Latest News
20th May 2013New Tour Dates Added
We've updated our tour page to reflect the many new bookings we have received recently. Take a look here to see if we are coming to a theatre near you!
26th April 2013
Improvisers wanted
SOOP are currently on the lookout for new improvisers to join our award-winning Instant Soop troupe. Go on over to our Opportunities page for more information.22nd March 2013
Casting call for A Viking Tale
SOOP are now looking for an ensemble of performers to develop and tour our brand new show A Viking Tale - The Story of Sigurd the Dragonslayer. An audition workshop is being held on 7th April, with rehearsals during April and May, with the first performance scheduled for June 1st. For more details and how to apply, go to our Opportunities page.
12th March 2013
A podium place for Instant Soop at the Bristol Improv Festival Throwdown
On Saturday SOOP travelled to Bristol to take part in the Theatre Throwdown - the finale of the inaugural Bristol Improvisation Festival. The Throwdown featured eight improvisation teams from across the country competing in front of a packed audience and a panel of judges for the Throwdown Trophy.
It was a fantastic evening, a great opportunity to meet other improvisers and see how Instant Soop measures up against some very experienced and acclaimed troupes. We are very proud to say that we placed third, an astounding achievement given the quality of improvisation on display.
Congratulations to champions the Maydays and runners-up Closer Each Day, and a massive thank you to Andy Yeoh and all at Bristol Improv Network for organising a brilliant event. We hope to see you next year.
5th February 2013
Online Booking launched at the Station Theatre
Hayling Island's Station Theatre has launched an online box office facility, perfect timing for Scallywags, which will be appearing at this beautiful venue on Saturday 9th Feb. If you want to catch the show there, then making swift use of this new facility is highly recommended as tickets are selling fast (hooray!).
Here is the link to the online box office.
29th January 2013
Instant Soop wins Best Comedy award
Last night our improvisation show Instant Soop was named the winner in the Best Comedy category at the Guide Awards, the annual ceremony, organised by The News, which celebrates local culture in all its forms.
We're bowled over by this award and thank The News, The Kings Theatre, the judges, the venues that have booked us and everyone who has voted for us or supported us over the last year.
Next stop for Instant Soop is for our improvisers to pit their wits against some of the best improv talent in the country at the Theatre Throwdown. This event is the finale of the Bristol Improv Festival and takes place on March 9th.
24th January 2013
The Demon Headmaster - new date confirmed
ReMix Youth Theatre's performance, postponed by the snow, has been rescheduled for Thursday 7th February at 7.30pm. Ticket holders for the original date have been contacted and tickets transferred. There is still time to book tickets. See the panel to the right for more details.18th January 2013
ReMix's Demon Headmaster postponed
ReMix Youth Theatr's performance of Demon Headmaster, due to take place tomorrow (19th January) at The Spring, has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions. It is expected that the show will be rescheduled for February 7th. Details will be confirmed next week. If you have booked tickets for tomorrow's performance the Spring Box Office should be contacting you. If not, call 023 9747 2700 for more information.14th January 2013
Scallywags Casting Announcement
We're very pleased to welcome a brother and sister duo to the cast of Scallywags for our 2013 tour.
Peter McCrohon
Peter graduated from Rose Bruford in 1999 and his credits include Romeo & Juliet (English National Ballet), See How They Run and Habeas Corpus (New Apollo), Dial M For Murder (Middle Ground Theatre Company) and The Merchant of Venice (Traffic of the Stage).
Francesca McCrohon
Francesca graduated from East 15 in 2010. Credits include Let 'Em Have It! (New Diorama Theatre), And We'll Laugh At Gilded Butterflies (Leicester Square Theatre), Nymph (Cockpit Theatre), And Death Shall Have Dominion/The Tell-Tale Heart (New Apollo)
2nd January 2013
SOOP are recruiting!
An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the cast of SOOP's acclaimed show Scallywags when it tours in 2013 and beyond.
Our devised wartime comedy-drama received fantastic reviews when it premiered in 2012 and was nominated for Best Theatre Production at the Buxton Fringe. In 2013, we have dates confirmed at various venues from February onwards, and as the show is on the menu for various rural turing schemes, there is a likelihood of many more dates this year and beyond. More details about the show and its tour can be found elsewhere on this site.
