Laughing Out Loud: The Benefits of Practicing Improv at the Tokyo Comedy Bar

Improv comedy is a unique and dynamic form of entertainment that requires quick thinking, creativity, and a supportive environment to thrive. That's why finding the right practice space is crucial for us. To keep up improv skills sharp, we need to practice regularly. If we aren’t performing in Tokyo or touring international, we are probably practicing. Luckily, there is one place in Tokyo that provides everything an improv performer needs to hone their craft and bring their comedic talents to life.

Marshmallows and improv. A perfect match 😂

Located in the heart of Shibuya in Tokyo, the Tokyo Comedy Bar is an amazing practice space and a hub of creative energy, where performers from all walks of life gather each week to perfect their craft. With its cozy stage and supportive atmosphere, this practice space provides the perfect environment for improvisers to experiment, collaborate, and most importantly, have fun. The craft beer at the bar after practice is great too!

One of the best things about this practice space is the sense of community it fosters. Improv is a collaborative art form, and the atmosphere at this space encourages performers to work together and support one another. Whether you’re a seasoned member of the Pirates or just starting out, everyone is welcoming and eager to share their skills and experience with each other.

In conclusion, the Tokyo Comedy Bar has been a great place for us to practice and be even more involved with the comedy community in Tokyo. If you are unable to make one of our monthly improv comedy shows in Ebisu, be sure to check out what is going on at the Tokyo Comedy Bar in Shibuya.

Get tickets to one of our shows: www.piratesoftokyobay.com/tickets

POTBU Level 1 🎓

CongratS to all of our amazing POTBU Level 1 graduates!

We had a really fun and challenging first semester. There were lots of new information and skills to take in, especially for the students who had never performed on stage or studied improvisation before. But despite the constant challenges in front of them, each student really brought their “A game” and made significant improvement throughout the first semester.

It takes time for each performer to find their own voice when it comes to employing all these new tactics in a scene, game or even a warmup. But I'm happy to say that everyone was able to come out of their shell, enjoy the challenges laid out in front of them and have fun while simultaneously embracing the discomfort of learning something new. Improv is not always something that comes easy for a lot of people, but it's universal in how it can relate and improve every one of our lives.

If you plan to perform in any capacity, improv will undoubtedly assist you on your way. But especially for those who hate public speaking, hate standing out, hate any kind of spotlight, etc., improv training lets you get used to those little fears that pop up in everyday life. You get so used to them that by the time class is finished and you go back to your regular schedule, presenting a report on a Zoom call is no longer that stressful. Standing up and introducing yourself at the staff meeting becomes a breeze.

Seeing people unlock that achievement in themselves has definitely been the highlight of this first session for me.

Interested in taking a class? Learn more about our improv classes here: www.piratesoftokyobay.com/university

POTBUレベル1卒業おめでとう！

楽しくまた挑戦の多い１期でしたね。
特に即興を学んだり演じたりしたことのない方にとっては新たな情報やスキルも多かったのでは？
しかし各々が高い関心をもって受講をしたおかげで多くの成長が感じられた1期となりました。
「自分の声」というものを見つけるのにそれなりに時間がかかります。

全員が殻を破り、新しいことを学ぶ当惑を楽しさに変えて挑戦をしつづけてくれました。
即興の習得は容易ではありません。しかし即興の実は生活に影響を与え、また改善してくれる普遍的なスキルです。

これからどんな形であれ演じる機会が現れたなら、即興のスキルが役に立つでしょう。
特に人前で話すことが苦手な人、脚光を浴びるのが苦手な人、そんな小さな恐怖がチョコチョコと日常に見え隠れする方には最適です。
クラスが終わるころには慣れてしまい、Zoom越しでレポートを発表することすらストレスなくこなせるでしょう。

スタッフミーティングでの自己紹介はお茶の子さいさい。
私にとって1期で最も印象残っているのは皆さんが各自のチャレンジを達成していく姿でした。

じぶんでも即興コントに興味ある方；www.piratesoftokyobay.com/university

「ぜいたくなこうざ」

みなさん

トモコ先生の漢字講座に来てくれてどうもありがとう！

慣れないオンライン講座だったけど、こうして世界中からみんなが学びに来てくれて、とても楽しい時間になりました。漢字って難しいよね。でもね、実は勝手に思い込んでいたんだってみんなが気づいてくれたら、先生は嬉しい！漢字は絵、そしてイメージなの。失敗は全然失敗じゃないし、むしろ発見だったでしょう？

先生も、みんなからたくさん教えてもらいました。先生が思い込んでいたこともあったし、まだまだ知らないこと、新しい見方があるんだね。教える・学ぶを超えて「一緒に発見し合う」ことができたから、本当に贅沢な講座になりました。漢字に興味をもってくれたなら、ぜひ自分で調べてみて。そして、ぜひ日本に来てね！先生は待っています。

See you soon! 👋

#漢字クイズ #言葉の壁も越えた笑いを #kanjitest #即興 #インプロ

Kanji Dojo - 漢字道場

ギフト券の販売を開始しました！ / We now sell gift cards!

