September 7 – 10, 2023
Ayala Malls Circuit Makati
4 days. 14 shows. 70 acts. 12 workshops. Over 15 countries and 300 improvisers.
Asia’s biggest improv festival is back! After 4 years, the Manila Improv Festival is now bigger than ever with troupes from Seoul to Slovakia, Australia to Austria, Israel to India, Canada to Chicago, Tokyo to Taipei, and more!
Improvisational theatre, or improv, is a form of theatre where scenes and stories are created spontaneously and on the spot, inspired by audience suggestions. The result? One-of-a-kind shows that are filled with laughter and joy from the magic of spontaneity.
With this year’s theme, “Brave the New”, the festival celebrates creative courage and fearless authenticity even in the face of change. So be ready to be treated to a hilarious festival filled with diverse stories, brave comedy, and never-seen-before shows!
Happening on September 7-10, 2023 at the Ayala Malls Circuit Makati, make sure to be part of this vibrant, joyful, and intercultural celebration of spontaneity!
Get your tickets now at bit.ly/mif2023-tickets or via fb.com/manilaimprovfestival
Presented by Third World Improv and Ayala Malls Circuit Makati
Festival director: Dingdong Rosales
Festival producers: Aih Mendoza and Karl Echaluse
History of the Manila Improv Fest
Created by the Silly People’s Improv Theater (SPIT), the Manila Improv Festival (MIF) has earned an increasing following from improvisers, enthusiasts and fans from all over. Now on its sixth edition, the MIF has come a long way since its first run in 2004.
SPIT also started Third World Improv in 2015, and opened its doors to anyone who would like to experience the joy of improv. This year, over 20 improv groups from the Philippines are participating at the festival. This is a definitive sign of our rapidly growing improv scene, further bolstered by TWI’s establishment as the first school in the country dedicated to teaching the art and craft of improvisational theater. Today, TWI is home to over 500 students, the population of which continues to grow.
What people have said about the Manila Improv Festival
“To be entertained by a community of fun, talented people who always strive to push boundaries is definitely an experience. Every edition of the Manila Improv Fest is my happy pill and I have not missed one since. Improv is life!”
– Patricia Infante, annual Manila Improv Festival attendee
“The Manila Improv Fest is one of the best weeks of my life! Interacting and witnessing various cultures and verbal literature on an international stage is pure joy.”
– Celina Cristobal, annual Manila Improv Festival attendee
“Comedy like I’ve never seen before! Fresh and one-of-a-kind. I’ve never laughed harder!”
– Keno Echaluse, Improv Fan
“If you’re looking for a different kind of theatre experience that combines joy, wit, and earnest comedy from all around the world, go watch the Manila Improv Festival.”
– Pappu de Leon
Performer + Show Descriptions
Show 1
Join us for SHOW 1 on September 7 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Stage A (Cinema 2), Circuit Makati.
Duda (Israel)
– As two actors for the Israeli national theater “Habima”, and one crazy musician, we often get bored from the monotony of the same play every night, and this is why we started improvising our own crazy stories. In the last few years we performed in festivals around the world (Finland, Sweden, Bulgaria, Denmark and the Philippines.) and creating our style of narrative, between order and complete chaos.
Title: Romantic Comedy
Love is so complex and fun, a love story is something that never gets old. In this show, we’ll do a romantic comedy. Join us in our crazy take-off to Noting-Hill, 50 First Dates and Beautiful Woman.
Thick. Solid. Tight. (Singapore)
– Thick. Solid. Tight. is a duo from Singapore. They love multidisciplinary storytelling and experimenting with themes, topics, and tools that may not often be seen on an improv stage. Their last show for MIF 2019 was based around months of research into mental health, and they’ve also performed at the SG National Gallery in a show that blended live visual art with improvised theatre.
Title: The Chatroom
Theatre spaces post-pandemic were strained – audiences were in the same physical space with performers but could not verbally communicate with each other. Enter The Chatroom: audiences use their phones to log into a mass chatroom, projected onto the stage wall at all times. The performers become “streamers” interacting with the chatroom, live and in-the-moment. The Chatroom challenges performers to cede control to their audience, and gives the audience the agency to craft the show and story they want. It recreates a microcosm of the internet, but your anonymity is challenged by your physical presence in the room. Previous stagings of the show have resulted in audiences banding together… or falling apart from the vitriol.
