CO-DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTOR

Kiva Murphy is an Irish/ French actress who arrived to the wonderful city of Barcelona a little over 5 years ago kind of by accident. She got her first taste of improv as a teenager when she was training as an actress in The Gaiety School of acting. Once she began studying Theatre and Film in Trinity College she realised that she didn’t want to be so serious and switched to the world of comedy and clowning. Since then she has trained at the prestigious physical theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris and has been lucky enough to work with some of the most incredible clown, physical theatre and improv teachers from all over the world.

Kiva got involved with the BIG Improv School back in 2017 and since then has been leading workshops and integrating herself in the amazing improvisation community in Barcelona. Kiva’s teaching style is wacky, energetic and very hands on. She likes to find the best in each person, allowing them to let go of their inhibitions and really play. The main thing that clowning and improv have in common is being in the moment. Once you realise that you can use your own physicality, the space, objects and your scene partners as inspiration, the pressure is off and you can really enjoy being on stage. When you allow yourself to be present and get rid of the pressure of ‘I have to be funny’ then that’s when the magic happens.

CO-DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTOR

Ella is an Australian actress and improviser who has been studying, performing and teaching theatre for over 17 years. She earned a B.A. in Theatre Studies at Monash University, Melbourne and her performance experience ranges from improvised and musical theatre to voice, theatre in education, and dance. Since joining BIG in 2012 she has trained with some of the most renowned improv teachers and coaches in the world and has studied, performed, taught, and directed in improv schools and festivals around Europe. Ella co-designed the unique tiered curriculum at BIG to train committed, joyful and well-rounded improvisers.

She teaches students of all levels in weekly classes, emboldening beginners and experienced improvisers alike to produce rich, vibrant and committed improv. Her improvisation style centres around bold, emotional play and uses the full extent of her theatrical background, implicating the body and voice to create scenes and shows that are dynamic and filled with joyful imagination and play. Her teaching style is energetic and supportive, and aims to unleash the unique potential of every improviser and scene.

HOUSE MANAGER & STUDENT LIAISON

Dominika started her improv journey in 2020 with BIG. At the same time she completed the improv program at Second City after which she started the conservatory program and completed courses 1 and 2. Her improv style is bold and playful and she loves musical improv.

She has a degree in English Literature and Linguistics and works as a team manager. When not improvising, Dominika likes singing, playing the piano and learning how to produce music. Dominika loves the BIG improv community and is happy to be involved as student liaison. She's now a part of two improv groups and working on other improv projects.

INSTRUCTOR

Leanne is an Australian improviser who has been performing shows for over 10 years. She adores being on stage, especially playing wacky characters and bringing inanimate objects to life. Leanne has trained with Big Fork Theatre (Brisbane), the Free Association (London) and the BIG Improv School (Barcelona). Her stage credits include a range of improv shows at the Anywhere Theatre Festival and Brisbane Comedy Festival, Australian National Theatresports Competition, and with the BIG team.

Leanne has a degree in Speech and Language Therapy from the University of Queensland. She works with children and their families to support communication development. Her particular passion is offering neurodiversity affirming therapy for autistic children. Leanne’s teaching style is strengths-based, empathetic and playful. She strives to help all students feel comfortable and creative. Leanne is delighted to be a part of the BIG Improv School to share her love of improvising with the community.

INSTRUCTOR

Pol is a Catalan improviser who started his journey in Calgary (AB, Canada) with the Kinkonauts and Loose Moose Theatre where he was an active member and volunteer in the improv community, and hasn’t stopped ever since. After leaving Canada, Pol has trained with The Showstoppers (UK), Rapid Fire (Canada), BIG Improv School, Escuela de Impro and Improv Training Center (Barcelona) and is a proud member of the last iO Summer Intensive in Chicago. He loves whacky characters, narrative and genre improv, and his secret weapon is singing and dancing.

When Pol is not improvising he works as a Primary School Teacher in Barcelona or volunteers at the Observatory Contra l’Homofobia de Catalunya. As a teacher, psychologist, and LGBTQIA+ activist, his teaching style is all-inclusive, adaptable and respectful. Pol has been an active member of the BIG team since 2018.

INSTRUCTOR

Miguel is a Spanish improviser who started improvising in 2019 in Barcelona with Jamming Barcelona. He fell in love with improv and complemented his Spanish training with his English training at BIG, attending several courses per week and performing both in Spanish and English.

He has trained and performed in many festivals around the world and is constantly looking for new stages to play on and new people to play with. Miguel loves finding the connection between players and creating captivating stories together. He has a supportive style of teaching based on letting the students find their own personal style of improvising.

Miguel holds a master's degree in chemical engineering and is an expert on 3D printing and additive manufacturing. When he is not improvising, he likes to play ultimate frisbee on the beach and read detective novels.

GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Jennifer Bareilles is a New York based actor, improviser and coach. A stage actress for decades, she began her improv career at the People’s Improv Theater in 2012 where she was a member of several House Teams including “DIVO”, “The Studio System” and Saturday night’s “Big Black Car” and “BBC2” alongside the Baldwins. She’s also studied at UCB and the Annoyance Theater, performed internationally and been coaching indie teams for the past decade.

A Meisner trained actor, Jennifer has performed at such famed New York theaters as Playwrights Horizons where she originated the role of Logan in Broadway bound “The Thanksgiving Play”, The American Theater of Actors where she was directed by Lori Petty, The Connelly, June Havoc and in the award winning show “Maybe Tomorrow” at Under St. Marks where she sat on a toilet for 90 minutes of direct address. She has also performed regionally at Hartford Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and The Kitchen Theater to name a few and can be seen on Apple TV’s “Little Voice” and Sony Worldwide Entertainment’s “Two Roads” as well as the film “The Light of the Moon” starring Stephanie Beatriz.

She currently performs monthly at the PIT with Patrick McCartney in “Bareilles and McCartney” as well as a number of other pop up shows.

MUSICAL INSTRUCTOR

Joanna is an award-winning singer, composer and pianist. She recently moved to Barcelona after two years of living New York where she was performing her music and collaborating with singers, actors and improvisers from Magnet Theatre and UCB as a pianist.

Joanna ranks as one of Poland’s top musical directors having worked with the Warsaw Comedy Club, Improv School, Vocal Group Jazz City Choir and The National Puppet Theatre in Warsaw. She is one of the founders of the first musical improv group in Poland ("Musical Improwizowany". As a specialist in her field she has taught numerous master classes in singing and musical improv.

She received her Master of Music from Karol Szymanowski Academy and Bachelor of Music at the Fryderyk Chopin Music University in Warsaw, Poland. Joanna recently received 2nd prize at the prestigious Instant Composer Contest during “Translantyk Film Festival” in Lodz, Poland. She has won multiple esteemed jazz competitions for singing in Poland, Romania, Estonia, Latvia including Riga Jazz Fest, Nomme Jazz and Voicingers Festival.