About Stoke Improv

Stoke improv seeks to teach people how to wake up to their inherent creative potential. An improv comedy school for actors, writers, directors and lay people. This school has been a hot bed of creative comedy talent in Ireland. STOKE alumni star in LONG DARK TWENTIES, BOYZ ON TOP(by advertising power team Sam & Mikey) and PHONING IT IN(improvised comedy podcast). Her students have formed over twenty improv teams of varying sizes. They perform regularly at weekly comedy nights TIGHTROPE and MOB THEATRE.

Founded by Kelly Shatter. Kelly is a writer//director//educator who loves playing with the balance of comedy and drama in her work. She has an MA in advanced theatre practice from The Central School of Speech and Drama.

After years of performing, she trained in Long Form Comedy Improv at iO West to hone her comedy writing skills. Joining other alumna such as Amy Phoeler, Tina Fey and Rachel Dratch.

Kelly co wrote(with Camille Lucy Ross) and directed the play BIG BOBBY. LITTLE BOBBY which was nominated for four Fringe awards and won First Fortnight Award. She co-wrote (with Kevin Handy and Luke Benson) the online comedy series LONG DARK TWENTIES which received so much support after the first season, that they ran a successful Kickstarter campaign raising over 8K for Season Two.

Kelly also produces, directs and performs in live comedy improv shows. In 2017, she directed AS THE HEART SPEEDS ALONG, an improvised Commedia Dell'Arte show as part of Scene + Heard. She co directed (with Dave Coffey), FUR CITY, "An Improvised Soap Opera With Puppets" which has played to packed houses at Bewley's Cafe Theatre, Smock Alley Black Box and The Puppet Festival.

Kelly shadow directed Lenny Abrahamson on Sally Rooney's NORMAL PEOPLE for the BBC.

Most recently she performed the improvised show Histrionix to a sold out run in Smock Alley Theatre.