Event type: Comedy

6-8pm

At Kook, we enjoy exploring the boundaries of comedy and tragedy – what makes a moment simultaneously beautiful, painful, and funny? How can you challenge yourself to view your work from a different perspective and be courageous enough to tear it down and start anew? This session will focus on your individual spirit of play and how it integrates into an ensemble dynamic. Sean Kempton, a seasoned performer, director, and teacher with over 30 years of experience, has created and performed work for numerous international companies, including Cirque Du Soleil. Sean has also been a core teacher at the National Centre for Circus Arts.

Participants must be 18+

5.30pm
Pei Yee Tong
A collaboration fusing live dance (contemporary and traditional Chinese styles), with spoken word and film by Noel Jones. The piece is inspired by the increase of hate towards Asian communities during the pandemic.

Festival Pass: Thinking about attending all of Leap Festivals Saturday performances? Purchase a festival pass here and make a £8 saving!

All works shared are new commissions by Culture Liverpool, funded by UKSPF, Leap Dance Festival and *DaDaFest.

6.30pm

Kudera + Mpearsonator
What have we become? Is a collaborative project with garment designer Alena Kudera, who has created wearable sculptures from landfill-bound fast fashion and single use plastic. The costumes inspired the movements of three dancers who will perform to an original score.

Festival Pass: Thinking about attending all of Leap Festivals Saturday performances? Purchase a festival pass here and make a £8 saving!
All works shared are new commissions by Culture Liverpool, funded by UKSPF, Leap Dance Festival and *DaDaFest.

8:00pm

The Loss of innocence is a performance by four dancers, exploring the hardship and heartache on the journey into adult/womanhood, and the potential of finding solace in community. Inspired by resilient female figures throughout history and in film, as well as martial arts.

This event will also feature a screening of Amy Milson’s Unseen

Festival Pass: Thinking about attending all of Leap Festivals Saturday performances? Purchase a festival pass here and make a £8 saving!
All works shared are new commissions by Culture Liverpool, funded by UKSPF, Leap Dance Festival and *DaDaFest.

An exhibition by Charlotte Weatherstone, Kirsten Todd & Mariana Potetenko
‘ICONIC WOMEN’ carries us through Women’s History Month which celebrates the contributions of women around the globe to events in history and contemporary life. The portraits you will see will bring a rush of film names, songs and dates to mind as the women in this exhibition have driven progress through scientific efforts, in the sports industry and changing the views of women in the media and culture. From local legends to the world stage, they each show characteristics of excellence, channelling their talents and strength to rise; a rising tide raises all boats.

Kirsten Todd

Specialising in portraits, Kirsten works mainly in acrylics and aims to capture, vibrancy, energy, strength, balance and beauty within the people she paints. Her latest series of portraits ‘Rise of the Divine Feminine’ highlights the rise of feminine energy within us at this time of great change, celebrating the strength of womenkind. Kirsten’s portraits in this exhibition focus on the ground-breaking and fiercely original women of predominantly the entertainment world, from Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry, Tina Turner and her electrifying stage presence to Lauryn Hill’s vulnerability, authenticity and talent for musical storytelling.

Mariana Potetenko

“As a Ukrainian artist who made Liverpool my home in 2022 after the war in Ukraine began, I was deeply moved to be part of this exhibition dedicated to the famous women of this city. The process of creating these portraits allowed me to connect with the city on a deeper level and to celebrate the women who have left an indelible mark on its history. My selection includes women from diverse backgrounds and fields, each of whom represents a unique aspect of Liverpool’s rich heritage.” Instantly recognisable faces like Cilla Black and Kim Cattrall are painted in vibrant strokes alongside new some names you will remember after you leave the exhibition, such as Louise Kenny, a pioneering professor in women’s health and cancer survivor, who has made significant contributions to medical research, improving lives and advancing science.