This show has historically been a duo. However, MIF provides a unique opportunity to collaborate with international improvisers, since the internet and our experiences on it are universal. PS: inspired in part by Twitch Plays Pokemon and performance artist Marina Abramovic’s “Rhythm 0”.
International Collaboration (Philippines/Australia)
– We are improvisers from Big Fork Theatre, Brisbane, Australia; home of the Brisbane Improv Festival. Janette has been performing with them since 2015 and she is also an improv teacher, coach, and producer. Adam also teaches and produces shows, while Becky has been performing with the theatre for years, and Linda is one of its newer members.
Title: Ang Boypren Kong Puti
Experience the journey of a multicultural relationship between a Filipina-Australian and an Australian man, as their families meet for the first time over dinner, delving into their dating history and wedding plans. Watch as the young woman sprinkles Filipino words into their conversation, and her partner desperately tries to impress her family despite his unfamiliarity with the language and traditions. Will their families set aside the cultural differences and approve of their relationship? Join us for an unforgettable and blissfully ignorant tale of multicultural love.
SPIT (Philippines)
– Not the favorite, but people always ask us to do shows. Make up your mind pls?
Title: Hinga Hingalo Part 8
Just when you thought, all things come to an end, reboot happens. Just when you thought, God closed a door, it actually opens.
Show 2
Catch the laughter at SHOW 2 on September 8 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Stage A (Cinema 2), Circuit Makati.
The Oracle of Delphi (International Collaboration)
– The Oracle is a multinational ensemble of improvisers brought together to perform at MIF. The players are from the Philippines, India, Singapore, Taiwan, and the USA.
Title: The Oracle of Delphi
Throughout history, humans have always sought answers to the things that matter most to them. The Oracle, a multidisciplined improvisational devised show, explores both those types of questions and seek answers to them through using Greece’s Delphi Oracle as a ritual theatre construct to provide a similar experience for the audience. Everyone in the audience writes their own question and puts it in a basket on stage. An improviser playing the priest/priestess will read a question and if they can answer it, they will. If they can’t, they turn the question over to the Delphi (the other improvisers in the cast) and they explore the question through scenes, monologues, songs, poetry, stories, movement until an answer arrives as interpreted by the priest/priestess who then says the answer to the audience. Over the course of the show, anywhere from 3-25 questions might be asked and answered while producing in the audience a wide range of emotions including laughter, gasps, and tears.
MNI (Malaysia)
– A group that started during the MCO, and has been going and growing since. We are an international team by chance, we started with the vision to open the doors to Malaysians to try out improv but were pleasantly surprised by the uptake and demand from an international crowd. Since then we have never missed a Monday night. Growing leadership and allowing for regulars to get a chance to facilitate game sessions is our current focus as we looking to expand the core group.
Title: A Murder in Manila
An express improvised murder mystery in which the audience and the detective will race against the clock to figure out who is the murderer. Follow the characters as they reveal their inner most thoughts and answer questions hurled at them. Will the audience and the detective crack the case? Or will the murderer get away with murder?
Formosa Improv Group 福爾摩沙即興組合 (Taiwan)
– Formosa Improv Group or FIG is a bilingual (Mandarin Chinese/English) improv troupe based in Taipei, Taiwan. Established in 2018 and having had members of 10 different nationalities, FIG seeks to connect with audiences from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds through experimental improv games and formats. If you’re ever in Taipei, be sure to join our workshops and check out our shows!
Title: Quizmaster’s Quest
Ding! Formosa Improv Group (FIG) presents “Quizmaster’s Quest”, an experimental long form where audience members will be invited to get up close and personal with our on-stage characters in their quest for ultimate self-discovery! Ding! 叮！This show will be performed in both Chinese Mandarin and English.
LALANG (Philippines)
– Lalang is a group-in-discovery, primarily composed of Filipino improv players, exploring the possibility of playing short-form improv games with Artificial Intelligence (AI). Lalang aims to rehearse and perform improv in public with an AI improv machine player, to refer to Helen Toner’s term (https://time.com/6280533/ai-chatbots-improv-machines/), and with human improv players (similar to those explored by Improbotics and Human_Machine_Improv). The improv machine’s participation may range from those similar to an audience’s role of giving initial prompts to human improv players to an actual scene partner in an improv game. Lalang wishes to redraw the boundaries of how and what it means to make each other look good when playing improv in an era of multiple sentience.
