What Hoopla Impro does

Hoopla Impro is a London-based improvisation theatre and comedy school founded in 2006 by Steve Roe and Edgar Fernando. The company operates the UK's first dedicated improv theatre at The Miller in London Bridge, running shows seven nights a week and delivering at least 30 structured improv classes per week across Central London partner venues and online via Zoom. Hoopla teaches thousands of people annually through a five-level progressive curriculum (Beginners, Performance, Scenes, Long-Form, Advanced), supplemented by specialized tracks in Stand-Up Comedy (£270), Sketch Comedy (£215-£260), and Public Speaking through its Speakers Club sub-brand (£200-£365).

The underlying 'technology' is a pedagogy built on Listen, Yes And, and Commit principles, delivered by an in-house faculty of active professional performers with verifiable credits at iO Chicago alumni, the Comedy Store Players, Showstoppers, The Maydays, and Edinburgh Fringe. Hoopla runs an ecosystem of house teams, open jams, socials, casting calls, and a 2026 20th anniversary festival to extend engagement beyond individual course enrollment. Corporate training applies improv methodology to team building, communication, and leadership development for enterprise clients including Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, LinkedIn, Accenture, KPMG, PwC, Thomson Reuters, and the World Economic Forum.

Revenue is generated through one-time course fees (with installment payment plans and concession pricing), ticket sales at The Miller theatre, and bespoke corporate training contracts. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer booking via website-integrated ticketing platforms (TicketSource, TicketTailor), a network of eight plus Central London partner venues, online Zoom delivery for global reach, and dedicated B2B sales for the corporate training vertical. The business is privately held, founder-operated, and has not raised external funding.

Name

Hoopla Impro

Legal name

Hoopla Impro

Website

https://hooplaimpro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hoopla Impro is a London-based improv theatre and training school founded in 2006, delivering a five-level progressive curriculum, corporate team-building workshops, and nightly performances to individual learners and enterprise clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (711110)

akta.pro primary industry

Theater & Drama Education (Acting, Improvisation, Musical Theater) (EDAMAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Improv Comedy Performances (MPAGACAB), Theatre Education, Training & Conservatories (MPAGABAN)

Keywords

• Improv comedy training
• Corporate team building
• Public speaking courses
• Comedy school London
• Stand-up comedy classes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Improv Courses: 8-week structured courses at 5 levels (Beginners, Performance, Scenes, Long-Form, Advanced). Prices range from £240-£255. Payment plans available (deposit + remainder). Classes 2-3 hours per week.
2. Stand-Up Comedy Course: 8-week course teaching writing and performance of stand-up comedy with live show at end. Price £270 with payment plan option.
3. Sketch Comedy Courses: Foundation (6 weeks, £215) and Advanced TV/Radio (8 weeks, £260) courses taught by Gemma Arrowsmith. Strictly limited class sizes of 10.
4. Public Speaking Courses (Speakers Club): 6-week course at £350-365 inc VAT with payment options. One-day intensive at £200. Corporate team bookings available. Includes email access to tutor throughout course.
5. Drop-In Workshops: Flexible one-off workshops with different themes each week. Suitable for various experience levels. Provides supplementary revenue and conversion path to full courses.
6. Corporate Training: Customized improv-based team building and communication training for enterprise clients including Google, Facebook, Accenture, Apple. Private courses at client premises or London venues.
7. Theatre Shows: Shows 7 nights a week at The Miller featuring trained improvisers, house teams, and guest performers. Revenue from ticket sales. Free audience shows for course graduates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hoopla Impro operates the UK's first improv comedy theatre and biggest improv school, delivering a five-level progressive improv course curriculum (Beginners through Advanced), supplemental courses in stand-up comedy, sketch comedy, and public speaking, plus nightly improv shows at The Miller in London Bridge. The business runs 30+ weekly classes and seven-night-a-week theatre performances for individual learners, alongside customized corporate training programs for enterprise clients such as Google, Facebook, Apple, and Accenture.

