23th to 26th October 2025

Würzburger Impro­theater­festival

Connect & Collaborate

These days, the world often feels like it's split in two. The lines seem drawn, and the divides are getting deeper. On one side, you’ve got the "crazy climate terrorists," and on the other, the "backward right-wingers." Some are selfish meat-eaters, others self-righteous vegans. Oh, and let’s not even get started on political correctness ... While society is busy tearing itself apart or retreating into its own bubble, undemocratic forces are thriving off the polarization.
We’re done with division. That’s why this year’s festival is all about collaboration and the things that connect us. Improvised theater is all about contact – diverse ideas, trust, courage, curiosity, and connection. That’s our big overarching story. And we tell it again and again in every show.

The festival will take place from October 23rd to 26th 2025!

Programme

SHOW APPLICATION

We are planning a varied show programme and you can help to shape it!
You have a show format that you want to present at the Würzburger Improtheaterfestival? You can apply until May 18th. We are looking forward to your submissions!

Workshops

The Collab:Lab

3 Days of playful Collaboration, 2 Shows, 1 unique experience

This year, our festival is centered around the topic of Connection & Collaboration. That's why, even before the regular workshops, we have the Collab:Lab! Five performers from five different countries will come together over three days, under the guidance of Lisa Rowland (San Francisco, USA), to create a show and perform it at the festival. How does collaboration work? How do you get to know each other and build trust quickly? What do you want to tell? What is your show?

The Collab:Lab is aimed at professional improvisers.

12 hours of intensive work - our regular workshops!

You can choose one of three twelve-hour workshops from our wonderful workshop teachers. The workshops will start Friday, 24th October at 2 PM and end Sunday, October 26th at 2 PM. Please note our conditions of participation and the level system.

Tickets are sold via Yesticket. Sale starts May, 1st.
If you need accommodation for the festival we recommend the Youth Hostel which is right next to the Jugendkulturhaus Cairo where the workshops will take place. If you prefer a quieter place to stay, there are various hotels and Airbnbs – almost everything in Würzburg is within walking distance.

Lindsay Mullan

(Toronto, Canada)

Andrew Hefler

(Budapest, Hungary)

Lisa Rowland Headshot

Lisa Rowland

(San Francisco, USA)

Conditions of participation

Code of Conduct
We have developed a short code of conduct to ensure that everybody feels safe and happy and can get the most out of their experience at the Würzburger Improtheaterfestival. Reading through this code will give you an idea of our festival philosophy and values.

Cancellation of your workshop place
Until July 31st you can cancel your workshop spot and we will refund your festival fee minus an administrative fee of 30 Euros. If you cancel your spot after July 31st, we can only refund your participation fee minus the administrative fee of 30 Euro if we can fill your place - you are also welcome to suggest a person.

Liability
No liability can be accepted for self-inflicted accidents, wardrobe, damage to property and lost items.

Level

The level system helps us building homogeneous workshop groups to ensure that everybody gets the most out of their workshop experience. Please make an honest and self-critical assessment of which level best suits you. We reserve the right to cancel bookings whose level does not match the stated level of the workshop.

1. Experienced

I rehearse with an ensemble on a regular basis, and have experience performing improvisation on the stage. I have participated in some impro workshops.

2. Advanced

I perform regularly on stage and I rehearse on a regular basis with a fixed ensemble. I have been involved in introducing performance formats to the place where I primarily improvise, either by developing these or by introducing these from elsewhere. I’ve introduced others into improvisation, either through beginner training or mentoring newer players in an ensemble.

3. Professional

I perform regularly on stage and I rehearse on a regular basis with a fixed ensemble. I have developed formats and presented these formats in cities outside of the one I’m based in. I have a professional approach to my improvisational work. I’ve developed others in improvisation, by offering advanced training on multiple occasions, or by coaching ensembles.

Lindsay Mullan: Charm Offensive (Level 1 - Experienced & up)

Charm Offensive

Teacher: Lindsay Mullan from Toronto/Canada
Level: Level 1 - Experienced & up
Language: English
Price: 270€ regular // 200€ reduced*
Duration: Friday, 24.10.25, 2pm until Sunday, 26.10.25, 2pm

Participate

This extended workshop aims to assist improvisors in becoming more charming & lovable on stage - even when playing the villain! Examine the parts of yourself that you may have deemed "wrong" or "bad" and find the levity hidden underneath. Bring a sense of play to seemingly unpleasant characters and taboo subject matters. Step outside of your own perspective to see the world through your character's eyes. Through a series of scenes/ exercises we will draw out our silly and serious impulses to give humanity and humour to the varied characters we create.

