improvAIsed

“A gloriously dark dive into the possibilities of an improv night. Hilarious and twisted with the added bonus of unpredictability.” — Leben Norrie, Producer, Macabre Morsels

Status: touring

An interactive show that combines improvised theatre, audience participation and AI-generated prompts with scripted horror and a final twist.

ImprovAIsed begins as a playful, audience-led improv night. Before and during the show, audiences help shape scenes and characters, creating a performance that feels live, risky and different every time.

As the evening unfolds, the technology starts to misbehave. What looks like a comic failure in the AI system gradually reveals a darker scripted structure underneath, taking the audience from improvised comedy into a horror-thriller with a blackly comic edge.

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ImprovAIsed MATRIX poster featuring Tom Gilder and Emily Matthews

Cast

Tom Gilder
Emily Matthews
Charlotte Riley
Johanna Tilaus

Performed at

NoName Theatre Helsinki March 2025
Åbo Svenska Teater Turku, FinFringe May 2025
Teater Tribunalen Stockholm, STOFF August 2025

Why it works for theatres

ImprovAIsed gives venues a production with a clear contemporary hook: audiences are curious about AI, alert to its risks, and ready to laugh at the absurdity of human beings trying to control it. The show uses that curiosity as the front door, then delivers a theatrical experience that is live, communal and increasingly unnerving.

For programmers, the format offers both repeatability and freshness. The scripted spine gives the show a reliable dramatic arc, while the audience suggestions and improvised scenes make each performance feel specific to that room.

Production photos

FinFringe, Turku

Photography © Jussi Virkkumaa.

Emily Matthews and Tom Gilder smiling during a FinFringe performance of ImprovAIsed

Two ImprovAIsed performers in a physical comedy scene with rollerblades

A dramatic ImprovAIsed moment on stage during FinFringe

Audience members reacting during a FinFringe performance of ImprovAIsed

An ImprovAIsed performer lifting another performer during a FinFringe scene

Tom Gilder performing beneath projected text reading I disagree during ImprovAIsed

NoName, Helsinki

Photography © Jaakko Nikkilä.

Tom Gilder and Emily Matthews performing ImprovAIsed

Emily Matthews and Tom Gilder on stage in ImprovAIsed

Emily Matthews laughing during an ImprovAIsed performance

Audience response

The preview run showed that audiences understood the premise quickly, enjoyed shaping the performance, and responded to the shift from comedy into something more sinister.

“I watched it twice - each show was so differently entertaining, even when I knew the ending.”

The show is designed to reward that kind of repeat attention: even when the destination is known, the route changes with every audience.

Production format

The show is deliberately lightweight to stage. It is designed for a black box theatre or similar flexible venue, with minimal physical setup and a strong technical identity.

Two lead performers, supported by a dedicated show technician.
No set required; performers use branded T-shirts and one key prop.
Requires a projector and large screen.
Pre-programmed projections and sound effects are run by the show technician.
Additional venue support is needed for theatre lighting.
An optional guest performer slot can be used to cross-promote another festival or venue show.

Programming fit

ImprovAIsed is well suited to fringe festivals, studio theatres, comedy programmes, late-night slots, venues interested in technology-led work, and theatres looking for audience participation that goes beyond a simple call-and-response format.

The production gives audiences a familiar invitation - help create an improv show - then turns that invitation into a surprising story about authorship, control, trust and what happens when the machine starts writing back.

For bookings, touring enquiries or technical conversations, please email the producer.