Charlotte Weatherstone

Charlotte studied Graphics at Liverpool John Moores University and is an illustrator, designer and mural artist based in Liverpool. “This series of illustrated and mixed media portraits is a tribute to some of the most iconic women in the music industry during their early or breakthrough years. PJ Harvey, Siouxsie Sioux from Siouxsie and the Banshees, Grace Jones, Courtney Love from Hole, and Björk. These artists have influenced and inspired me at different stages of my life, not only through their groundbreaking music but also through their bold live performances, candid interviews, revolutionary fashion and, most importantly, their unapologetic attitude. For me, attitude is what defines a person, it is the force that shapes how they navigate the world, take risks, and make their presence felt. Using my signature linear style, I sought to distil their spirit into a visual form using simple yet expressive mark making tools which reflect the raw energy, complexity, depth of these women. Each have taught me how to embrace boldness, defy convention, and remain authentic in the face of adversity.”

All artworks are for sale.

Exhibition continues Friday 14th February – 29th March.

VISIT: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:00 – 18:00

4.30pm
 

Loo-Prov! 
Ever wondered what happens on the other side of the doors to the ladies toilets? The women from Loo-Prov! bring the tears, pep talks and confessions of the bathrooms to the stage with their completely improvised show.
This all female, London based team is a favourite with local audiences! Finalists in the Free Association’s 2024 Cage Match and performers at the 2024 Das Improv festival in Berlin, their show is a touching, funny and sometimes illuminating experience!

 

RAWD

Get Ready for a show filled with joy, chaos, and unscripted brilliance!

RAWD have worked with festival co-director Jen putting together a show that promises big laughs, bold creativity and a whole lot of heart.

Expect the unexpected as our talented performers take the stage, creating totally unpredictable scenes— all inspired by your suggestions! From off-the-cuff comedy to side-splitting storytelling, this is making stuff up like you’ve never seen it before.

7pm
 

Mirth meets murder in the world’s daftest whodunnit. Following more than a decade of five-star, sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe, Brighton Fringe, Leicester Square Theatre and more, the award-winning festival favourite ‘CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation’ comes to Liverpool with the rip-roaring crime comedy made up entirely on the spot. Grab your detective hats and prepare to laugh as you create your very own crime, grill suspects in a line up and, ultimately, decide who’s off to the clanger.

A fully improvised, witty and absurd murder mystery. No one knows who the killer is, not even the cast!

 
WINNER ‘Best Musical/Improv Show’ Leicester Comedy Festival 2023
WINNER ‘The Comedy Award’ Colchester Fringe 2024
“Quick thinking & fast paced. A spectacular must see.” ★★★★★ – Bunbury Magazine
“They have improvisation down to a fine art” ★★★★★ – Wee Review
“Unique and riveting… downright hilarious.” ★★★★1/2 – Luxembourg Chronicle

8.45 – 9.25pm
 

What happens when you take Norway’s tallest improviser and England’s shortest improviser* and give them a stage to play with? The answer is “The Orange of Truth”, a live comedy show like no other.

 

This unique performance invites audiences to experience the only comedy show in the universe that comes with its own orange!* “The Orange of Truth” promises a one-of-a-kind journey through the quirky, unpredictable world of human interaction, where the truth is sometimes stretched, bent, or entirely reimagined.

Using every inch of the performance space (and sometimes even stepping beyond the stage), this immersive experience explores the intricacies of how we all bend the truth in everyday life. From the most mundane to the most absurd situations, the show offers a fresh perspective on the stories we tell ourselves and others, all through the lens of improvisational comedy.

Disclaimer: While we cannot legally confirm we’ve measured every improviser or that this is the only live comedy show with an orange, but we think it sounds pretty good, don’t you?

Join us for “The Orange of Truth”—an evening of unexpected laughter, creative exploration, and audience interaction that blurs the lines between performance and reality.

