny to do it?

Or are you an actor wanting to sharpen your ability to really listen, stay present and respond instinctively in the moment?

And how might improvisation support you in the audition room, a rehearsal process, or when creating your own work for stage or screen?

Improvisation is an actors gym, where actors train the essential muscles of their craft: listening, instinct, imagination and play.

In this 8-week masterclass, actors will strengthen their ability to respond truthfully in the moment, make bold spontaneous choices and create vivid characters through behaviour and observation.

Through playful improvisation training and character exploration, you will practise staying present and responsive rather than planning ahead. The work strengthens listening, instinct and spontaneity, allowing authentic and surprising performances to emerge.

Improvisation helps actors get out of their heads and into the moment. It sharpens instinct, builds confidence and keeps your work alive, responsive and playful in auditions, rehearsals and performance. Improvisation has also been the foundation of many celebrated works for stage and screen - from the rehearsal processes of Mike Leigh’s films to the iconic improvisational style of Christopher Guest’s mockumentaries such as This Is Spinal Tap, and the razor-sharp ensemble timing seen in stage hits like The Play That Goes Wrong.

Many celebrated performers - including Tina Fey, Steve Carell and Bill Murray - built their craft through improvisation before becoming some of the most recognisable actors on screen.

The long-term vision for this training is to build a dedicated ensemble of improvising actors, working together at a high level of craft, play and collaboration, with the aim of developing original work and ultimately creating a feature film generated through improvisation.

Entry to the course is by application only and open to professional actors seeking to expand their craft, creativity and spontaneity through improvisation. Places will be offered via CV submission. See below for application details.

What You’ll Gain

Through this 8-week training you will develop:

Stronger listening and presence

Learn to respond truthfully in the moment rather than planning ahead.

Greater instinct and spontaneity

Build the confidence to make bold, authentic choices in auditions and performance.

Character creation skills

Discover how character can emerge through behaviour, observation and improvisation.

Adaptability in auditions and casting

Practise staying flexible and responsive when working with direction or unexpected prompts.

Tools for rehearsal and devising

Learn how improvisation can unlock new ideas and discoveries in rehearsal processes.

Creative pathways for your own work

Explore how improvisation can generate material for stage and screen projects.

Hello I'm Holly...

I’m an award-winning Australian actor, theatre-maker and teaching artist with over 20 years of experience in performance and actor training.

My practice is deeply rooted in improvisation and clown, alongside classical acting training. I’ve trained internationally with some of the world’s leading improvisation teachers and schools, including Keith Johnstone, and at UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) in New York, Second City Chicago and iO Theater Chicago. These institutions are internationally recognised for producing some of the most dynamic improvisers and comedic performers working today.

My belief in improvisation as essential actor training was cemented early in my career. After multiple international callbacks for a television commercial alongside auditionees from across the globe, I booked the role and ended up shooting in the United States, an experience that ultimately helped me buy my first house. In that process I realised my secret weapon was improvisation training.

Improvisation allows actors to be flexible, spontaneous and truly present in the audition room. Instead of delivering something fixed, you’re able to respond to direction, adapt quickly and stay alive in the moment. Time and time again, it’s been a skill that has helped me book work. It’s also an incredibly powerful tool for actors interested in creating their own work for stage or screen, generating characters, ideas and unexpected moments that scripted work alone can’t always access.

Alongside my performance career, I’ve spent more than two decades teaching improvisation, screen acting and theatre-making. I’m currently a core tutor in improvisation and theatre-making for the NIDA Diploma course.

I’ve also been a specialist guest tutor in screen and improvisation for the BA of Performing Arts at Actors Centre Australia, and have led improvisation masterclasses for professional actors at The Hub Studio. I’ve facilitated workshops and training programs for actors and young people at institutions including The Sydney Opera House, Arts Centre Melbourne, Parramatta Riverside and Sydney Theatre Company.

My teaching approach combines rigour and play. I’m passionate about helping actors strengthen their instincts, trust their impulses and rediscover the joy of being truly present in the work. I aim to create a room where actors feel supported to take risks, surprise themselves and reconnect with the freedom, imagination and aliveness that sit at the heart of great performance.

Improvisation has always been the actor’s gym for me, a place to train instinct, imagination and deep listening.

Neil Armfield OA

Director

Holly Austin is a unique and inspiring figure in the Australian arts landscape. Performer, creator and teacher, she is leaving in her wake a rich legacy of work shaped by a very personal methodology. I met Holly twenty years ago, when I had the pleasure of directing her, fresh out of NIDA, in my film Candy, where her presence and instincts were vividly evident even among giants like Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish. Years later, I saw Ruby’s Wish and was deeply moved by its imaginative scope and emotional precision. Holly is a courageous and original artist whose work consistently blends joy, risk, beauty and humanity.

Virginia Gay

Actor, Writer, Director

Holly Austin is a big-hearted improvisational genius, and a conduit of powerful creative energy that allows others to flourish and blossom in her classes, and beyond. The skills she teaches are not just about improv, they’re vital skills for any actor who wants to make their own work, write their own stories, and truly survive this wild ride called ‘being an actor’. Her invention is endless and her joy infectious. Cannot recommend highly enough!

Lyn Pierce

Improvisation Teacher, Author Improvisation: The Guide

Holly Austin is an exceptional improviser and teacher. She combines a deep understanding of Improvisation craft with instinctive timing and invention. She has a wonderful sense of curiosity, generosity and play. Actors working with Holly quickly discover greater freedom, spontaneity and confidence in their work. She creates a room where people feel safe to take risks and truly come alive. Holly is an inspiring artist who leads by example. To work with her is a joy.