Successful applicants will have a genuine passion for devising and touring small scale theatre, relish working as part of a committed ensemble, have experience of physical theatre, comedy, singing and multirole casting. Performers local to Portsmouth or willing to travel are desirable. Flexible availability is essential as dates may be booked at short notice throughout 2013 and into 2014.
Auditions will take place on Sunday 13th January in Havant from 10.30am until 1.30pm.
There will be a five day rehearsal period between Sunday 27th January and 7th February, with the first performance on February 8th. Role details are below. Rehearsals are paid at National Minimum Wage and we offer a per performance fee. If you wish to be considered for either role, email your headshot and CV along with a brief covering statement to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Roles available
Doris/Father/Major Contrivance - Male, playing age 35 - 50 yrs.
Doris is the local postmistress, but also a cover persona for Major Contrivance, Commanding Officer of the Special Operations Executive. Doubled with Billy's father, a versatile actor with skill in broad characterisation, accents and comedy.
Billy/Jennifer/Jemima - Female, playing age late teens/early twenties
Billy is the enthusiastic Boy Scout whose father is kidnapped by the occupying Nazi forces. Doubled with Jennifer - the wife of dentist Dennis Pritchard, who harbours a secret, and Jemima, an amorous young woman who has arranged to meet her boyfriend for a clandestine assignation. A versatile physical performer with a strong singing voice and musicality is required.
21st December 2012
Merry Christmas from SOOP
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year. See you in 2013!
19th December 2012
SOOP head to Bristol for Improv Throwdown
SOOP's improvisers will be pitting their wits against some of the biggest names in improv in the inaugural Bristol Improv Festival in March.
The festival is a week packed full of performances and workshops, culminating in the Throwdown event on Saturday 9th March, where SOOP will be rubbing shoulders with such titans as The Maydays, Instant Wit, Off the Cuff, Only Humour, Closer Each Day and Comedy Sports UK.
We're very excited to have been invited to take part in a fantastic event in a city staking its claim to become the improv capital of the UK.
For more details of the festival and to book tickets, the link is here.
05th November 2012
Instant Soop nominated for Best Comedy Award!
We're delighted to announce that our comedy improv show Instant Soop has once again been nominated for Best Comedy in the Guide Awards from The News. This annual awards ceremony recognises the best in local entertainment and culture, and last year Instant Soop was runner-up in the Best Comedy Category.
This year, we hope to go one better and win it, and you can help. All you need to do is vote for us following this link. You can vote in as many or as few categories as you like, just select Instant Soop when you get to the Best Comedy section.
If you saw Scallywags this year you might also want to nominate this show for Best Professional Production. At the bottom of the options in each category there is a reader's choice option, and that's where you can nominate Scallywags.
We are up against some stiff competition once again, so please show your support and vote for the most innovative comedy show in the area.
Thanks!
24th October 2012
The Big Instant Soop Ticket Giveaway!
We have some brand new Instant Soop shows coming up in November, and we are giving away a limited number of free tickets to celebrate. For your chance to grab a free ticket to our fantastic improvisation show, enter our Instant Soop Caption Competition on our Facebook page!
19th October 2012
A brace of fantastic reviews from Scallywags' London run
Despite only showing at The Space for four nights, we were still visited by A Younger Theatre and Everything Theatre who reviewed the show, and both really enjoyed it. You can read their reviews in full here.
4th October 2012
The Scallywags are coming home!
We're very excited to announce that Scallywags will be performed at the actual site where the real Auxiliary Units were trained.
The Coleshill estate is managed by the National Trust, and we're delighted to have confirmed a special performance of our show at this historic site in May 2013. Further details will be available on this website shortly.
21st September 2012
Special Ticket Offer to see Scallywags at The Space
We are offering a special deal for 2 tickets for the price of 1 to see our acclaimed wartime comedy-drama Scallywags at The Space, from October 17th - 20th. For details of how to take advantage of this brilliant offer, take a look at our Facebook Page.
15th September 2012
SOOP is now a Community Interest Company
On 7th September, SOOP incorporated as a Community Interest Company with Companies House.
