Uncle Harold - A Workshop by Scary Strangers

Kaivalya Plays and Nautankibaaz Improv presents

UNCLE HAROLD

An introductory workshop on the classic longform format 'The Harold' by the Australian comedy duo Scary Strangers – Ru Halwala and Tom Stevenson!

Sunday 22nd September, 2pm to 5pm at Sanskriti Kendra Delhi. For more information and tickets, visit bit.ly/uncleharold22 or Whatsapp 9818925599 (Gaurav). 

Australian comedy duo, Scary Strangers, are making their way to India! Join Ru Halwala & Tom Stevenson to learn their take on a classic improv format, The Harold. This workshop is suitable for Intermediate to Advanced players. The Harold is a long-form improvised show structure which evolves an audience suggestion into a series of connected scenes. Plus, the opportunity to perform in an (optional) Freaky Showcase that evening.

Over the course of the workshop, participants will learn how to: 

• Learn a variety of openings, group games, and The Harold format
• Explore how to progress scenes through different beats
• Find new layers in character relationships
• Recall and connect multiple ideas
• Experiment with environment work
• Edit scenes with confidence

This workshop is recommended for those with prior experience in improv (such as short-form improv) and other storytelling mediums.

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS

The workshop will be facilitated by Ru Halwala and Tom Stevenson.

Ru Halwala is a comedian, improviser, actor, teacher and cat devotee. She is the Creative Director of Scary Strangers, and teaches improv as part of the illustrious faculties at Improv Theatre Sydney and Sydney Girls High School. Ru has dual Bachelors in Business (Public Relations) and Fine Arts (Visual and Interactive Design) from QUT, as well as an Associate Diploma (Hon) in Speech and Drama from IMEB. In 2024, Ru released an improv comedy podcast called Ru’s chit-chat-cadillac which you can tune into on Youtube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Ru performs regularly at iconic venues and festivals across Australia, including hosting the official 2024 Australian Holi Festival celebrations in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, as well as performing in all-star casts such as Celebrity TheatreSports, Brown Women Comedy, Generation Women, Michael Hing’s Instagram Show, Jim Fishwick’s The Saboteur, Live Coconuts hosted by Tim Ferguson, and Worship Queer Collective’s Powerhouse Museum takeover. Her TV/Film appearances include Win the Week (ABC; S2), Mastermind (SBS; S5), The King in Me (SBS Documentary) and Born Naked (Inner West Film Festival). Her featured ad credits include World’s Greatest Shave 2024, Australian Seniors Insurance 2024, and Telstra 2019. She is part of iconic improv troupes ASMR (ITS Smackdown Champions 2021, Improv Comedy Cagefight 2022), Tetronimo (Improv Comedy Cagefight 2022), the Improv Theatre Sydney Ensemble, and Lines of Best Fit. Ru was also an Intern Writer on Season 14 of ABC’s Gruen hosted by Wil Anderson.

In the fleeting bursts of time between megalomaniacal visions of future success and debilitating episodes of crippling self-doubt, Tom Stevenson writes jokes about his observations and experiences. He is the Managing Director of Australian comedy production duo, Scary Strangers, and Head of Creative Arts at St Andrew’s College, Sydney University. Before pursuing a career in comedy, Tom completed two degrees, Musical Theatre (Federation University) and Law (Macquarie University), both were jokes. As part of Scary Strangers, Tom has produced and performed in a national tour of The STEAM Room Science Comedy Experience ft. Dr Karl, Big Cat Club, Are You Havin’ A Laugh?! Comedy Variety Night, and Scary Strangers duo shows. As a stand up comedian Tom has performed at venues across Australia and India. He is a graduate of Improv Theatre Sydney’s esteemed improvised theatre program, where he has performed as part of legendary ITS House Teams, Honeytrap and Call Your Mother. He also regularly performs as part of the independent improv troupe Daniel Craig.

ABOUT SCARY STRANGERS

Scary Strangers is the legendary lovechild of Australian comedians Ru Halwala and Tom Stevenson. Together they have produced and performed in star-studded, sell-out shows all over Australia including The STEAM Room Science Comedy Experience ft. Dr Karl, Big Cat Club Improv Comedy Extravaganza, and Are You Havin’ A Laugh?! Comedy Variety Night. Scary Strangers serve their own signature cocktail of stand-up, improv, sketch, and musical comedy every time they step onto the stage! Yum, Yum, Yum! Every Scary Strangers performance is a delicious, hilarious, comedic melange of highbrow wit and lowbrow filth, you never know what you’re going to get! They don't take themselves too seriously, and they don’t expect you too either. They are also both skilled educators. Ru teaches improv as part of the illustrious faculties of Improv Theatre Sydney and Sydney Girls High School, and Tom teaches drama at Redlands and is Head of Creative Arts at St Andrew’s College, Sydney University. Scary Strangers are also engaged as Improv teachers for the NSW Government, delivering improv workshops to children in the juvenile justice system. They are excited to bring their thrillingly goofy performances and fun comedy workshops to India in 2024.

ABOUT NAUTANKIBAAZ IMPROV COLLECTIVE

Nautankibaaz Improv Collective is an Indian Improv collective of working professionals, bringing learning, joy and laughter through the tenets of Improv. Over the last 6 years, they have built together a community of 600+ improv lovers and practitioners in Delhi NCR, who use improv in their daily life and profession to become more spontaneous, aware and joyful.  They perform, teach and do everything improv! See more about their work on @nautankibaazimprov on all socials.

ABOUT KAIVALYA PLAYS

Kaivalya Plays is a performing arts and production company led by Varoon P. Anand as its Artistic Director and Gaurav Singh Nijjer as its General Manager. Since 2012, they have built transcultural associations across India and the world. Their artistic work includes original, devised theatre performances that are multilingual, interactive, and hybrid, use technology and media on stage, and are built using techniques of improvisational, documentary, and physical theatre. Through a focus on education, training and community, their work spans diverse offerings of programs across artistic development, language learning, mental health, gender, accessibility, and transcultural collaboration. They have received multiple artistic commissions and grants through their collaborations with Instituto Cervantes Nueva Delhi, Goethe Institut Delhi, MediaFutures and other cultural partners. Their recent artistic work includes I, Josef (2024), The Pillowman (2024) ABSURDO (2023), Mining Hate (2023), Funes The Memorious (2021), Lifeline 99 99 (2021), Unravel (2019), amongst others. Most recently, they were awarded the Creativity Pioneers Fund 2023 by the Moleskine Foundation. Read more about their work on www.kaivalyaplays.org