CO-DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTOR

Kiva Murphy is an Irish/French actress, entrepreneur, facilitator, and coach who has been based in Barcelona for the past 11 years. With over 20 years of experience as a full-time performer, she has founded multiple creative companies across different countries, from theatre companies to entertainment agencies and training programs.

Trained in theatre, clowning, and physical comedy—including at the prestigious Jacques Lecoq school in Paris—Kiva has worked with some of the world’s leading improvisation and performance experts. As co-director of Barcelona Improv Group (BIG), she has helped build one of the city’s most dynamic training schools, coaching hundreds of professionals, teams, and aspiring performers.

A sought-after MC, presenter, and coach, Kiva applies the principles of improvisation to help people unlock their full potential on stage. She trains speakers and professionals to enhance their gestures, vocal and breathing techniques, and, most importantly, to let go of rigid structures and embrace the moment. Whether leading workshops, coaching executives, or commanding a stage, Kiva brings energy, expertise, and a deep understanding of human connection through joy, fun and a little bit of improv magic!

CO-DIRECTOR & INSTRUCTOR

Ella is an Australian actress and improviser who has been studying, performing and teaching theatre for 20 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.

THEATRE MANAGER & SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR

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 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 a part of it.

INSTRUCTOR

Originally hailing from New York, Raquel Palmas is an improviser, actress, and musical comedian. She began doing improv as most do in her front yard, with her grandma yelling short-form game instructions. After 12 years of performing in New York's most iconic basements, she joined international comedy theater Boom Chicago in Amsterdam as a mainstage cast member for two years. Some of her favorite improv credits include: The Kennedy Center (before it was evil), Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Adelaide Fringe Festival, and Dumb and Fun Festival (BCC) ⁠
She is as musically talented with her quick lyrics and songs as she is witty with her jokes. Whether she is wowing crowds with comedic freestyling or hosting corporate gatherings, her joy is infectious. She has studied at The PIT as well as UCB and can proudly say she has done a split in almost every improv theater and basement in New York.⁠

Raquel focuses her comedic energies on bringing her diverse voice to the stage and the screen. She makes art that consists of laughter and heartfelt whimsy. She is beyond thrilled to be able to bring her aggressively joyous style of play and musical antics to BIG.⁠

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

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

Pedro is an Argentine improviser rooted in Barcelona, carrying over a decade of experience on stage. His studies in Journalism and Social Communication fuel his fascination with storytelling and his ability to teach complex ideas through accessible, playful frameworks. He has performed in festivals throughout Latin America, the US, and Spain; led workshops and long‑term courses; and produced acclaimed shows in both short‑form and long‑form formats. His work gravitates toward tools that help performers build unforgettable characters, craft touching speeches, and discover new ways of telling meaningful stories.

Since 2022, Pedro has been part of La Casa de la Impro. Beyond improv, he is an active contributor to the global Soundpainting community, studying and collaborating with its creator, Walter Thompson, for more than eight years in the development of contemporary multidisciplinary compositions. Guided by his background in linguistics, his improvisational practice, and his curiosity for emerging artistic languages, he is committed to expanding improv and Soundpainting as a transformative learning tool for performers and educators.

INSTRUCTOR

Ritxi is an actor, improviser, stand-up comedian, playwright and teacher based in Barcelona. He trained as an actor in the Meisner Technique and studied improvisation at the renowned iO Theater in Chicago. He also completed a postgraduate programme in comedy at El Terrat, trained in stand-up at Stand Up Academy Barcelona and studied screenwriting at ESCAC.

On stage, Ritxi performed a season at Barcelona’s Teatreneu with his solo show Helarte de Amar and toured for two years with his stand-up show La Hora de la Verdad. Since 2018, he has performed regularly with La Casa de la Impro and collaborated with several improv companies in Barcelona.

Alongside his creative work, Ritxi is passionate about teaching comedy. He is the founder of Impro Comedia, his own training programme inspired by the teaching philosophy of Chicago’s iO Theater and by the techniques of stand-up, sketch comedy and sitcom writing.

His multidisciplinary background gives him a strong understanding of comic rhythm, joke structure, character and truthful performance. As a teacher, he encourages students to listen, take risks and discover comedy through honesty, connection and play.

ACCOMPANIST

Håvard started playing the piano at the age of 8. He started composing and improvising very young. Inspired by the tranquility and serenity of Olavskirken, a church in the middle of the forest in rural Norway, where he spent many late nights by himself rehearsing and playing with music. At the age of 17 he picked up the cello as his second instrument and followed two musical paths. The classical on the piano, and the folk/traditional on the cello. After graduating from the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo, he settled in Barcelona where he worked as a pianist at the Academy of Performing Arts(Institut del Teatre) as well as actively performing and composing in Barcelona and also around Spain. He premiered three musicals and released several albums with different projects in various genres. After 14 years in Barcelona he moved to Wien to do a degree in composing at the MUK. Currently working as a freelance composer and performer,

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.