Ben Verhoeven is a professional improviser and teacher from Antwerp, Belgium. He’s co-founder of Swaajp Improtheater, co-director of Werewolves the improv show, performer with Prism and Commotie musical improv, and he has his own company ERLNMYR combining improvisation and science communication. Since starting improvisation in 2011, Ben has performed over 220 shows in ten different countries and in three different languages.
Ben was an improvisation teacher at Conservatorium Mechelen for four years, and before that he founded the Swaajp School of Improv and ran it for several years. Every so often he offers workshops to different theater groups in Belgium and abroad (India, Germany, New Zealand, France, Slovenia, The Netherlands). He’s a founding member of The SIN, an international network for ambitious improvisers in Europe. Ben believes that playing through emotions and a character’s point of view, leads improvisers to finding more beautiful stories to put on stage.
Assisting someone sculpt their own talent, that’s what teaching is all about for Ben. He loves sharing his passion for improvisational theater with other theater groups and festivals, in order to broaden everyone’s horizon. A workshop in improv theater is only successful if it helps both pupils and teacher become stronger, smarter and more enthusiastic!
Below you find the description of the different workshops ERLNMYR provides. All these workshops are available in English, Dutch and French.
We can always adapt or create a workshop to your wishes. For inquiries, please send us a message.
Participant Testimonials
Vikas Sangam
Indian Improv Tribe, Bangalore (India)
Ben is an amazing facilitator, he makes you very comfortable.I specifically remember an instance from workshop where he scrapped whole exercise as it didn't work for the group instead of forcing it on the group. Accepting that a planned exercise didn't work out to a group is a great thing and speaks volumes about Ben as facilitator and human being.
Toine Bles
De Tegenpartij, Voorburg (Nederland)
"Ben geeft angstig leuke workshop" Een dag bezig geweest met Impro Weerwolven, erg leuk en zeer leerzaam. Goede opbouw en geen moment verveeld. Mooie mix van basis, uitwerking en achtergrond. Zeker een aanrader.
Tanine M. Dunais
Avant-Garde Madhouse, Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
Ben is a generous, attentive and positive teacher. In his workshop (Pathos and Passion), his inviting and calm attitude helped everyone including myself relax and open up. The trusting ambiance he created not only allowed me to openly explore the heights of my emotions but also comfortably tap into them in scene work.
His Werewolf (the format) workshop was so cleverly organized and set up that we, not only learned the format from inside out but also managed to play it with sufficient confidence at the end of the day.
Thank you Ben
Stijn Conings
De Beluga's, Leuven (België)
De workshop rond emoties in impro was een schot in de roos. Oefeningen in intensiteit van emoties werden afgewisseld met heel korte dialogen waarin de zin 'Ik weet het' heel centraal stond... bij momenten echt kippenvel.
Als kerst op de taart enkele massa scenes waarbij de totale focus ging naar 2 personages : een verteller en een luisteraar. Door de grote gerichtheid van de 'figuranten' op twee hoofdpersonages, kwam de emotionele beleving van nog meer op de voorgrond... enkele wauw momentjes
Kortom een aanrader
Sonja Steenhoff
Schmitz Katze, Karlsruhe (Germany)
I really enjoyed learning a new improv longform. You explained it very well and all the exercises we did were helpful for learning how to perform the show, no unnecessary long name games or warm-ups. I would have preferred a bit more practise, but due to the limited time, it wasn't possible, so it's not your fault. In the end, it worked really well and I'm glad we remembered all the different possibilities and monologues. I think, as a teacher, it's important to interrupt a scene that is stuck and talk about ways or ideas to improve things on stage. You did this always in a polite and positive manner.
Sahil Sen
Improv Comedy Bangalore, Bangalore (India)
The workshop Ben conducted at the Bengaluru Improv Festival 2019, 'Pathos and Passion', helped me slow down, setup scenes and tap into emotion in different ways to develop a narrative.
It was amazing to see it put into practice: the honesty, support and calm that the workshop encouraged, when Ben performed on stage.
Rozemarijn Van Der Kaaij
De Tegenpartij, Voorburg (Nederland)
Hele fijne workshop! Alles is stap voor stap en ontzettend duidelijk uitgelegd, om vervolgens met dat specifieke gedeelte te oefenen. Zo bouw je langzaam, beetje bij beetje, de voorstelling op, totdat je aan het einde van de dag het hele concept/voorstelling kan spelen. Je duikt voor een dag een compleet andere wereld in en ik heb er oprecht van genoten, dankjewel Ben!
