Belfast Improv is the only dedicated improv organisation in Northern Ireland, founded by Paul Mone after he studied improv in Shanghai and returned to find almost no local improv community in Belfast. Mone began teaching classes at Accidental Theatre in Shaftesbury Square, grew to 150+ students and multiple nights per week, and launched the Belfast Improv Comedy Festival in August 2018.
History
Background and Founding
Paul Mone began studying improv around 2013 while living in Shanghai. On returning to Belfast he found virtually no improv community in the city and set about building one from scratch by running classes at Accidental Theatre in Shaftesbury Square. The classes grew to 150 or more students and multiple nights of programming per week.
Belfast Improv Comedy Festival (2018)
In August 2018, Mone launched the Belfast Improv Comedy Festival, the first improv festival in Northern Ireland. The inaugural festival (August 1-5, 2018) brought companies from Chicago, Shanghai, London, Dublin, Galway, and Detroit, and featured formats including improvised Shakespeare, improvised musical comedy, improvised murder mystery, and two-person plays. The festival has grown into a recurring international event.
Venue
Belfast Improv primarily operates at Accidental Theatre in Shaftesbury Square, Belfast, with additional shows at The Pavilion Bar.
Artistic Identity
Belfast Improv is Northern Ireland's only dedicated improv organisation, built from scratch by Paul Mone following his training in Shanghai, with an international festival from 2018.
Key Events
Belfast Improv Comedy Festival Launched
Paul Mone launched the Belfast Improv Comedy Festival on August 1-5, 2018, the first improv festival in Northern Ireland, featuring companies from Chicago, Shanghai, London, Dublin, Galway, and Detroit.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Belfast Improv. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/belfast-improv
The Improv Archive. "Belfast Improv." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/belfast-improv.
The Improv Archive. "Belfast Improv." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/belfast-improv. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.