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Students enjoying a narrative long-form improv class

Learn to improvise complete narrative stories from beginning to end based off an audience suggestion. This course was creative by FA Director, and Austentatious Co-Founder, Graham Dickson.

Narrative Pathway

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Course Overview

Narrative improv focuses on telling a story to the audience from beginning to end. Narrative improv stretches improvisers’ abilities to establish and maintain characters with strong wants and motivations that power an entire show, to learning how to discover and guide a story as it unfolds from their performance, and how to make bold choices that create climactic moments of change and resolution

Narrative Level 1

Everyone loves stories. Whatever the medium, there is nothing quite as satisfying to an audience as a well-told story. In this course you will learn how to apply the core FA principles of Grounding and Point of View to tell spontaneous stories that are exciting, moving and hilarious.

Narrative Level 2

Synopsis coming soon - class launching Jan 2026.

The FA’s Level 3 Game is a pre-requisite for this Pathway

Go to Upcoming Class Dates

Learning Objectives

Narrative Level 1

  • Understand basic improv story structure

  • Able to identify the protagonist and antagonist in opening improv scenes

  • Learn to discover and choose engaging character wants and needs for a show

  • Practise working as a team to help and thwart narrative goals

  • Learn the importance of commitment and emotion to story telling

Our Narrative Teachers

  • Free Association London Improv Trainer Naomi Petersen

    Naomi Petersen

  • Free Association London Long-form Improv Trainer Chris Gau

    Chris Gau

  • Free Association London long-form Improv Trainer Graham Dickson

    Graham Dickson

  • Free Association London Long-form Improv Trainer Katharine Bennett-Fox

    Katharine Bennett-Fox

  • Free Association London long-form Improv Trainer Alison Thea-Skot

    Alison Thea-Skot

  • Gareth O'Connor

Venues

We deliver courses from our own venues, and other spaces across London. Please always check the location of your class when booking! Our most regular class venues are listed below!

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Southwark

The Free Association

📍Arch 26, Old Union Yard Arches, SE1 OLR

Euston

The Old Diorama Arts Centre

📍 Regent's Place, 201 Drummond St, NW1 3FE

Camden

Above The Lord Stanley

📍 51 Camden Park Road, NW1 9BH

People Say Nice Things

  • The FA is an incredible hub of vibrancy, talent, imagination and hard work. A place for a great night out with friends or to explore your own creativity.

    ★★★★★

    Sam Hampson

  • I had so much fun during the courses at the FA. Brilliant and dedicated teachers combined with lovely people in the classes.

    ★★★★★

    Mariam Osman

  • The FA is the best damn place for improv in London. Go see a show, get excited, take a class, get addicted and then spend the rest of your life being silly with people on stage.

    ★★★★★

    Laura Rogers

  • Classes are always a highlight of my week! Thoroughly recommend signing up for a taster session if you're interested

    ★★★★★

    Dan White

  • Such fun course and dedicated teachers. Go get yourself a treat and learn Improv with the FA!

    ★★★★★

    Alexandre Caillol

  • The best improv in London! The training is fantastic - consistent and thorough, and the people are a right laugh and super friendly.

    ★★★★★

    Caroline Amer

  • I've loved taking classes at the FA - loads of fun but also a really clear and well-designed programme. Recommend!

    ★★★★★

    Ben Hadley

  • Hilarious shows & brilliant classes and teaching staff! If you want to watch or learn improv, the FA is the place to go

    ★★★★★

    Ruby St. Leger

  • I've done Level 1 and 2, and will keep going! The teachers are great, the atmosphere is great, and really like the how the classes are structured.

    ★★★★★

    Brian Law

Upcoming Weekly Courses

Upcoming Intensive Courses

  • Absolutely. On checkout there wil be an option to pay a 25% deposit payment. The remainder of the course fee is due before the start of class.

  • Our courses are taught by individuals with a wealth of experience performing in the FA’s unique style.

    The Free Association's training is formulated around the FA syllabus - a huge (ever growing) book, meticulously written and structured in order to help you learn everything from the fundamentals of long-form improv through to advanced moves, forms and techniques… all while staying true to the FA’s unique style.

    Whilst all our trainers bring unique experience and expertise to their lessons, they all know our style and syllabus inside out, so your improv education will be the same regardless of who is running your class.

  • This is an advanced class. We recommend you start with Intro to Long-form Improv. This is our beginners improv class, and doesn’t require any experience.

  • The FA’s Level 3 improv training is a pre-requisite for this course. If you have previous experience - please contact us on hello@thefreeassociation.co.uk to check where you should start.

  • FA training pushes you to become a better improviser through structured courses, notes and feedback. Our teaching has been developed around a core theory and approach to improv comedy that we build upon through each class of our courses, taking you from fundamentals up to more advanced comedic techniques.

    Our teachers are encouraging and supportive of learning new skills but also will give personalised notes to help you identify areas you can work on to develop further.

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