Improvathon

The word Improvathon is a portmanteau of the words "improvisation" and "marathon" and is used to describe and extended performance by a team of improvising performers. The format establishes a group of characters early on, who become part of a continuous plotline. Commonly, as well as scenes which progress the story, performers may participate in musical numbers and other challenges or games. The action is directed for both performers and audience by writers who develop the plot in response. Whilst some performers may take a break at some point during the event, traditionally some core cast members will participate for the entire duration, going one or two nights without sleep. The sleep deprivation reduces performers to their "lizard brain" state, where they become too tired to censor themselves, resulting in a unique and euphoric form of theatre. Many audience members stay for the full duration, sharing the sleeplessness with the actors.
In Edmonton, Canada, where the concept was originally devised, it is known as a Soap-A-Thon.
Soap-A-Thon.
The Soap-a-thon has most notably been made popular by Canadian improv company Die-Nasty who completed their first 50-hour Soap-A-Thon in 1993 at the Varscona Theatre. They have produced further Soap-A-Thons every year since.
Improvathons, UK.
London.
2005.
In 2005, Die-Nasty's director at the time Dana Anderson exported the format to the UK, working with British director and theatrical innovator Ken Campbell. The 36-hour Improvathon began at 10 am, 17 December 2005 at Ladbroke Grove's Inn on the Green.
Following this experiment, Sticking Place (now renamed Extempore Theatre) Artistic Director Adam Meggido developed the event into the London Annual 50 Hour Improvathon, involving performers from all over the world.
2008.
Name: "Casino Oui Oui"
Producer: The Sticking Place
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 17 January – Sunday 19 January
Set: A casino in Monaco in the mid-1960s
Venue: At The People Show Studios, Pollard Row, Bethnal Green
2009.
Name: "Pack Up Your Troubles"
Producer: The Sticking Place
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 6 February – Sunday 8 February
Set: 1944, a Kent village
Venue: At The People Show Studios, Pollard Row, Bethnal Green
2010.
Name: "We Are Not Amused"
Producer: The Sticking Place
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 22 January – Sunday 24 January
Set: Victorian era, England
Venue: Hoxton Hall
2011.
Name: "Studio 50"
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 21 January – Sunday 23 January
Set: Studio 50 (a New York night club), 1977
Venue: Hoxton Hall
2012.
Name: "Tales from the Greek Games"
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 11 May – Sunday 13 May
Set: Ancient Greece, the first Olympic Games
Venue: Hoxton Hall
2013.
Name: "Cairo 1926"
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 11 – Sunday 13 January
Set: Cairo 1926
Venue: Hoxton Hall
2014.
Name: "Xanadu"
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 24 – Sunday 26 January
Set: The Starship Xanadu, a pleasure cruiser travelling from planet to planet
Venue: Hoxton Hall
2015.
Name: "Tinseltown"
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 29 – Sunday 31 May
Set: Sleepless Studios, A B-movie production house in Hollywood's Golden Age
Venue: The Lost Theatre, Stockwell
2016.
Name: "The Orient Express"
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 29 April – Sunday 1 May
Set: Sleepless Studios, A B-movie production house in Hollywood's Golden Age
Venue: The Lost Theatre, Stockwell
2017.
Name: "Lord of Thrones"
Duration: 50 hours
Dates: Friday 20 – Sunday 22 January
Set: All the literary fantasy worlds combined - Tolkien, George R R Martin, etc.
Venue: Wilton's Music Hall
Liverpool.
2008.
The first Liverpool Improvathon took place in 2008 as part of Ken Campbell Metafex Festival at the Kazimier, Wolstenholme Square. "Oh Wait!" lasted 30 hours and was directed by Dana Anderson of Die-Nasty. The action took place on the RMS Pedantic as it made its way from Liverpool to New York. Some of the participants of this event went on to form Liverpool-based, improvisation comedy troupe Impropriety
2010.
Name: "The Last Resort"
Producer: Impropriety
Duration: 33.5 hours
Dates: Saturday 10 April – Sunday 11 April
Set: 1950s, a holiday camp somewhere in the north of England
Venue: The Kazimier
2011.
Name: "Dearly Beloved"
Producer: Impropriety
Duration: 33.5 hours
Dates: Saturday 14 May - Sunday 15 May
Set: The Fools Rush Inn, at a wedding, which brought together and posh family and a rather less high-class family. It took place two weeks after the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.
Venue: The Kazimier
2012.
Name: Back to The Studio
Producer: Impropriety
Duration: 33.5 hours
Set: Behind the scenes at Channel 33.5
Venue:
Bristol.
2010.
In 2010, The Sticking Place, in association with Die-Nasty, presented the 30-hour Bristol Jam Improvathon. The events ran from 6pm on Friday 5th until Saturday 6 November at midnight, with performers from Impropriety also taking part.
The action took place at the Easyspeak Speakeasy in 1920s America.
2015.
In 2015 the Bristol Improv Theatre re-launched the Bristol Improvathon with the Closer Each Day Company and support from various other improv groups from around the South-West. It was titled "Time Busters" and was set in the town of Glastonbury where a team of archeologists were searching for the body of King Arthur. The event was advertised as a 26-hour, 385 second improvathon and ran from 6pm on Friday 13 March to 10pm Saturday 14 March.
2016.
The newly named Bristol Improv Marathon was hosted for the second year running at the Bristol Improv Theatre, once again in association with Closer Each Day Company and various improv groups from around the South-West. The title was "Ride on Time" and the plot was centred around the re-opening of the fictional theme park "Fantastic Planet of Fun".
2017.
The 2017 Bristol Improv Marathon was hosted for its third year, March 24–25 and was the first marathon hosted by the Bristol Improv Theatre following the refurbishment and relaunch of their main venue. Once again the event was produced by the Bristol Improv Theatre in association with Closer Each Day Company and various improv groups from around the South-West. The title was "Check-Out Time at the Grand Hotel" and the plot was centred around the closing of a fictional remote hotel.
2018.
The 2018 Bristol Improv Marathon took place on March 17-18 and was titled "Pirates of the Severn Seas". Once again it was staged at the Bristol Improv Theatre and produced in conjunction with Closer Each Day and other local improv companies. The story focused on pirates, citizens of 'Port Royal', and various plotters who sought to destroy their way of life.
2019.
In 2019 the Bristol Improv Marathon took place on March 15-16 and was titled "Channel 26 (hours)". It continued to be hosted at the Bristol Improv Theatre whilst being produced by Closer Each Day, with the rest of the cast of 30 being sourced from the local improv community, either via invitation or open auditions. The story focused on the lives of the people working at local news station Channel 26, and their various misadventures.
2020.
In 2020 the Bristol Improv Marathon took place on March 13th-14th and was titled "When In Rome: XXVI Hours BC". It was hosted at the Bristol Improv Theatre in collaboration with Closer Each Day Company and The Wardrobe Theatre. The other performers were from Degrees of Error (the Bristol Improv Theatre's resident company) or the local improv community via auditions. It focused on the events of a selection of characters in a generic ancient imperial Rome setting. It was the last show with a live audience at the Bristol Improv Theatre before it shut its doors due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
YT Improvathons.
The performance format discussed above is not to be confused with the annual event held by the Christian Youth Theatre in the United States. Each year, teams of young people come together to compete in playing improvisational games over two-days.