For three years improv troupe Awkward Actors have been bringing freestyle, unscripted comedy to Oxford audiences, including co-founding the city's annual Improv Festival. This week, the team are giving a special performance at the Old Fire Station to mark 1000 Days of Awkawrdness; ahead of the show, we chat to one Awkward Actor, Andy, about the skills that go into great improvisation.
Daily Information: What was the origin story behind Awkward Actors?
Andy: It began when Imran Mirza founded the Awkward Actors over a decade ago as a welcoming space for people to explore improvisation, creativity, acting, clowning and performance. Since then we’ve grown from a handful of workshops into a thriving Oxford community of performers, teachers, organisers and improv enthusiasts.
Over the last three years the group has been putting on regular improvised comedy shows across Oxfordshire and beyond, welcoming hundreds of newcomers to classes and workshops and helping to establish the Oxford Improv Festival, which will be coming up for its third year in early 2027.
We regularly perform at Flo’s Café in Florence Park, The Library Pub on Cowley Rd and as far afield as Abingdon at the Tipsy Mercer pub.
DI: What does a typical Awkward Actors show look like?
A: Imagine if a sketch show, a sitcom, a musical and one of those weird dreams you have after eating too much cheese before bed all had a baby.
Every show is built from audience suggestions. You might see fast-paced games, character scenes, drinking songs, heartfelt stories or a combination of all four. One minute we’re in a chip shop run by Vikings, the next we’re watching a moving drama about a sentient traffic cone or singing about an unhappy postman. Every show is different.
DI: What makes a good improviser, and what makes a good improv audience?
A: A good improviser isn’t necessarily the funniest person in the room.
The best improvisers are curious, supportive and willing to make their scene partner look good. Listening is far more important than being clever.
The ideal audience member is simply anyone who enjoys comedy.There is absolutely no pressure to shout things out or participate if you don’t want to.
People are sometimes nervous about improv because they imagine they’ll be dragged on stage or picked on by performers. That’s not what we do at all. This is not stand up. There is zero chance of being the victim of “crowd work”. So if you’d like to contribute a suggestion, fantastic. If you’d rather sit quietly and enjoy the show, that’s cool too.
DI: What’s the most unexpected suggestion you’ve had from an audience member?
A: One of the wonderful things about improv is that giving suggestions appears to be a form of therapy for some people.
Recently we were given the suggestion “bus jail”, which suggests someone may have been working through some unresolved trauma from their journey to the show.
Another audience member was extremely keen for us to know about the time they accidentally locked themselves in the boot of their Volkswagen Up. We’re still wondering…
After a while, suggestions like “the concept of Tuesday” or “an aggressively average badger” start to feel almost normal. It’s one of the occupational joys of improv.
DI: Do you prefer short-form or long-form improv?
A: Yes.
Short-form is fast, energetic and full of surprises. Long-form lets you build characters, relationships and stories that develop over time.
Fortunately, we don’t have to choose. One of the things that makes the Awkward Actors distinctive is that we enjoy mixing both styles together. Our shows can segue from an interview with a three-headed expert who knows all there is to know about tenderstem broccoli to a surprisingly moving story about a man whose only friend is a garden shed.
DI: You run classes as well as doing shows; what advice would you have for first-time improvisers?
A: Stop trying to be funny. Seriously.
Most people come to improv thinking they need to be quick-witted comedians. In reality, the best thing you can do is listen, respond honestly and support the people around you. The funny stuff follows naturally.
Every experienced improviser started by standing awkwardly in a room wondering whether they’d made a terrible mistake. That’s practically part of the curriculum.
The other thing we’d say is that improv is one of the few hobbies where getting things wrong is insignificant. If you make mistakes, they usually become part of the scene.
I’ve lost count of the people who’ve told me that discovering improv was one of the best things they’ve done. Many say it’s been life-changing for them.
We run open sessions every Wednesday as well 6-week beginner courses in Oxford and Abingdon. All details on our website.
A: Your upcoming show is called A Thousand Days of Awkwardness. Can we expect anything special to mark this milestone?
A: Absolutely.
For the maths fans among your readers, one thousand days is about three years and that’s how long Awkward Actors have been putting on shows.
Over those thousand days we’ve welcomed hundreds of performers and audience members, helped found the Oxford Improv Festival, been the entertainment at the Green Party Conference Gala and created an alarming number of fictional characters who probably shouldn’t be left unsupervised.
Without giving too much away, audiences can expect some favourite formats mixed with a few surprises. Mostly, though, it will be what Awkward Actors has always been about: audience suggestions, spontaneous comedy and a unique show that can never be repeated.
There’s going to be laughter. There’s going to be unpredictability. We’re also prepared for bus jail.
DI: Describe Awkward Actors in 5 words.
A: Inclusive. Inventive. Playful. Community-driven. Awkward.
1000 Days of Awkwardness will be at The Old Fire Station, Sun 14th Jun, at 7:30pm. Tickets are available here.