私たちの舞台公演での安全対策の一つとして、電子ギフト券を販売することにしました。自分用または友達にこちらのギフト券をプレゼントすることで、今後の公演にお越しの際に入場券としてご利用いただけるようになります。ご購入はこちらから。piratesoftokyobay.com/giftcard　また、現金を扱いたくないお客様にも対応できるよう決済端末をSquare（スクエア）から導入しました。

もし何らかの理由で今後の公演にお越しいただけない場合でも、こちらのリンクから寄付をご検討いただけますと幸いです。piratesoftokyobay.com/donate

今後ともどうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
パイレーツ・オブ・東京湾

As we take more and more steps to increase our safety measures at our shows, one way we are doing this is by selling electronic gift cards. You can buy a gift card for yourself or a a friend to redeem at a future Pirates show. Get them here piratesoftokyobay.com/giftcard. We also purchased a credit card reader from Square to use at shows to accommodate audience members who do not want to handle cash. 

Lastly, if you are unable to attend a future show for any reason but still want to support the Pirates, you can always give a small donation to the group. Visit piratesoftokyobay.com/donate to donate. 

Thank you!
Pirates ❤️☠️

Joining the Tokyo Weekender “TW Together Instagram Live Lockdown Party” Lineup

The Pirates of Tokyo Bay are excited to a part of the Tokyo Weekender’s online event on Friday, May 22nd.

TW Together Instagram Live Lockdown Party

As part of the TW Together campaign, which connects businesses and people in Japan, the TW Together Instagram Live Lockdown Party will be held on Friday, May 22, from 7pm (Tokyo time). Just head to the Tokyo Weekender’s  Instagram page to watch inspired performances by some of our favorite people, including pop trio Three1989, DJ and producer Risa Taniguchi and improv comedy troupe Pirates of Tokyo Bay.

POTBプレゼンツ: サンデーナイトライブ! / Pirates Live!

舞台で披露していた即興コメディをネットからお届け！自宅で快適に過ごしながら安心して楽しめる台本なしのお笑いライブ！配信はここから、お題は @piratestokyo（ツイッターとインスタ）から募集しています！

An improv comedy show that you can enjoy from the comfort and safety of your own home! The live show will stream here, but suggestions will be taken from our Instagram account. Follow us @piratestokyo ❤️☠️

➡️ 現在の公演 / Current shows

2019 A Pirates Year in Review / POTB２０１９年を振り返って

We had a great year!

2019 is almost over and before we look forward to 2020, we want to look back on what a busy year it was for the Pirates. 2019 was our year to travel all over the world to bring our style of fun, energy and improvised comedy to fans new and old.

2019 by the numbers:
1802: Tickets sold to a Pirates event
15: Shows featuring Pirates (11 in Tokyo, 4 overseas)
4: Countries visited by Pirates (Japan, Singapore, Philippines, India)

We hope everyone has a great end of the year and is ready for an amazing 2020. We have some big things planned for 2020 and we hope you all will be there to cheer us on. We will be there to perform for you and make you laugh!

素晴らしい年でした！

今年もあとわずかとなりましたが、ここで今年の活動を振り返ってみたいと思います。前年に引き続き今年も海外公演を含むたくさんのことをしてまいりました。新しいお客様そして今までのお客様に私たちの即興スタイルを披露いたしました。

チケット枚数売り上げ：計１８０２枚
公演回数：計１５（東京１１回／海外４回）
公演した国：計４か国（日本、シンガポール、フィリピン、インド）

それでは、皆さま良いお年をお過ごしください。そして来年もさらにパワーアップして皆さまに笑いを届けたいと思います！

愛をこめて by パイレーツ

パイレーツ忘年会 🎉 From our family to yours, wishing you a happy end to 2019!

Pirates of Tokyo Bay return to the Manila Improv Festival

Every two years, improv groups from around the world travel to Manila to perform in the Manila Improv Festival. The Pirates of Tokyo Bay have been lucky enough to attend the festival every time since 2013.

The festival is produced by Third World Improv (TWI). Set up in 2015 by Gabe Mercado and the members of the pioneering improv group SPIT, Third World Improv is the first school in the Philippines dedicated to teaching the art and craft of improvisational theater.. Third World Improv aims to produce improv practitioners who are authentic, innovative, culturally and socially relevant and a lot of fun.

The PETA Theater Center is hosting the 2019 Manila Improv Festival. The festival promises you the best of improvisational comedy with improv groups from all over the Philippines and the globe. Now on its 5th year, the audience can expect unscripted fun and laughter. Don’t miss these five days of improv performances, workshops, and exhibits at Asia’s biggest improv festival on March 27 to 31, 2019!

Our performances will be on Friday, March 29th and Saturday, March 30th at 8pm on the Viola Spolin stage. Get your tickets at Ticket2Me and search “MIF”.

Below is a (shaky) video from our 2017 performance in Manila to get you excited for our 2019 shows. See you in the Philippines!

❤️ Pirates