WE ARE IRREVERENTE!

This year's festival theme is WE ARE IRREVERENTE!, celebrating all past editions, those who have visited us, the friends we have made, and all the wonderful things we have done and created together. Our irreverence is synonymous with nonconformity and daring in the face of rules or pre-established norms. And when the world around us seems increasingly volatile, uncertain, and sad – we reiterate our rebellion against the tide, and proudly distinguish ourselves as supportive, welcoming, tolerant, and inclusive, because we are IRREVERENTE! and this is improvisational theatre where EVERYONE is welcome!

OUR CAST

LUANA PROENÇA

Luana Proença is a Brazilian artivist with a PhD in Theatre, a Master's degree in Arts specializing in Cultural Management, and a Bachelor's degree in Acting. She directed the improvisation documentary "Era preciso ouvir outras vozes" (It Was Necessary to Hear Other Voices). She completed the improvisation program at the Second City Training Center Hollywood and participated in several advanced courses between 2016 and 2018. In Europe, she was a member of the improvisation groups Lilimprov and Codfish Waters, as well as The SIN (European improvisation network), and the cast of international shows. She also translates the magazine "Status" into Portuguese. Her training also includes dance, physical theatre, dramaturgy, and puppet theatre. She teaches and performs internationally with her workshops and theatre and improvisation shows. She has published three books on improvisation. She is one of the creative minds and was, until 2024, curator and artistic director of IRREVERENTE - Lisbon International Improvisation Festival. He has presented and given workshops in Brazil, the USA, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Austria, Greece, the Netherlands, Bulgaria, Vietnam, and Australia.

CHARLOTTE GITTINS

Charlotte is an actor, improviser, director and documentary-maker, based in the UK. She performs in London’s West End and on tour as one of Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel, alongside her other London shows, Anxiety Club and Grand Theft Impro. She’s a frequent guest at London’s Comedy Store, and has been lucky to perform, direct and teach at numerous improv festivals around the world.

DAN CODREANU

Dan Codreanu is a Romanian actor, puppeteer, improviser, and improvisation trainer, with a strong background in visual and non-verbal performance. He is a graduate of the National University of Theatre and Film “I.L. Caragiale” (UNATC) in Bucharest, specializing in Puppetry. For 13 years, he was a core member of Țăndărică Animation Theatre, the largest and most prestigious puppet theatre in Romania, where he performed in a wide range of productions and developed a deep understanding of object theatre, movement, and visual storytelling. Since 2016, Dan has been actively involved in the international improvisation scene. He has performed at major improv festivals across Europe, including Leuven, Uppsala, Amsterdam, Sofia, and Athens, collaborating with artists from diverse cultural and performative backgrounds. Alongside his performance work, Dan is an experienced trainer, leading workshops in non-verbal improvisation and puppetry. He has taught internationally, including in Amsterdam and Leuven, focusing on physical expression, presence, playfulness, and the intersection between puppetry and improvisation. His artistic work sits at the crossroads of theatre, improvisation, and visual performance, with a strong emphasis on embodiment, imagination, and live creation.

VINCENT VAN NIEUWENHUYZE

Hailing from the charming city of Ghent, Vincent is a seasoned improv player, teacher, and coach with over 15 years of experience bringing scenes to life. By day, he is a project and process facilitator, tackling the corporate world with the same creative flair he brings to the stage. But when the clock strikes geek o’clock, this neurospicy dynamo dives into his other true passions: gaming (mostly MMORPGs), rolling the dice in Dungeons & Dragons, and embracing full-on otaku status with an ever-growing anime watchlist.
On stage, he is all about creating magic through intimacy, warmth, and boundless energy, making every scene feel fresh and fun. Offstage, he’s just as passionate about helping others unlock their creativity, keeping the fun in fundamentals, and exploring themes of gender and queerness in performance. Whether he’s teaching, rocking an improv stage, leading a dungeon crawl, or leveling up his character online, Vincent’s motto is simple: “You be you!”

