The Spontaneity Shop is an improvisational comedy company formed in London in 1996. They base their work around the teachings of Keith Johnstone and have developed several original improvisation forms.

History

The Spontaneity Shop, then known as The Old Spontaneity Shop was formed in 1996 by Tom Salinsky and

Deborah Frances-White Deborah Frances-White is a London-based comedian, author and screenwriter. She has both British and Australian citizenship. She hosts the podcasts ''Global Pillage'' and '' The Guilty Feminist''. She wrote the 2019 comedy film Say My Name. Ear ...

. Their first shows were at the Troubadour Coffee House in Earl's Court, and they moved to the Canal Cafe in 1999. From 1998-2000 they also ran shows and workshops at

Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

. In 1999 they presented a benefit concert at The Hackney Empire, directed by Keith Johnstone and

Improbable theatre Improbable is an English theatre company founded in 1996 by Lee Simpson, Phelim McDermott, Julian Crouch (artistic directors) and producer Nick Sweeting. Improbable is funded by Arts Council England in London. According to their statement: "Improb ...

Phelim McDermott Phelim McDermott (born 21 August 1963) is an English actor and stage director. He has directed plays and operas in Britain, Germany, Spain, the United States, and Australia. McDermott was a co-founder of the Improbable theatre in 1996. Career McD ...

. Joining the Spontaneity Shop cast were

Tony Slattery Tony Declan James Slattery (born 9 November 1959) is an English actor and comedian. He appeared on British television regularly from the mid-1980s, most notably as a regular on the Channel 4 improvisation show ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' His ...

Jonathan Pryce Sir Jonathan Pryce (born John Price; 1 June 1947) is a Welsh actor who is known for his performances on stage and in film and television. He has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. In 2021 he wa ...

Lee Simpson Lee Simpson is a British actor and comedian best known as a member of the improvisational group The Comedy Store Players. He has appeared in a number of roles, including in the sitcom ''Drop the Dead Donkey'' and the films ''Paper Mask'' and ''N ...

, Neil Mullarkey and a number of other special guests. The money raised went to the Royal Court Theatre where Keith had once worked as a director. In 2000 the company created DreamDate, the improvised romantic comedy which was a hit at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Hat Trick A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

Productions, producer

Dan Patterson Dan Patterson (born March 1960) is a British television producer and writer, responsible for the production of both the British and American incarnations of the improvisation show ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' and the British satirical panel show '' ...

and most recently

Pozzitive Pozzitive Television is a production company formed by producers Geoff Posner and David Tyler in 1992. Pozzitive have won awards including six BAFTAs, two Golden Roses at Montreux, multiple British Comedy & RTS awards, seven Sony Awards and ...

Television have all attempted to get TV versions made but none has yet got past the pilot stage. Recently, the company sold the international rights to FremantleMedia who are currently trying to launch it in the United States. The company also developed the long form structure Tell Tales which presents a complete improvised play entirely in monologues.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Spontaneity Shop, The Improvisational troupes