Tag Out Theatre

Tag Out Theatre was founded in Amsterdam in 2015 by Nora McLeese and Lester Isaac Simon, originally under the name ImproGanga before rebranding. The company was created to expand Amsterdam's improv ecosystem by providing more stage time to performers. Programming includes two regular shows, an open jam, frequent workshops, and the Amsterdam Improv Marathon, a 12-hour festival uniting as many improvisers as possible for a day of continuous comedy.

Tag Out's mission is to give performers and audiences meaningful involvement in Amsterdam's improv scene. The Amsterdam Improv Marathon, a 12-hour festival, is the company's most distinctive contribution to the city's improv calendar.

Tag Out Theatre produces Indie Improv Night monthly at De Nieuwe Anita, a multi-act evening featuring several improv ensembles and the company's own Fight Night format, in which teams compete in structured improvised scenes. Underground Comedy, held on the second and fourth Sundays of each month at Boom Chicago, is a recurring late-night showcase. The Amsterdam Improv Marathon, co-founded by Nora McLeese and Lester Isaac Simon, is a 12-hour continuous improv theatre and comedy event drawing established performers and new acts from across Europe. The company also runs a regular open jam for improvisers of all levels.

Tag Out Theatre was founded in Amsterdam in 2015 by Nora McLeese and Lester Isaac Simon, initially operating under the name ImproGanga before rebranding. McLeese had trained in London, Chicago, Austin, Washington D.C., and Amsterdam, and had focused on improv performance and production since 2012. Simon brought over 15 years of improv performing, directing, and teaching experience from training in Boston, Barcelona, and Amsterdam. The company positioned itself as both a performance resource and a community hub for Amsterdam's English-language improv scene, which at the time had limited dedicated infrastructure. Tag Out expanded its programming to include regular shows, workshops, and the Amsterdam Improv Marathon, which McLeese executive-produces and Simon co-produces as creative director, and which has established itself as a focal point for European improv touring. The organisation's emphasis on building an inclusive local scene, offering open jams and workshops alongside produced shows, has made it a consistent entry point for both expatriate and Dutch-speaking performers engaging with English-language improvisation in the Netherlands.