Lindsay Mullan is a Canadian Comedy Award- Nominated and Canadian Podcasting Award- Winning actor, improvisor, instructor, podcaster, and creator. She is an alumnus of the Second City Toronto Mainstage, an alumnus of the internationally-acclaimed improvisation theatre, Loose Moose, and a graduate of the Mount Royal University Theatre Arts Acting Program. Lindsay has worked as a performer for over almost two decades in various mediums (Theatre, Film, Television, Web, and Podcasting). As an artist she strives to create original and truthful work that tickles the funny bone and pulls at the heartstrings. Lindsay is currently based in Toronto.

For more about Lindsay visit www.lindsaymullan.com

 

Andrew Hefler: Relationship & Game (Level 2 - Advanced & up)

Relationship & Game

Teacher: Andrew Hefler from Budapest/Hungary
Level: 2 - Advanced & up
Language: English
Price: 270€ regular // 200€ reduced*
Duration: Friday, 24.10.25, 2pm until Sunday, 26.10.25, 2pm

Participate

Maybe you are a bit like me? I want the audience riveted, moved or even unbridled, hurdling through the galaxy when they see a scene. I want them talking about one another after they have left the theatre.
What makes the audience move closer to the edge of their seats? What makes them squeal with anticipation? Roar together with laughter? What makes them sigh in unison? What makes them look for each other’s expressions? Maybe this is ambitious? The good news is, it is often the same exact thing that makes playing the scenes such a joy and feel like every moment is fluid and obvious. It is what makes the work theatre. It is what gives the work a chance to be art. This workshop will look at all the components of a scene and particularly what the characters are involved in, do, suffer and solve: Game and Relationship, the two mechanisms we actors discover that can be separate and autonomous operating the scene alone or they can work in beautiful harmony combined accentuating, aggravating or foiling each other.
This workshop will work on the skills to strengthen work on game and relationship in scenes. Identifying the differences and similarities, and when the two blend seamlessly into one. Through very practical exercises and scene work the course will explore how to let the game become something you and your partner can obviously discover and joyfully heighten. Through scene work and exercises we will explore the ease, focus and confidence necessary to allow relationships to unfold. Being committed and vulnerable together for the audience will give them characters that lure them in and make them care.

Andrew Hefler is a beast performer, director and trainer working in theatre, music, film and television for nearly thirty years. He’s an actor at the National Theatre of Hungary, who has performed in more than one-hundred episodes of television, over 60 commercials, more than 20 films and sold the rights of 3 TV series. He’s also the founder of Grund Theatre and a long-standing member of the improvisational trio Scallabouche. As chief trainer and training designer, Andrew is providing skillbuilding for over 100 companies and thousands of people in communication, improv and acting, including media professionals and politicians in 15 countries, as well as universities, NGOs and charitable organisation.

For more about Andrew visit www.andrewhefler.com

 

Lisa Rowland: Finding colour in black and white (Level 3 - Professional)

Finding colour in black and white

Teacher: Lisa Rowland from San Francisco/USA
Level: 3 - Professionell
Language: English
Price: 270€ regular // 200€ reduced*
Duration: Friday, 24.10.25, 2pm until Sunday, 26.10.25, 2pm

Participate
Lisa Rowland Headshot

Comedy or drama? Villain or hero? Educational or entertaining? Dumb or wise? While at first glance, stories, characters, scenes and actions might seem easy to label, we know deep down that there is more to them. A scene or a moment can hold multiple tones. There might be humour in tragedy, poignancy in farce, wisdom from the fool. This workshop will train us to find nuance in scenework. We will play with subtleties, less obvious tones and work on seeing things from different perspectives. Revealing these nuances can help us see things through other's eyes and discover new angles. Because people, problems, theatre and life are hardly ever black and white.

Lisa Rowland's first love is performing. Her background in scripted theater gives her a strong grounding in truthful performance and the allure of discovery and delight that improvisation offers has kept her scriptless since she began improvising professionally in 2006. Straight out of Stanford University, where she performed with the Stanford Improvisors, she joined the mainstage company at BATS Improv, Northern California's most acclaimed and longest running improvisational theatre company. At BATS, she created the renowned format The Bechdel Test, a show which puts complicated, multi-faceted women in the center of stories and has been performed worldwide.  She is a founding member of Improv Playhouse of San Francisco and Awkward Dinner Party. In 2012, Lisa was voted Best Actor by the SF Bay Guardian's Reader Poll.  She has traveled the world to perform on international stages with international casts and finds particular delight in the global improv community.