Title: Char GPT! (aka AI, AY, NAKU!)
As an exploratory improv performance, the improv machine player and the human improv players will showcase short form and proto-long-format improv games. Select games and formats aim to redefine boundaries of making one’s scene partner look good together with and despite the reality that the troupe is composed of different types of sentience, (dis)embodiment, and even (post)human queerness.
Paano mapaparamdam at mapapairal ang improv-malasakit kung magkakaiba tayo ng anyo ng pisikalidad at ng pagmamalay?
Galaw.Co Dance Theater (Philippines)
– Manila based dance theater group that came together for the shared passion in Dance. We are a performing group specializing in Contemporary and other dance styles including improvisation
Title: Galaw-an
We will be creating improvised dances to input from the audience including music choices. There will be solos, duets and group dances.
Show 3
Don’t miss out on SHOW 3 happening on September 8 from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM at Stage B (Mall Level 2), Circuit Makati.
Strangers In Sync (Singapore)
– Strangers In-Sync (SIS) is exactly what happens when eight folks, from different walks of life, are united by their love for improv comedy. Formed in early 2021, SIS is one of Singapore’s most active improv troupes to be born out of the pandemic. They love to create spaces for people to join their celebration of connection and improv on stage.
Title: Sync or Swim: An Improv Rebellion
Strangers In-Sync, formed in Singapore in 2021, are in Manila to rebel against everything that the pandemic made us do! Through our own patented short-form improv games (as well as a few classics), this show will ask the audience to “Brave the New”, blurring the boundaries between the stage and the crowd until we become one.
Language: English with maybe some Chinese slang
ACHOOMAH (Singapore)
– ACHOOMAH (Jabs and Nat) first discovered improv in college, and have been making audiences chuckle ever since. Together, they led the Yale-NUS Improv Comedy Conglomerate and have performed at several improv competitions and festivals, including the Singapore Improv Festival in 2018. As ACHOOMAH, they’ve also performed at the Singapore Improv Festival in 2022. Jabs and Nat are fervent evangelists of making stuff up on the spot and zany characters and compelling stories are at the heart of their scenes.
Title: Something, Somewhere, Some at Sometimes (Waymond)
ACHOOMAH (Jabs & Nat) present Something, Somewhere, Some at Sometimes (Waymond), a brand new format inspired by the filmic sensation Everything, Everywhere, All at Once. Drawing from the film’s notion of branching life paths and parallel universes, a special audience member will get the privilege of seeing how a regret in their life could have played out differently in another life.
Evory (Philippines)
– Duo. Medium length improv. “Odd Couple” male buddies vibe.
Title: Ebony and Ivory
“Odd couple” male buddies vibe.
Fiery Tales (Singapore)
– We are an all-women team from Singapore brought together with our shared zest to bring strong, compelling female perspectives to improv. We aim to explore women-centric stories ignited by our own personal experiences and those around us. BOLD, FIERCE, UNABASHED, narratives that don’t aim to please, just unleash. We are a very new team (formed May 2023) and our mission is to break gender stereotypes that at times crop up in improvised scenes and bring more female points of view in improv scenes. During our playtest, we challenged ourselves to tell deeply personal stories and do scenes only with female characters and we struggled to deliver that… even with a team of 10 experienced improvisers! It made us aware of our own mental barriers and the need to come out of our comfort zone – Our process is achieving just that and hopefully roping the audience into this journey too.
Title: Fiery Tales
“Feminism is not a template, it’s a freaking universe”
No one of consequence, probably a woman
Fiery Tales is a fierce, passionate, no-hold-barred show that brings strong female-centric stories. Fuelled by their own real experiences and those of the audiences, the cast will explore the world through the lens of a woman. Thought-provoking and definitely rebellious, we may fail to be ‘socially correct but we are definitely acing the Bechdel test.
Up2U Pattaya City Improv (Thailand)
– We are a small ensemble that stresses extreme audience participation. Our motto is “Let’s make theatre together.”
Title: Up2U — The Travel Show
We create a travel show guided by frequent audience suggestions. The show will be in English.
Pochinki Palz (Philippines)
– Friends with a shared passion for improv and games have banded together, seeking to play games that inspire improv and perform improv that inspires games. They know not what comes next, only that each new day is a save point in the ongoing improvisational adventure that is their lives.
