The Vancouver International Improv Festival returns to Granville Island for its 16th year featuring some of the best improv groups from all over Vancouver, Canada and the United States. Taking over three stages and offering 40 different shows over the course of a week, this year’s festival is guaranteed to draw big crowds and elicit even bigger laughs. Some of Canada’s best improvisers got their start right here in Vancouver and VIIF is proud to be showcasing tons of local talent including several UBC alumni – two of which are Allie Entwistle and Michael Augustine.
Augustine’s passion for improv was sparked here at UBC when he visited the UBC Improv booth during Clubs Days in 2009. Augustine had just moved to Vancouver from California and was looking to meet people on campus. He auditioned and was accepted.
“After I got in I never really did anything else,” he said.
Augustine has been working with VIIF since 2010 and is excited this year to be performing as part of the Vancouver Ensemble -- an all-star team comprised of 16 local improvisers. The Vancouver Ensemble performs on October 7 at Performance Works and Augustine believes it’s bound to be a fun show simply because of the incredible amount of local talent on one stage.
“It’s a show you just can’t afford to miss."
Entwistle’s career in improv also began during Clubs Days. She joined UBC Improv in 2010 “because [she] needed a club to join and the improv people looked the most attractive." After graduation, she joined the Instant Theatre Company as well as two independent groups -- National Anthem and Grad School Improv.
This is Entwistle’s first year with VIIF and she is performing as a member of one of the two International Ensembles, Team Echo. She describes Team Echo as “a group of really talented people from around Canada and the States who do improv together, probably for only one time ever."
Entwistle will be performing with Team Echo on October 7 at Performance Works and again on October 10 at the Waterfront Theatre. She will also be performing with National Anthem on October 9 at Performance Works.
“If you’ve ever wished you could see good comedy right here in Vancouver, this festival is a fantastic opportunity," said Entwistle. "If you come here you will be blown away at what people can do with improv."
Promising a week’s worth of mind-blowing displays of improvisation theatre and world-class comedy, VIIF will leave audiences counting the days until it returns once again to Granville Island.
The 16th Annual Vancouver International Improv Festival runs from October 6 to the 10 at Performance Works, The Waterfront Theatre and the Improv Centre on Granville Island. Tickets and passes are now on sale.
Share this article