Product overview

Hoopla Impro operates as a multi-level education and entertainment company offering a structured curriculum of improvisation training alongside a dedicated comedy theatre. The core offering consists of five progressive improv course levels (Level 1 Beginners through Level 5 Advanced), supplemented by specialized courses in Stand Up Comedy, Sketch Comedy (Foundation and Advanced TV/Radio tracks), and Public Speaking (Speakers Club). The company runs the UK's first dedicated Improv Comedy Club in London Bridge with nightly performances, plus corporate training services applying improv techniques to business communication. Additional offerings include flexible drop-in workshops, performing opportunities through house teams and open jams, and an extensive community resource library. The portfolio is designed as a progression pathway from complete beginner through to professional performer, with online and in-person delivery options across central London venues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Speakers Club: Public speaking courses offered by Hoopla for professional development and confidence building.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000s of people trained annually across all courses
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GooglecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate training client for team building workshops. High-profile enterprise reference customer. Employees attend improv training as team offsite activity.
• Facebook (Meta)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate training client. Provided positive feedback on team workshop effectiveness for improving communication and collaboration.
• AccenturecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate training client. One of the professional services firms using Hoopla for team building and communication skills training.
• ApplecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate training client. Workshop described as 'inspiring, hilarious and richly rewarding' by Apple staff member.
• London Business SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational institution client for corporate training programs.
• Comedy CentralminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate workshop client. Feedback: 'Thanks for the workshop. All the feedback has been extremely positive! The team loved it!'
• LinkedIncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate training client. Director of Talent Solutions praised Hoopla's ability to 'relax everyone from the start' and build relationships through team workshops.
• MicrosoftcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate training client. Staff learned storytelling and communication skills with positive feedback about laughter and connection.
• KPMGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional services firm client for corporate training.
• PwCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional services firm client. Positive feedback on event success from PwC representative.
• P&GminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConsumer goods company client. Staff found workshop applicable 'in every single part of what we do.'
• Thomson ReutersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia/financial information company client. Conference training for sales team in Barcelona.
• World Economic ForumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational organization client for communication training programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Comedy School: UK-based comedy training organization offering stand-up, improv, sketch and corporate workshops. Direct UK peer across Hoopla's core curriculum areas (improv, stand-up, corporate training) and overlapping London consumer market.
• The Free Association: London-based improv school and theatre running regular classes and shows. Closest direct UK competitor to Hoopla, offering similar leveled improv curriculum and weekly performances, addressing the same London consumer and aspiring-performer audience.
• The Nursery Theatre: London improv venue and training hub co-founded by Chris Mead (a Hoopla teacher) and others. Directly comparable improv theatre and school with overlapping teacher talent, London venue footprint, and similar consumer/producer audience.
• Banana Tinge: UK-based corporate training company using improvisation and theatre techniques for team building. Direct comparable to Hoopla's corporate training revenue stream, competing for similar enterprise L&D budgets (e.g., Accenture, Google-tier clients).
• Showstoppers! The Improvised Musical: Olivier award-winning UK improvised musical troupe featuring Hoopla teacher Susan Harrison. Comparable on the performance side — touring live improv shows — and shares teaching talent and audience overlap with Hoopla's improv community.

Broad incumbents

• The Groundlings: Los Angeles-based improv and sketch comedy school with leveled curriculum and theatre. Comparable to Hoopla's combined improv + sketch comedy + theatre shows offering, though at significantly larger scale.
• Second City: Long-established Chicago improv school and theatre with a global brand. Operates a corporate training arm (Second City Works) that is a direct comparable to Hoopla's B2B enterprise offering, though at much larger scale and based in North America.
• Soho Theatre: London performance venue and new-writing theatre with associated learning and participation programs. Comparable to Hoopla's The Miller venue as a London performance and comedy hub, though at broader theatre scale.
• iO Theater (ImprovOlympic): Chicago improv school founded by Charna Halpern (referenced by Hoopla teacher Maria Peters). Offers leveled improv curriculum and teacher training; the originating institution of Hoopla teachers' training lineage and a comparable large-scale improv school.
• Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Training Center: Major US improv school with leveled curriculum (101-500 series) and theatrical venue operations. Multiple Hoopla teachers have trained at UCB. Closest US benchmark for Hoopla's curriculum structure and theatre-school hybrid model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hooplaimpro
• Instagraminstagram.com/hooplaimpro
• Xx.com/hooplaimpro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hooplaimpro

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hoopla Impro