
What is Mama City
Improv Festival?
Mama City is all about growing the improv community in Africa. In particular, we envision a South Africa with improv theatres in every major city, classes in every school and heaps of fun through breaking the pace of the daily grind. Discovering spontaneous comedy, one scene at a time, is what we're about!
Born in a 2016 collaboration between Canadian improviser Ashley Comeau and South Africa-based improviser Eva Gilliam, the festival was the first of it’s kind to bring, en masse, international improv comedy performers and teachers to the tip of Africa - to mix and mingle, learn and play and indulge in this hilarious, creative, inclusive, expansive art form on the continent!
Our mission:
Our mission is to shine a spotlight on exceptional unscripted comedic theatre by presenting the best talent from all over South Africa and the world in an intimate festival setting, with an outrageously gorgeous landscape – Cape Town!
The last three years have seen audiences grow exponentially, with performers from USA, Canada, Australia, Europe and of course, RSA.
Come join us!
Gallery

Workshops
+ Teachers
We'll be covering everything from beginner's improv to improv that's perfect for improv Yoda's! Our classes are fun, engaging and for all kinds of skill levels.
Our workshops will be hosted by a a vast selection of experienced teachers from around the globe. Information on teachers and workshops for MamaCityIF 2020 can be seen here!
A schedule of workshops can be found and perused here!
The 2020
performer line-up!
Applications to perform in 2020 have closed...and a huge thank you to everyone who applied! We only have space for a select few, so if you didn't make it this year, please apply in 2021!
Watch this space for the line-up of performers - to be announced by the end of January!
International Mixers:
We've still a few spots left on our International Mixers, so if you want to come and play, please send through an application asap here!

Become a Mama City Improv Festival Partner!
Improv has become a hot medium over the last 20 years. Theatres and training centres have opened in major cities across the globe - from Chicago to Sydney - to share this brilliant art form to entertain, as well as provide educational and business development in confidence, communication and creativity.
1
Be part of a global movement and build your brand!
Align your brand with a successful festival that stands for creativity and connection! Winner companies like Nando's and Google are excellent at listening to their audiences, encourage risk-taking and fostering creative thinking on every level...that's IMPROV!
2
Open your "office mind" with an improv teambuilding!!
Learn and apply fun improv techniques for building confidence, emotional intelligence and flexibility in your work environment with a facilitated workshop.
3
Support local performers and trainers in our communities
Local is lekker! Leverage your social investment to build stronger schools and communities.