Title: TBA
Long form improv that may or may not have some improvised musicals and rap. English but may include some taglish.
Dumagli (Philippines)
– Dumagli is a group of improv enthusiasts and theater actors, most of which, are trying out the improvisation scene for the first time.
Title: 6 Chairs.
6 Chairs is a longform improv using the combination of 4 Corner Switch game and in the style of Nick Joaquin’s A Portrait Of The Artist As Filipino. Language used may be in Filipino, English, or both.
Show 4
Be entertained by SHOW 4 on September 8 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Stage A (Cinema 2), Circuit Makati.
The Balcony (Singapore)
– We are a group of experienced improvisers who want to push the boundaries of improv storytelling.
Title: The Balcony
Parties are a great way to socialise with the people you trust and love! …but everyone knows that the real drama happens outside, on The Balcony. We invite you to lean closer and eavesdrop on a gathering of characters as they have private conversations about how they really feel about each other. While you never see “the room where it all happens”, you’ll be able to piece together all the drama unfolding inside!
ASAP (Singapore)
– ASAP Improv started out wanting to be Singapore’s premier “duoprov”— a duo that does improvisation. But then they added a virtuoso and a diva of a director who insisted on being in the cast, that changed and it became a “trioprov” plus one musical genius. But then the tall one couldn’t do a show one time, so the team got in another tall one to replace him. The other tall one didn’t leave, so now ASAP Improv is a “quartprov” plus one musical genius. ASAP Improv specialises in long-form improvisation, putting on fully improvised plays based off suggestions from the audience complete with heart-stopping music.
Title: f(R)agments
Come watch as we do an improvised soap opera with a twist: Our main character meant to be played by Isaac has gone missing! But the show must go on…
Housekeeping Improv (Philippines)
– We are HKI. We love improv!
Title: Tell Me That Story
We’re all made of stories untold, some explaining the hows and whys of who we are. All we really have to say is “Tell Me That Story” to find out more about those around us. Will it surprise us? Delight us? We’ll just have to see.
ImproJapan Heart Project (Japan)
– It is belonging to ImproJapan which is improv company established in 2001.
Title: Links
The show will be in Japanese.
Show 5
Enjoy the humor at SHOW 5 on September 8 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Stage B (Mall Level 2), Circuit Makati.
Vero (Austria)
– Vero started with improvisational theater ten years ago and immediately fell in love with it. She took as many workshops as possible and finally quit her job to go to full time acting school and finished in 2020. Right now she is travelling the world. Before that she performed with her improv group Harri Olli in Zurich (Switzerland). Or with her improv duo the life unscene in Cologne (Germany). And workes as a freelance Improvisor and as a physiotherapist. She‘s also been one of the organizers of IFO Impro Fest Online. Her biggest passion in improvisational theater is longform – both associative and narrative, the joy of creating something together and the feeling of surprising the audience and oneself.
Title: Traveling Solo (But Never Alone)
Looking into someone elses mind? Aren’t we curious? Don’t we all wish we could sometimes do that? Why don’t you? I welcome you to look into my mind.
I love to play freestyle longform improvisational theater. The less I know, the better. So far in groups or at least with a partner. But not this time. This time I am traveling solo.
The show will be in English.
Grace Under Fire (Singapore)
– We are a Singapore based improv troupe. We ran our first show (sold out) in March 2021 and since then have been performing relationship based improv to tickle the mind and warm the heart.
Title: Why not? Let’s be friends!
Starting a new friendship or relationship is a heart stopping, palm sweating and stomach churning confrontation with uncertainty. Especially when those friendships are boundary crossing or unconventional. So of course they are fertile ground for Singapore‘s relationship oriented improv group Grace Under Fire!
Enjoy the story of a new friendship that unfolds before your eyes; be carried through the highs and lows. At the end, you get to decide how it will end. Because Why not? Let’s be friends!
The performance will be in English.
Kim x Matt (Vietnam/Canada)
– Kim Thanh Lê (The Rotten Grapes) and Matt Folliott (The Second City) live on opposite ends of the globe. Vietnam and Canada could not be further away from each other! Kim and Matt’s dedication to creating artistically unique improv shows saw them perform together at the first Vietnam Improv Festival in the spring of 2023. They are thrilled to get a chance to perform at this year’s MIF.