For more about Lisa visit www.lisarowland.com

foto credit: Lisa Keating

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Childcare

For the little ones, so the big ones can play

Would you like to participate in one of our workshops, but your children can't be left alone yet? This year, we're offering childcare! Children aged four and above can participate in the service. The structure of the service will be tailored according to the age of the registered children. Here are the conditions:

  • Your child is four years old or older.
  • We will only provide care during workshop times.
  • If you only want to use the service for part of the workshop time, you can also book a half-day time slot.
  • We offer a total of four time slots for childcare (Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning).
  • Cost: €25 per time slot -> full workshop time: €100.

If you would like to book childcare, first book your desired workshop on Yesticket. In the confirmation email, there will be a link to a form. Fill it out and indicate that you would like to book childcare. We will then clarify everything with you via email. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at info@improtheaterfestival.de!

Foto: Hendrick Ziegler

Festival-Guide

If you would like to take part in the festival, you will find various information and all kinds of interesting facts in the festival guide. We will add to the guide during the year. If there is still an open question, just contact us.

Code of Conduct

We have developed a short code of conduct to ensure that everybody feels safe and happy and can get the most out of their experience at the Würzburger Improtheaterfestival. Reading through this code will give you an idea of our festival philosophy and values.

Schedule

Coming soon

Directions & Parking

Workshop application

How does the registration work?

You can simply book your desired workshop via Yesticket. Please note the different levels!
Afterwards we will ask for some information through a form (e.g. if you prefer vegan food or if you don't tolerate gluten). The additional information will help us to make the festival run as smoothly as possible for everyone.

Can you book me accommodation in the youth hostel?

Unfortunately, this is not possible this year. If you want to stay overnight at the youth hostel, you can book a place there yourself. Please note the regulations for overnight stays in youth hostels, especially the youth hostel pass, which can be purchased for only half a year. Guests from abroad need a foreign youth hostel pass.

I didn't get a workshop spot. Is there a waiting list?

If you did not get a place, you can set yourself on the waiting list of our ticket system Yesticket. You will then automatically get a mail if a spot opens up.

What happens if I have to cancel my participation?

Until July 31st you can cancel your workshop spot and we will refund your festival fee minus an administrative fee of 30 Euros. If you cancel your spot after July 31st, we can only refund your participation fee minus the administrative fee of 30 Euro if we can fill your place - you are also welcome to suggest a person. In case of cancellation, please contact us by mail.

Around the festival

Where does the festival take place?

The festival takes place mainly in and around the Jugendkulturhaus Cairo (Fred-Josef-Platz 3, 97082 Würzburg). The workshops will be at the Cairo, the elementary school, the church and the Youth Hostel, which are all nearby and within walking distance - here and there including some stairs and unfortunately barrier-free only to a limited extent. The shows in the evening take place at different venues in Würzburg. These are best reached on foot or by public transport.

When should I arrive?

Many participants already travel to our traditional opening gala. This always takes place on the Thursday evening before the festival weekend. We are happy if you are there. Of course you can also arrive on Friday for the workshops. Before the workshops you can arrive comfortably at the Cairo. While enjoying some snacks you can get to know the other participants and the festival team and clarify open questions. After a welcome we will start with the workshops. You can find the exact times in the schedule.

Which meals are included in the festival fee?

The festival package includes the following meals:

  • Friday: Dinner at the hostel
  • Saturday: Lunch and dinner at the youth hostel
  • Sunday: Breakfast provided by the festival team at the Jugendkulturhaus Cairo

In the youth hostel, water and juice will be provided free of charge with the meals. During the social program (e.g. coffee breaks, get together) you can buy drinks for little money.

Are tickets for the shows included in the festival package?

No. Since several shows are offered in parallel on the evenings, they run separately via Yesticket. As a workshop participant you can buy tickets at a reduced price. We will remind you in time by mail about the beginning of the presale. Please get your tickets for the shows of your choice early, as the shows are often sold out.

Is it possible to help out with the festival?

Yes! We are very happy for your support! Just send an email and we will get back to you.

Team

Carina Odenbreit

artistic director

Kati Schweitzer

artistic director

Christoph Röseler

project coordination

Jonathan Suderman

technics & logistics

Elina Martin

ticketing

Scarlett Vucic

side programme

Hendrick Ziegler

finance

Viktoria Tempel

social media & website

Lilly Grund

social media

Franziska Plehn

participation mangagement

Support

We would like to thank all our partners, sponsors and venues for their support and the long time cooperation.