As a CIC and a not-for-profit organisation, we are committed to benefiting our community through our activities, so look out for the many workshops, events and performances we are offering over the next year.
20th August 2012
New Dates for Scallywags.
We're delighted to announce that Scallywags will be appearing at the Station Theatre, Hayling Island on February 9th 2013. SOOP will be performing both a matinee and an evening performance at this lovely community venue, which marks the start of the Scallywags tour for 2013. We hope to be announcing more dates across the country in the coming weeks and months.
Further details of the Station Theatre performance, including how to book tickets, will be available on our website soon.
19th August 2012
Pocket SOOP - the official mobile app.
Yes, that's right. You can now have all the essential SOOP information in the palm of your hand with the free official app, Pocket SOOP, available for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Phone.
The app allows you to view forthcoming events, photos, Facebook and Twitter feeds and get in touch with us all from one place. Pocket SOOP is a very new development and availability is limited. It isn't yet available from the main app stores, but you can get it here. Let us know what you think.
14th August 2012
Scallywags tickets on sale now.
Tickets are available to purchase for the remaining Scallywags dates of 2012. If you would like to see the show at The Spring, Havant on September 14th, the Box Office number is 023 9247 2700, or you can book online here.
In October we are at The Space on the Isle of Dogs from 17th - 20th. The Box Office number is 020 7515 7799, or book online here.
We look forward to seeing you at a future performance.
14th August 2012
SOOP Blog now online!
Because we like to show that we have our fingers on the pulse, we've only gone and started a blog. Yes, that's right. We are letting our people spill their brains onto the internet. You can find out what we think about what's happening in the world of theatre by going to the blog page here. We might even go one step further and enable comments on the posts in the future, but in the meantime, enjoy!
11th June 2012
Musical Improviser needed!
Our very own King of the Keys, Mr Matt Blackwell, is getting married this Summer! Congratulations!
However, this means we're short a musician for our 'Instant Soop' show on August 17th.
So... do you think you've got what it takes to accompany our singing scene-sters in a live, comedy improvisation show? If so, drop Nathan a line at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and boast your musical merit.
11th June 2012
Work in progress
It's that time of year again. With a successful Fringe tour of our latest show, Scallywags, under our belt, it's time to start thinking about our next show...
Our 2013 project is looking to be a piece of children's theatre; a collaboration with local writer Lucy Flannery based on the 'Volsunga Saga' (for those not familiar with Mythology... it's all about Vikings!)
We're holding an exploratory workshop to look at ideas for the more physical scenes on Wednesday 8th August, from 10.30am - 3pm which is open to all SOOP's current and past performers.
Not worked with us before? If you're interested in popping along, send an email Nathan's way.
11th June 2012
Improv Workshop - Musical 101
It can be nervewracking enough to step on stage with a well-rehearsed ditty, so the very idea of making it up as you go along can be enough to floor the strongest of constitutions.
But help is at hand! Unlock the secrets of Musical Improvisation with the SOOP Troupe. No planning, no preparation... and no pressure! Find the relaxation in rhyming and massage your mind with a musical mischievousness!
Suitable for ages 14+. No experience needed.
At the Spring Arts and Heritage Centre, Havant on Saturday 28th from 10.30am - 12.30pm
What's next?
SOOP Presents
A Viking Tale - The Story of Sigurd the Dragonslayer
The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, East Street, Havant
Saturday 1st June, 7pm
The Spring plays host to the world premier of SOOP's brand new show, supported by Hampshire County Council
Join Sigurd, the greatest Viking of them all, on an epic adventure, slaying a dragon, capturing gold and conquering a forest of flame – all with his faithful horse by his side. But when a cruel spell betrays his true love, Sigurd faces his toughest challenge yet.
Inspired by a sweeping Icelandic folk tale, SOOP Theatre weave a magical tale for brave adventurers aged nine and over.
Tickets £8 (£7.20 concessions)
Questions? Comments?
Seen a SOOP show recently and want to tell us your thoughts? Wondering where you can catch us next? Are you a local actor, interested in joining the SOOP troupe?
Well, we'd love to hear from you! Chuck an email our way and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
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