Improvisation Academy

The Improvisation Academy aims to develop and promote improvisation in the UK and beyond. The skills and principles of improvisation build life skills, such as confidence and creativity, enhance teamwork and innovation and foster communications in organisations and communities.

The Comedy Store Players have created the Improvisation Academy to offer classes,
workshops, courses and other programs and events of the highest standards.

The directors of the Improvisation Academy are Paul Z Jackson (Paul Jackson Associates, Applied Improvisation Network), Lee Simpson (Comedy Store Players), and Neil Mullarkey (Comedy Store Players).

The Comedy Store Players have been performing since 1985 and are officially the world's longest running comedy show with the same cast. The improvisational comedy group performs regularly at the Comedy Store in London. Currently the regular cast members are Paul Merton, Neil Mullarkey, Lee Simpson, Josie Lawrence, Andy Smart and Richard Vranch.

Paul Z Jackson

Paul Z Jackson is a leader in the application of improvisation in the UK and around the world. Co-founder and President of the Applied Improvisation Network, he draws on his experiences in journalism, comedy production and the BBC.

Paul is a workshop leader, coach and trainer of trainers and facilitators. After ten years experience as a journalist with the Thomson Organisation, he took an interest in improvisation and comedy, setting up a series of performing groups that nurtured the talents of Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon and Ruth Jones. As a script-editor and senior producer with BBC Radio 4, he introduced dozens of writers to their first professional contracts.

A graduate of Oxford University, he is co-author of the ground-breaking book, The Solutions Focus – Making Coaching and Change SIMPLE, rated as one of the Top 30 business books of the year in the USA and the new study guide Positively Speaking – the art of constructive conversations with a solutions focus. His other books include Impro Learning, 58½ Ways To Improvise In Training and The Inspirational Trainer.

In addition to his corporate work, Paul has taught and lectured at the London Actors Centre, the CIPD, London and Exeter Business Schools, Cranfield and Ashridge schools of management.