About Ed Improv Fest
The Edinburgh International Improv Festival brings the best of American-style long-form improv comedy to Scotland's beautiful capital city. Join us for a hilarious four days of workshops, shows and jams that will leave your jaw dropped and your mind blown.
Ed Improv Fest returns 5-8 March 2026!
Previous Festivals
We’re proud to have hosted improv greats such as members of Los Angeles' Convoy, New York's RaaaatScraps, Asian AF - represented by Lilan Bowden, Jiavani and Keiko Agena, Hebecky Drysbell’s Becky Drysdale and Heather Anne Campbell, Will Hines, Julie Brister, Billy Merritt, Michelle Gilliam, the cast of the West End hit Showstopper, Chad Carter, John Murray and legendary team Dummy.
2024's headliners included World's Greatest Improv School's The Bozos (Sarah Claspell, Will Hines and Jim Woods) and Holy Shit Improv (Casey Feigh, Suzi Barrett and Ronnie Adrian). Ensemble Teams were coached by a reunion of UCB's Form Night hosts Monika Smith and Billy Merritt.
We had the strange privilege of being one of the last festivals who managed to hold an in-person event in February 2020 ahead of lockdown. For our 2021 edition we jumped online with Seen in Scenes, centered around inclusion in improv and the celebration of diverse voices worldwide. You can watch recordings of our live-streamed panels on our Youtube page.
Meet The Team
Laura Hotchkiss
Laura is an experienced marketing professional who has been working in the Scottish media industry for over a decade. As an improviser she can be found regularly performing with Glasgow based team Yer Da, her two-prov improvised movie team Da Moviesh, with Campfire at Monkey Barrel and with the team Date Night at indie nights across Central Scotland.
As well as completing courses at multiple improv schools including UCB and WGIS; Laura has been trained or coached by many great improvisers including Billy Merritt, Will Hines, Sarah Claspell, Shannon O'Neill, Julie Brister, Michael Delaney, Alex Berg, Michelle Gilliam and more.
Becky Webb
Becky Webb is a performer, director, maker and clown. She trained at Circomedia in Bristol specialising in physical theatre and acrobalance.
With her own company she has produced walkabout and street shows - including for Glastonbury Festival and Winchester Hat Fair - as well as working for companies such as Artemis Productions, Circus Malabaristas, The Why Not institute and Aardman Animations.
As an improviser she has worked with various companies including The Hot Air Baboons (Bristol, UK), Impropriety (Liverpool, UK) and Die-Nasty (Edmonton, Canada). She currently performs as part of teams in the North West including Murder Inc. and BAM, as well as working with The Atom Improv School.
She also works for Inventive Productions, who create immersive theatre experiences, managing and opening their international venues as well as the UK.
Zach Stewart
Zach is a writer and producer from San Francisco, California with a background in film/tv/commercial production.
He currently writes novels and scripts, produces podcasts and sometimes does improv in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Tom Fraser
Tom hates bios.
Tom is Scottish.
Tom loves improv.
Tom was in a band.
The Board
Monika Smith
Monika Smith is an actor, writer and comedian from Canada who modeled internationally for years until realizing she preferred food and smiling. Monika toured with The Second City and has been a regular performer at Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre in shows like ASSSSCAT, Harold Night, Maude Night and more. She has performed at the Kennedy Center with Ultimate Improv, and at theatres and comedy festivals across North America like The Chicago Improv Festival and The Del Close Marathon. As well as in theatres and festivals across Europe and China.
You might not recognize her from pranking celebs on Punk’d for 3 seasons, and shows like Blunt Talk, Two and A Half Men, or podcasts like Comedy Bang Bang and Improv4Humans. Monika has written for shows on Quibi, MTV, TBS and numerous comedy websites. As well, she has written improv school curricula for multiple schools and has taught workshops in almost every continent. When she’s not hanging with her weird dog in Los Angeles, Monika is touring her solo show improvising a one act play.
Graham Dickson
Graham is one of the most experienced improvisers in the UK. He is co-founder of the critically acclaimed, West End smash hit Austentatious as well as the founder of the UK's leading long-form improv school and theatre, The Free Association.
He performs regularly at the theatre in shows such as This Doesn't Leave the Room, Three and St. Doctor's Hospital among others. He also performs regularly in shows such as Kool Story Bro with Kiell Smith-Bynoe and Mae Martin & Friends. He has toured extensively across the UK and in the US has performed at UCB, improv Olympic, Groundlings and the Dynasty Typewriter.
He is also an actor and writer. His recent screen credits include his critically acclaimed performance in the feature film All My Friends Hate Me as well as supporting roles in TV shows such as Renegade Nell, Witchfinder, Afterlife and PLS Like. He is currently writing a feature film for FIlm4.
Founders
Edinburgh International Improv Festival was founded by Michelle McKay and Jason Perez.