Close Encounters Theatre is an English-speaking performing arts school and theatre in Zurich, founded in 2018, offering improv, acting, and musical theatre, and hosting the annual Zurich Improv Comedy Festival.
History
Close Encounters Theatre was founded in Zurich in 2018 by Tara Brodin and Joanne Willmott, establishing a multi-discipline performing arts school serving the city's English-speaking community. The school developed programmes in improvisation, acting, and musical theatre, distinguishing it from Zurich's other improv organisations by integrating multiple performing arts disciplines under one umbrella. Close Encounters also took on festival production, launching the Zurich Improv Comedy Festival and creating an annual international showcase for the city.
Artistic Identity
Close Encounters combines improv with acting and musical theatre training, positioning itself as a broad performing arts school rather than a dedicated improv institution, and building community through festival production.
Legacy
The Zurich Improv Comedy Festival, produced by Close Encounters, became an anchor event for the city's improv community and an entry point for international companies visiting Switzerland.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Close Encounters Theatre. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/close-encounters-theatre
The Improv Archive. "Close Encounters Theatre." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/close-encounters-theatre.
The Improv Archive. "Close Encounters Theatre." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/close-encounters-theatre. Accessed March 17, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.