Nick Byrne
Bio
Nick Byrne is Artistic Director of “Improvention” Australia’s international festival & convention of unscripted theatre, concentrating on innovation and atmosphere. Nick also operates Impro ACT, Canberra’s original company and school for improvisation. Previously, a professional musician and vocalist, scripted actor on stage and screen, voice artist, Master of Ceremonies, radio comic, and more, improvised theatre is now clearly his obsession. Nick also performs and directs scripted theatre, last year acting five very different characters in the World Premiere of “Cold Light”, and many more in William Zappa’s adaptation of Homer’s “The Iliad”. He has previously taught, directed and performed improvisation at MOMENT! 2016, here in Vienna, but also in The Netherlands, France, Sweden, UK, Singapore, Japan, Romania, Estonia, Latvia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Russia, Germany, and throughout Australia. Nick is known as a creator of new formats for performing shows, which have been performed across the improv world: dramatic comedic, musical, and experimental. “Parallel”, an unusual movement-based format that completely removes worry from the improviser, has now been performed in eight nations. Nick has taught United Nations peacekeepers to be culturally sensitive on international deployments, and Olympic Athletes to deal with off-field adversities, and helped many organisations to communicate and think more effectively.
Nick believes improvisation to be a lifestyle and an ethic. He believes that improvisation is an equally valid and artistic theatrical mode, as any other. Nick’s experience on stage is all about relationship and collaboration, with his scene partners and the audience. He believes in bold risks and relentless experiments. He believes in you, as an improviser or audience member.
More information: www.impro.com.au
“An improviser can be both relaxed and energised, relaxed enough to clear the mind of unuseful worry, and energised enough to seize opportunity.”