Title: Kim x Matt present BADMINTON!!!
What do Vietnam and Canada have in common? BADMINTON, of course! Kim and Matt will transform the MIF stage into a badminton court for this long-form improv show where two players discuss their history, relationship, and topics of the day, while playing an actual game of badminton. Get ready for the sweatiest improv show you’ve ever seen or not, we’re in good health.
The show will be performed in English.
In The Wind Phone (Singapore)
– The team is made up of players with diverse longform and life experiences, who have come together to explore emotional narratives, deep relationships between characters, and the ways we process loss and grief as a society. This project team first performed together at their debut show in 2022, and again at Singapore Improv Festival 2023.
Title: In the Wind Phone
What does it look like to lose somebody, and what is required of us in the aftermath?
What might we have to say to the departed, dear or otherwise?
How do we step into a new way of life that we never chose?
Show 6
Join us for SHOW 6 on September 9 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Stage A (Cinema 2), Circuit Makati.
PPTK.TV (PowerPoint Karaoke) (Singapore)
– PowerPoint Karaoke Singapore is an improvised presentation comedy show. It has been staged since 2017 at open mics with great response from the audience. PowerPoint Karaoke also performed at Flipside 2021, 2022 at Singapore’s national arts centre The Esplanade and Singapore Improv Festival 2018 and 2021.
Title: MIF.PPTK
PowerPoint Karaoke (not to be confused with actual karaoke) is the show where everything is made up, the slides are nonsense and the presenters don’t know what they’re talking about.
It’s different from your meetings at work though because PPTK is fun, funny, and all about audience participation.
For Manila Improv Festival, we have a mash-up of speakers from all over the world. Some present solo while others duet (not, this is not a karaoke session) in an effort to impart made-up knowledge
SWALLOW Manila (Philippines)
– Like improv’s mantra, “Yes, and…”, we just take everything in, take our own sweet time and regurgitate it into something fabulous for everyone to enjoy (we try our hardest and our darndest :))
Title: Open Wide
We just finished L5 of improv training and we’re ready to show you what we’ve got. Short, long or even mid (form, you naughty people you!), we can handle it. Ang tanong, handa na ba kayo?
Filipino and English. Socialects such as Gay Lingo may be used as well.
Saigon Improv House (Vietnam)
– We met and played improv together in the sunny Saigon, the south of Vietnam. We enjoy good food and from-the-heart comedy. Last but not least, we think you are awesome.
Title: Life on Earth
TBA
Isprikitik Improv (Philippines)
– ISPRIKITIK IMPROV is the most versatile musical improv group in Manila! We are a group of young (ehem), energetic thespians who love improv. Expect Musical Improv, Improvised scenes, and a whole lot of fun with this crazy bunch!
Title: Not A-Dull-Thing
“Vulnerability sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage aren’t always comfortable, but they’re never weakness!” – Brenè Brown
An actor’s goal is to always find truth in each performance.
But what is truth?
This year, we will dare to bare our vulnerabilities and allow the audience a glimpse at our true selves.
Every day life is a series of improvisations — from saying yes, getting into trouble, to baring our truth to the world.
Tune in to the dissonance and harmonies of our voices and music that express, break, and create our truths.
Join us in our “adulting” journey as we expose the unsettling elephants in the room, because with Isprikitik Improv, each show is Not A-Dull-Thing! Sa-chruth lang tayo!
Cupid (International Collaboration)
– Cupid brings together improvisers living in Singapore, Australia and Japan.
Professionals by day and actors by night, these spirited performers have wowed audiences in Asia and Australia with their lively improv shows, and shared Cupid: The Improvised Dating Show with more than 400 people!
Title: Cupid: The Improvised Dating Show
Fresh from its Australian premiere at the FRINGE WORLD Festival in January, Cupid: The Improvised Dating Show comes to Manila to spread the love and turn up the heat!
Is your guilty pleasure trash TV? Do you love improv? We have the show for you!
Cupid incorporates the best tropes from all your favourite reality dating shows. Meet contestants of your creation and watch the chaos unfold as they try to find true love. Play the role of producer, judge and jury and help our host to facilitate this love-fest!
Heartbreak is inevitable, jealousy is guaranteed and no one can predict how it will end!