7.00 – 8.15pm
 

Kicking off this year’s Liverpool Improvisation Festival 2025 is special triple bill featuring Iain Luke Jones, Stuart Moses and Trev Fleming.

 

The You & Me Show by Iain Luke Jones

An Improvised Light Entertainment Show Starring Iain Luke Jones (and possibly you!)
Get ready for a whirlwind of spontaneous fun with Iain Luke Jones in this one-of-a-kind improv experience! Iain takes you on a hilarious journey through scenes, games, and unpredictable moments where the spotlight could fall on anyone in the audience. Each show features a series of unpredictable improv games, where Iain takes the lead, and audience participants play along with surprising twists. No two shows are ever the same!
Each game features a different guest from the audience, and the show culminates in a spontaneous musical moment that’s sure to surprise and delight.

Moses and Bad by Stuart Moses

Stuart Moses, host of the Improv London podcast, and Emma Bird, founder of Liverpool Comedy Improv, have a combined 30 years experience of performing improv on stage. In this show, they take written inspiration from the audience about the things they love about their loved ones.
Moses & Bird create grounded, emotion-filled stories of a relationship, inspired by the stories that have been shared. Their audiences laugh, especially in recognition, feel moved, lean in, and ‘ooh’ in surprise.
Drawing on Emma’s extensive acting and directing experience, most recently at Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre, and Stuart’s acting classes at Reading Rep, they use improv to create theatrical experiences, so the characters live on in the minds of the performers and the audience even after the show has ended.
This is a show inspired by the richness of theatre, combined with the immediacy of improvisation.

Behold: The Improvatron by Trev Fleming

‘Behold:The Improvatron’ is a new improvised play that creates a never before seen Science Fiction literary classic using audience suggestions and the nerdy mind of Trev Fleming, Professional Geek. In the spirit of Austentatious, each night a new work of Sci-fi literary fiction will be created. Will it be Space Opera or Dystopian Nightmare, Speculative Cyberpunk or Eco-Disaster, witness a new work being written before your very eyes.

7:30pm

See new work created by Liverpool-based artists from the African Diaspora:
Ithalia Johnson
Ithalia Johnson presents The Untold Stories of a Carnival Queen, A Celebration of Female Identity, Community & Empowerment.
Premiering at Leap Dance Festival, The Untold Stories of a Carnival Queen is a semi-biographical multidisciplinary performance by Ithalia Johnson and the Dancing Queens. Rooted in community engagement, the show explores female empowerment, resilience, and self-discovery through African dance, music, and storytelling.

Drawing from historical narratives and lived experiences of diverse Black women, the performance highlights themes of discrimination, sexual exploitation, neurodiversity, and reclaiming space. It celebrates Yoruba deities and the rich traditions of carnival as an act of resistance and joy. Supported by Arts Council England, rehearsals take place at Toxteth TV Studios.

Ithalia has collaborated with a distinguished team of artists, including movement directors, choreographers, researchers, and vocal coaches, to bring these powerful stories to life: Tamara Josephine, Professor Emily Zobel Marshall, Ophelia Omoyele Balogun, Shea Best, Whispered Tales (Esther Simpson & Steve Gibbs), Jennifer John and Rhian Kempadoo Millar.
Afro Dance Academy
A performance sharing African culture through movement, showcasing the richness and diversity of Afro dance styles, including Afro House, Afrodance, and Amapiano.
Ruvimbo Bliss Munodawafa
Musikana Webasa (House Girl) is a performance examining the role and treatment of young female domestic workers in Zimbabwe, using contemporary dance theatre to highlight issues of disparity, depression, loneliness, abuse, the traditional gaze, aims, hope, ambitions and dreams.

New works by Afrodance and Ruvimbo Bliss Munodawafa have been commissioned by Culture Liverpool, funded by UKSPF, for Leap Dance Festival.

Part of Leap Dance Festival 2025; Liverpool City Region’s leading dance event, showcasing the work of local artists, community groups and young people.