SIMONE ELLUL

Simone is a theatre practitioner from Malta with experience in acting, directing and scriptwriting. She has an MFA in Staging Shakespeare from the University of Exeter and a strong background in scripted theatre. She is a member of the improv troupes Playing Dead Theatre and Sabir, the online troupe Close Distance and is one half of the duos Invisible Women and Pairentheses. She was a founding member of the Brussels-based troupe The Ghost Sheep. She has taught at the Dramatic Improv Festival in Chicago, at Agorapp in Italy, Wonder Improv Festival in Paris, Improfest in Ostrava, Czech Republic and at the ImproBrussels improv school (including both editions of the Brussels Shuffle). In 2022, she organized Improvizza!, Malta's first ever improv festival. She is also a certified intimacy director and coordinator, working on various projects for stage and screen. Exploring ways of making intimacy safe for improvisers has led her to develop workshops that allow improvisers to dig deeper in their scenes and express intimacy naturally and safely.

MIGUEL TAPADAS

Miguel Tapadas began his musical studies as a child, later entering the National Conservatory for the Piano Course, and subsequently the Lisbon Higher School of Music, where he completed a degree in Musical Training and Choral Conducting. A musician, pianist, composer, arranger, producer, orchestrator, musical director, and choral director, his musical work is extensive, ranging from jazz to traditional music, world music, fusion, pop, rock, orchestral music, improvised music, etc. As a musical director, pianist, and producer, he has worked or is working with numerous artists on the national scene, such as Fausto Bordalo Dias, Matias Damásio, Navegante, João Gil, Uxukalhus, Eneida Marta, Carlos Alberto Moniz, Amélia Muge, Anabela, Virgem Suta, João Cabrita, Filipa Tavares, Isabel Silvestre, Chelsy Chantelle, Maria João Fura, Costa Neto, Pessoa Júnior, BICA, etc. This career has resulted in an extensive discography.

ELKE REID

An experienced improviser and character actress from NYC with training from the renowned Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) and the People's Improv Theater (PIT), Elke has performed and taught at festivals across the globe. She is registered with the New York State Education Department to teach Drama/Improv and is dedicated to helping others discover their own love for the art form.

AREE WITOELAR

Aree Witoelar is an Indonesian-Norwegian improv teacher, director, and performer based in Oslo. Aree is the artistic director of Oslo Impro Festival 2025 and founder of Impro Neuf International. Living half his life in Asia and half in Europe, being in science and arts, he believes improv is the perfect artform to express YOU. He started improv in the Netherlands in 2005 while studying physics, and found that improv balanced science with a joy of spontaneity. He brought that passion to Oslo where he sparked a vibrant international improv community in 2015. He has taught at festivals across Europe (Norway, the Netherlands, Estonia, Germany, UK, Bulgaria) and Asia (Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines).

Aree loves all improv. He has been in comedic short-form Stranger Things Have Happened, drama-comedy The Improv Speakeasy, and Asian-representing Herring & Chopsticks. Aree loves both silly and cerebral fun, with influences from Susan Messing, Jay Sukow, Will Hines, Jason Shotts, Andel Sudik, and Laxmi Priya. Yet he believes that the best improv is yet to come as the East meets West. His mission is to make improv a global artform where anyone can bring their culture on stage.

AURÉLIEN LOISEL

"I am Aurélien Loisel aka Aurel aka Teddy. I embody a strange paradox: by day, a rigorous Math Teacher; by night, a semi-pro Wrestler (""Amaku""); and always, an improviser (since 2013). Teaching since 2019, I monthly give workshops in Francophone countries (in French or English) and perform in festivals. I will also be teaching at Impro Amsterdam this February.

Pedagogically, I balance extreme care with high standards. I prioritize emotional safety and well-being, never forcing a student. Yet, my ""Math Teacher"" side remains demanding on content to ensure progress. My wrestling background drove me to fully integrate the body into my workshops.

As a Director and Actor, my actual research focuses on two axes. First, The Unseen: exploring losers and counter-intuitive choices in my shows ""Shy!"" and ""Le temps d'un arrêt"". Second, The Form: breaking narrative codes in ""Life is a Ring"" and ""Les Météores"". My work aims to break ""polite"" improv codes to reach a visceral truth."