“A fun, chaotic and completely unpredictable show that will absolutely keep you entertained.” – Perth Happenings
“If you enjoy having a humorous and light-hearted night of entertainment with moderate intensity heat (for a Fringe show), then the Cupid show is a perfect show to go watch.” – Perth Walkabout
Language: English
Show 7
Witness the fun at SHOW 7 on September 9 from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM at Stage B (Mall Level 2), Circuit Makati.
Heartsmith (Singapore)
– Heartsmith stands at the intersection of improvisation and reality, reflecting the genuine emotions and experiences of life through the lens of humor and spontaneity. Our teammates delve into the essence of everyday moments, shaping them into shared stories that delight and inspire. As pioneers of the long-form Harold in Singapore, we embody the spirit of our craft, creating a unique fusion of reality and fantasy in every performance.
Title: Heartsmith: Harold Humor & Harmony
Welcome to Heartsmith! The ordinary becomes extraordinary with us. We’re Singapore’s first improv team focused on Harold long-form improv. Our shows take real life and turn it into stories full of fun, feeling, and surprise.
Your ideas kickstart each show, weaving a heart-filled story that tickles your funny bone and touches your heart. As the Heartsmiths, we turn everyday stuff into something special. Our shows aren’t just about improv – they’re about exploring life’s funny, touching moments. Come join us. Expect laughs, unexpected twists, and a journey into the heart of what it means to be human.
Funnylicious Improv Theater (Slovakia)
– Funnylicious Improv Theater is Slovakia’s premier English improv theater and training center. As a pioneer in English-language improvisational theater in Slovakia, Funnylicious offers a unique and exciting experience for enthusiasts, performers, and audiences alike. From beginners to advanced practitioners, Funnylicious offers a range of workshops and classes tailored to all skill levels. With a commitment to inclusivity and diversity, Funnylicious embraces people from all walks of life, inviting them to join in the laughter and discover the joy of improv comedy.
Title: One Day in Manila
Anything can happen in just one day. Through the main characters who meet by chance in Manila, we learn about their interwoven tales of hope, love, desire, dreams, and fears that take place on the same day.
Audience suggestions will be used and will influence the outcomes of the stories.
Every performance is completely unique, with the audience discovering the stories right alongside the actors.
This performance will feature special international guests at the festival.
Sessionistas Improv (Philippines)
– We make stories, songs and plays on the spot based from suggestions from the audience. We always try.
Title: May the force be with you
An improvised musical that explores space, time and dimension. How? Come and join us to find out.
The Modern Schemers (Singapore)
– Singapore’s longest running improv troupe. Formerly transgressive, now a group of domesticated men in their thirties.
Title: Revenge Therapy
We ask someone in the audience to tell us about their worst enemy, rival, or someone they hate.
We ask them to explain how this person hurt them, what they hate about this person, what this person does for a living, how they look etc.
Then we do a scene about this enemy, that will end in tragedy, with this person ‘tortured by demons’, either literally or metaphorically.
This show is inspired by the glorious folk tradition of Villain Hitting, or “打小人” (da xiao ren): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villain_hitting.
The show will be in English.
Schrodinger’s Act – (On Campus) (Philippines)
– The first High School Improv Club in the Philippines, the organization is composed of Grade 8-12 students of La Salle Green Hills. Members of the organization performed in the most recent MIF and the Alumni members performed online at the Improvisasian Festival
Thanh Minh (Vietnam)
– Thanh Minh is a Hanoian improv duo, of Kim Thanh and Minh. They are playful, quirky, loving, and fearless to explore new ways to improvise. Kim Thanh and Minh are running The Rotten Grapes, a pioneer improv community in Vietnam. They also are Vietnam’s first movers to bring Vietnamese improv to international communities. Thanh Minh can’t wait to take the MIF23 audience on their “bike of stories”.
Malingap Beksters (Philippines)
– We are a group of beks that sometimes perform in drag.
Show 8
Immerse yourself in SHOW 8 on September 9 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Stage C (Manila Symphony Orchestra), Circuit Makati.
Yale-NUS Improv (Singapore)
– Founded in 2013, we are the most established college improv troupe in Singapore. Our current troupe comes from all around the world, including players from Singapore, America, and Vietnam. Self-trained and close-knit, we perform short-form games, mid-form scenes, musical improv, and are also currently experimenting with different formats of long-form games. We usually perform on our campus at Yale-NUS, but we’ve also dipped our toes at other international events like the 2022 Singapore Improv Festival and the 2023 Vietnam Improv Festival. We are so excited to bring our young, fresh, fun-loving, and chaotic flavour to Manila! And we’re especially eager to learn from the wonderful improvisers that will be at the festival.
