The Impro Show
The Impro Show is Zimbabwe's only dedicated improv comedy troupe, founded in 2008 by Kevin Hanssen, specialising in short-form improv with occasional long-form storytelling at Harare's Reps Theatre.
History
The Impro Show was founded in Harare in 2008 by Kevin Hanssen, establishing the first and only dedicated improv comedy troupe in Zimbabwe. The company specialised in short-form improv with occasional long-form storytelling and performed primarily at Reps Theatre, one of Harare's most established performing arts venues, and in dinner-theatre settings. The Impro Show represented Zimbabwe at international improv festivals including The Heat at The Improv Centre in Vancouver, placing Zimbabwe within the international improv circuit. In 2016, founder Kevin Hanssen brought a HIFA hit production to Rosebank Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa, extending the company's reach beyond Zimbabwe.
Artistic Identity
The Impro Show operates primarily in short-form improv, performing at Harare's Reps Theatre and extending to dinner-theatre contexts while maintaining connections to international festival networks.
Legacy
As Zimbabwe's only dedicated improv troupe, The Impro Show has sustained improv performance as a practised discipline in the country since 2008 and placed Zimbabwe on the international festival map through appearances at events including The Heat in Vancouver.
Key Events
Kevin Hanssen Takes HIFA Hit Production to Rosebank Theatre
In March 2016, Kevin Hanssen, founder of The Impro Show, brought a production that had been a hit at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) to Rosebank Theatre in Johannesburg, South Africa. The engagement marked a notable expansion of The Impro Show's reach beyond Zimbabwe into the South African market.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). The Impro Show. Retrieved September 30, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/companies/the-impro-show
The Improv Archive. "The Impro Show." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/companies/the-impro-show.
The Improv Archive. "The Impro Show." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/companies/the-impro-show. Accessed September 30, 2026.
The Improv Archive is a systemically maintained repository. The archive itself acts as the corporate author.