Railway City Improv

Railway City Improv Railway City Improv was started in late 2017 to help teens struggling with anxiety. Reach out to learn more.

Since then our courses have expanded to include adults improv courses, corporate team building, and events organization and entertainment. My name is Bryan Bakker and I started Railway City Improv because I discovered first hand how powerful Improv can be to help teens come out of their shell. Both my daughters have learned powerful new coping skills they can use for the rest of their lives to succeed and thrive.

06/13/2026

In 1976, John Cleese co-founded the Secret Policeman's Ball—a series of benefit shows for Amnesty International that would forever change British comedy. This rare convergence brought together Monty Python's scripted genius with the rising stars of improvisational comedy.
Backstage at Her Majesty's Theatre, two generations collided: the Pythons (Cleese, Palin, Jones) shared green rooms with Billy Connolly, Rowan Atkinson, and Stephen Fry—comedians who would define improv's future.
The pivotal moment came during a live performance when John Cleese—known for meticulously scripted sketches—stepped on stage with Peter Cook, a master of spontaneous wit. Cook's unpredictable style forced Cleese into uncharted territory, creating a historic bridge between scripted and improvisational comedy.
Filmed and broadcast worldwide, these performances didn't just raise money for human rights—they inspired an entire generation of improvisers, proving that comedy could evolve while staying true to its purpose.
This is the story of how one benefit show united comedy's past and future.

06/06/2026

In 1618, a crooked-nosed puppet named Pulcinella hit the streets of Naples—and changed comedy forever. Armed with a wooden paddle called the batacchio, this violent, crude, anarchic character beat everyone on stage: wives, babies, authority figures. Audiences couldn't get enough.
By 1662, Pulcinella sailed to England and became Mr. Punch, the infamous star of Punch and Judy shows. The violence got darker, the humor more shocking—but the crowds kept roaring.
Was it tasteful? Absolutely not. But Pulcinella's chaotic slapstick cracked open the door for every wild joke that followed: Monty Python, absurdist theater, and the "crazy" humor we love today.
This is the untold story of how Renaissance street theater's most unhinged character laid the groundwork for modern comedy.

05/30/2026

How a 1920s psychiatrist's radical theater experiment became today's billion-dollar empathy training industry.
In 1920s Vienna, psychiatrist Jacob Moreno had a wild idea: what if people literally acted out each other's problems? He called it psychodrama, and it was revolutionary. Role reversal became his signature move—switch positions, embody the other person, feel their reality. Turns out, pretending to be someone else actually builds empathy.
By the 1960s, theater nerds discovered exercises like "Pass the Face"—transmitting emotions through silly expressions without words. Communication training disguised as playground games. Fast forward to today, and corporations pay thousands for these exact same exercises, now rebranded as "non-verbal communication training" and "empathy development workshops."
Making weird faces at coworkers and role-playing conflicts is now considered professional development. Jacob Moreno's theatrical psychology experiment became a corporate training staple. He'd probably be confused and proud.

Don't wait for "the spark." Create it through Active Presence. Being fully in the moment with another person is the rare...
05/27/2026

Don't wait for "the spark." Create it through Active Presence. Being fully in the moment with another person is the rarest gift you can give in 2026. 🎁

Replacing "No, because" with "Yes, and" doesn't mean agreeing; it means validating your partner's reality before adding ...
05/20/2026

Replacing "No, because" with "Yes, and" doesn't mean agreeing; it means validating your partner's reality before adding your own. 🤝

Building "Social Muscles" makes you more attractive. Why? Because confidence is just the comfort of knowing you can hand...
05/20/2026

Building "Social Muscles" makes you more attractive. Why? Because confidence is just the comfort of knowing you can handle whatever happens next. 😎

05/16/2026

How a 1960s London theater rebel accidentally invented clinical therapy while dodging the law.
In 1960s London, Keith Johnstone was creating weird collaborative theater games at the Royal Court Theatre. There was just one problem: public improvisation was literally illegal, so he had to call performances "workshops" to avoid arrest. His Theatre Machine toured Europe with exercises like the "One Word Story"—where people built narratives one word at a time, forcing absolute interdependence. It was terrifying, magical, and completely spontaneous.
By 1979, Johnstone documented these exercises in his groundbreaking book "Impro," proving that synchronized spontaneity wasn't just entertaining—it actually rewired how brains collaborate. Decades later, therapists realized these "illegal" comedy games force active listening, kill self-consciousness, and build genuine human connection.
Today, licensed clinicians use the exact same one-word storytelling exercises as clinical interventions. Comedy games became therapy. Accidentally genius.

Authentic connection is the "AI-Antidote." In a world of curated profiles, being "real" and responsive is the ultimate r...
05/13/2026

Authentic connection is the "AI-Antidote." In a world of curated profiles, being "real" and responsive is the ultimate romantic superpower. ⚡

05/09/2026

From weird 1950s stretching exercises to Instagram-worthy sensory galleries—this is the absurdly true history of how therapists accidentally turned panic management into a wellness trend.
In the 1950s, Alexander Lowen discovered your body hoards trauma like newspapers. By 1979, Jon Kabat-Zinn convinced skeptical doctors that sitting quietly was "revolutionary medicine." Then therapists created the ultimate hack: count backwards through your senses to stop catastrophizing. Fast forward to today, and art galleries are charging admission for you to touch fuzzy walls and sniff things while calling it "immersive sensory experiences."
Clinical grounding techniques went from therapy offices to museum exhibitions, and honestly? We're not mad about it.
#543-21Technique

The secret to a great first date? Stop rehearsing your lines. True romantic chemistry is found in the spontaneous pivot—...
05/06/2026

The secret to a great first date? Stop rehearsing your lines. True romantic chemistry is found in the spontaneous pivot—listening more than you speak. 🌹

Address

London, ON

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 9pm
Wednesday 9am - 9pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15198518614

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Railway City Improv posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Railway City Improv:

Shortcuts

Share

Category