APAW Graze Box (Philippines)
– APAW Graze Box is manila based Improv group that began working together online during the pandemic. Group members run from 24-60 in age and include professional performers, writers, anthropologists, mentors and teachers. The Graze Box is a temporary thing we fill with help from the audience. Shared Space has been preformed online, and is also regularly performed live around Metro Manila and at the 2022 Singapore Improv Festival.
7-Star Cendol (Singapore)
– We are a group of current and former members of the Yale-NUS Improv troupe that performed at the Singapore Improv Festival. We love performing family-friendly, and narrative-focused scenes.
Excess Baggage (Singapore)
– Travel transports us physically, mentally and emotionally. When we go somewhere new, we feed our minds and our hopes. What do we bring with us when we visit another place? Are excess baggage fees fair? Should we pay upfront or try to sneak it on board with us?
Show 9
Experience the joy of SHOW 9 on September 9 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Stage A (Cinema 2), Circuit Makati.
IMFROG (South Korea)
– 8 years long together Korean improv group based in Soeul, South Korea.
Imfrog do Short and long form, both. Even, Imfrog made few new long form shows.
Imfrog performed in Manila festival before, but this time will be brand new like brave new!
Spicy 9s (India)
– Mumbai’s first ensemble long form improv group; bringing the sensibilities of Indian Theater and presenting it to an audience new to but hungry for improv!
Les Musicables (Singapore)
– Possessing an unyielding love for musicals and an intense need to sing how we feel, Singapore’s only dedicated musical improv troupe Les Musicables will charm you with their song, dance, and stories that touch your soul.
Pirates of Tokyo Bay (Japan)
– Japan’s best improv group. Your favorite Pirates are back in Manila! 10 years of performing to the best fans around at the always awesome MIF! We hope you enjoy the show.
Show 10
Engage in the entertainment of SHOW 10 on September 9 from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM at Stage B (Mall Level 2), Circuit Makati.
New Kitten Party (Singapore)
– We are a Singapore-based team with improvisers from SG, US, and PH (many of us are improv teachers in SG). We specialize in the Armando, bringing in guest storytellers to inspire our comedy improv sets. We aim for our shows to be storytelling-focused and entertaining in a decidedly silly way. Our festival show will include special guest teammates from around SE Asia. As a surprise in honor of Brave the New, at the beginning of the show we will invite someone from the audience who has never seen improv (or at least has never taken a class) to get on stage and play with us!
Zmack Musical Improv (China/South East Asia)
– Zmack presents encore – a diverse intercultural improv troupe performing musical short form and our signature long form, THE RIFF – a 30 minute one act Broadway style Musical. Improvisers from China, Canada, Italy, the UK and the USA join together with the one language that transcends all cultures – MUSIC!
SPG – Sarong Party Group (Singapore)
– A group of improvisers who used Sarongs as part of their improv performances.
We Make Water (Vietnam/Canada)
– Van Trần is the AD of Saigon Improv House in Saigon, Vietnam. Matt Folliott is a former cast member of The Second City National Touring Company in Toronto, Canada. Together they are We Make Water.
Show 11
Be part of the excitement of SHOW 11 on September 10 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM at Stage A (Cinema 2), Circuit Makati.
Buwan ng Wika (Philippines)
– We’re a sweet bunch of Filipino improvisers connected with the love of Filipino teleseryes, dubbed animes, game shows, pop culture, pash pash, mga alamat, and balagtasan. But now, we’ve discovered that we also like arguing and debating with one another, we like incorporating the crowd, and we love being silly.
Glitch Perfect (Singapore)
– Glitch Perfect was born out of pandemic cabin fever, a fondness for baked goods and a fiery love of improv. Since 2021, Glitch Perfect has attracted audiences with their scenes full of heart, fun and chemistry.
Power Sauce (United States of America)
– Power Sauce (Stephen Gillikin, Wendy Natividad) will regale you with a novel yet timeless tale by stirring up a serving of some good ol’ fashioned long-form improv. Just toss in a suggestion, sit back, and behold the Power of Sauce!
