Broad Strokes Improv: All Women and Non-Binary Improvised Comedy Troupe
Broad Strokes Improv Tour Poster
Background
Broad Strokes is an all-women and nonbinary improvised comedy troupe and is made up of six members: Ciara Berkeley, Marty Breen, Elishka Lane Barnes, Mae Leahy, Niamh McAllister, and Roisin McGuill. The Broad Strokes gang are a hearty mix of actors, writers, theatre makers, and designers, and have been performing shows in Dublin and Edinburgh Free Fringe Festival over the past two years.
Founded by the troupe’s director Ciara Berkeley at the start of 2022, Broad Strokes quickly became renowned in Dublin for their original and unique brand of long-form improvisation. Using a format with narrative plot structure and focus on dynamic characters and whacky world-building, the troupe take one location-based prompt from the audience and build an hour-long, entirely improvised story. Their shows are packed with highly sophisticated, multi-scene storytelling, spliced with irreverent, understated, and gut-punching comedy.
Broad Strokes Improv have completed sixteen shows in venues across Dublin, as well as two sold out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2022 and 2023. Last year they debuted their first rendition of B.S. Incorporated at the Dublin Fringe Festival, selling out all eight of their shows and attaining a nomination for Best Ensemble Award in the process. Broad Strokes have been supported by the Arts Council Agility Award, and their practice has been enhanced by mentorships with Byran Burroughs, Megan McDonnell, Erin McGathy, and Jonny Woolley. This rendition of B.S. Incorporated will also tour to Belfast and Dublin, as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival 2024, which is yet to be announced.
Tour Synopsis
It's time to whip out the Filofaxes and start breaking that glass ceiling! Dublin's hottest all-women and non-binary improv troupe invites you to their environmental business summit for an improvised show unlike any other.
B.S Incorporated: We’re Serving Climate is an entirely improvised business conference. The Broad Strokes gang pose as a fictional start-up company, B.S. Incorporated, pleading to the audience (their ‘shareholders’) to continue investing in their shady, shoddy business ventures. This time their objective is simple: to create a product that will solve the climate crisis. Using audience suggestions and PowerPoint slides they’ve never seen before, Broad Strokes will improvise an hour-long environmental conference, and present their product to their shareholders. At the end of the show, the shareholders will be asked to vote on whether they believe B.S. Incorporated is still worth their investment, deciding once and for all if the start-up will sink or swim. Scandals, allegations, and corporate backstabbing will run riot, but only the punters will get to decide the company’s successors.
What could go wrong?
Venue: Nuns Island Theatre
Performances: 30th August, 8pm
Tickets: €15 Full Price, €13 Concession
Duration: 60 mins