INTERNATIONAL JAM (Earth Collaboration)
Pitts & Friends (International Collaboration)
– The Cutting Room would be a combination group of improvisers from the MIF put together to play together.
One Last Job (International Collaboration)
– We are a new group of international improvisers coming together for the first time to pull off the biggest improvised heist the world has ever seen. We will create our own format for the show and make our debut at MIF!
Show 12
Dive into the laughter of SHOW 12 on September 10 from 3:00 PM to 6:30 PM at Stage B (Mall Level 2), Circuit Makati.
Scenedikato (Philippines)
– Classmates to Friends. Originally formed in 2019, ibang tao na sila after the pandemic
The Improverts (Philippines)
– The Improverts are an international Pinoy cohort who embody each ‘vert’—introverts, extroverts, and ambiverts. They believe that anyone can have fun with improv. The group has showcased their trademark emotional mayhem in online and physical spaces, including ImprovisAsian Festival, FringeProv, and all the cool places in Manila that you’ve probably never heard about.
Beijing Broads (China)
– Performing around Beijing, the Beijing Broads are an all female comedy troupe dedicated to bringing laughter to audiences around the city. Ranging from beginners to experienced, our goal is to give women a space to feel comfortable getting their feet wet in the Beijing comedy scene. Proceeds from our shows go to EGRC, an NGO that supports girls from rural regions of Western China to receive high school and university education.
Improv R Us (Singapore)
– Hello, we’re Improv R Us, the team that proves practice makes perfect when it comes to performing. With a mission to craft a new show every month, our quick-witted and sharp senses are always in high gear as we brainstorm and build different styles and formats for our audience’s enjoyment. Beginning with “Improv Against Humanity” at the Singapore Improv Festival 2022, our team of new and seasoned improvisers have devised seven different types of shows and counting. From past successes to new horizons, join us on our improv journey and see what sparks we’ll ignite next!
Swirl Co. (Philippines)
– Trained online by Jonathan Pitts, Swirl Company is an all-Pinoy improv group performing the Organic Harold.
The La Ronde Project (Philippines)
– The La Ronde Project is a group Improv enthusiasts who do two-person la rondes as a format
Mabuhay Improv (Philippines)
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Show 13
Indulge in the creativity of SHOW 13 on September 10 from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Stage C (Manila Symphony Orchestra), Circuit Makati.
Sabadurbia (Philippines)
– Group of people
Confessions of Two Balikbayan Girls (Philippines/Canada)
– We’re two filipino chinese canadian girls who just want to share our personal truths about home and being away from home LOL
Same Bananas (Philippines)
– Sab and Charles are a duo from Housekeeping Improv, connected by a desire to play with physicality through characters, honey cauliflower rice, and shared life stories during the wee hours of the night.
Cra(s)yons (Philippines)
– The Cra(s)yons are a colorful and eclectic cast of characters drawn together by the joy of improv! Coming all the way from the land of Belarus and endorsed by Honeylet, the Cra(s)yons will undoubtedly remind you that the joy of improv is you!
Show 14
Join us for a memorable time at SHOW 14 on September 10 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM at Stage A (Cinema 2), Circuit Makati.
Laos and Found (Philippines/Australia)
– Coming together for the first time as ex-showbiz celebrities, Janette McBride (Tanging Yaman, Star Circle Batch 8) and Gabe Mercado (Yakult, DaPulis) join forces for the Manila Improv Festival as the unstoppable improv duo – Laos and Found.
Show Ball (China)
– ShowBall is a Chinese-English Bilingual twoprov group, formed by Sean & Acho from China since 2021. Both of us have over 8 years improv experience before ShowBall. Since the opening of ShowBall Special tour last year, over thousands of audience watched our show all over China. Right now, we are the most famous twoprov group in China. We have never performed outside China before. It’s a new challenge for us, and we are ready. We are looking forward to join MIF this year and enjoy improv with the most amazing people around the world.
Improv Queensland (Australia)
– IQ is one of Australia’s longest-running improvisational theatre groups whose performers and teachers have toured all over the world. From performing short-form shows in sold-out theatres to intimate immersive and interactive shows IQ embraces impro in all its forms.
MEMEprov (Philippines)
– The all beta-male improvised rock group of the Philippines, MEMEprov dazzles audiences BETA than anyone else. Shirts will surely come off – whether it’s the audience member’s, or Karl’s.