Rocio Barquila
Improholics, Ljubljana (Slovenia)
Dealing with emotions is never an easy task, even if the outcome is positive. I think the workshop is really well structure because it started with fun and creating easy positive connections between us to prepare us for the heavy part (scale of emotions and understanding how we process them) to then apply what we learnt about our emotions into some scenes. I can assure you that by the end of the workshop I had more energy than when I came in, so very nice magic you used.
Remco Van Vliet
De Tegenpartij, Voorburg (Nederland)
Op zaterdag 8 december is Ben van Antwerpen naar Voorburg afgereisd om ons team (De Tegenpartij mét Tim en de Tina's) kennis te laten maken met de wondere wereld van Wakkerdam. Hierbij goede aandacht voor de technieken van het spel én ook de puntjes op de i: suspense en podiumbeeld voor de totale duur van de voorstelling. Ben bedankt voor deze lessen en je fijne manier van lesgeven! Tot in Wakkerdam?
Pranavi Pullagummi
Hyderabad (India)
I am thankful about the workshop. This session meant a lot to me.
Oliver Gross
Baden (Austria)
I liked the way to play around lightly with improv rules/ theater rules, that can sometimes become a heavy burden.
By discussing after playing scenes with those rules and their opposites it makes much more sense to discuss what they are good for and what might be their background.
Good presentation of an often misunderstood area in improv and theater 🙂
And yes it was very enjoyable 😉
Nick Maaß
Impro Fest Online, Bielefeld (Germany)
You managed to create a simple yet powerful workshop. I enjoyed approaching improv theory in a playful way. As a fellow teacher I really appreciated the way you set the atmosphere, managed the discussion and the playful yet "scientific" ways we drew conclusions about the rules. I would recommend this workshop to anyone who wants to reflect on the truths they hold sacred in improv. I think the workshop was brilliant because it wasn't just a collection of exercises but had an underlying theme that was explored both on an intellectual and playful level. Rules can be helpful in improv, but understanding why they work is more important. This workshop helped me do that and reflect on rules in a great way. I really want to get back together with my group to continue experimenting with rules after this workshop 🙂
Like I said before, what a beautifully designed workshop. So simple yet so effective 🙂
Lena Breuer
Cologne (Germany)
Ben, you are sensitive, positive and very energetic, which made the workshop very easy to follow. I like how structured you are and - on the other hand - how honest you were with your form of teaching (I mean also with small changes and spontaneous things). I felt comfortable at any time!
Laxmi Priya
Improv Comedy Bangalore, Bangalore (India)
Had the wonderful chance to take Ben's workshop titled 'Pathos and Passion' and watch couple of his shows too. the shows were amazing and the most wonderful contribution by Ben was to be able to pace out rhythm of the scene and create authentic connection based on emotions and words with his scene partner.
At the workshop, Ben was most generous and informed facilitator one could ask for by traversing safely the scopes of emotional authenticity and rational usage of them for improv scene work. The fixing of axis to emotional work (and not forced comedy) was tender and much timely. considering the sensitive nature of the workshop, Ben was able to hold space for all participants and be vulnerable himself. Strongly recommended.
Laura Berkemeyer
Peng! Impro, Münster (Germany)
The laboratory of impro rules keeps it promises. We had time to discuss rules, embrace them and play around. The mixture of exercise and reflection was perfect and I had a lot of fun breaking the rules. Thank you Ben for this great workshop.
Koos Vos
TIC, Catus (France)
Wij hebben het enorme genoegen gehad om een twee-daagse workshop onder leiding van Ben te mogen meemaken. Hij is een serieuze, enthousiaste trainer met een goede kijk op de improvisatie en sociale kwaliteiten van de acteurs. De stage (weerwolven) was goed opgebouwd en het was enorm leuk om de ontwikkeling van de groep te zien gedurende deze twee dagen. De gehele groep is zeer enthousiaste over Ben en het concept “weerwolven”. Wij kunnen werkelijk alle improvisatie groepen Ben aanraden !! Daarbij is nog het vermelden waard dat de gehele cursus door Ben in het frans is gegeven … !
Kawkab Itani
Improgranti, Bochum (Germany)
I really enjoyed the workshop: Going in to a lab with a blank slate to experiment with breaking and bending rules, observing what happens and allowing ourselves to test our preconceptions about what goes in improv and rediscover why the rules are there in the first place, when and to what degree to embrace them and when to toss them overboard or recalibrate. I went out with a differentiated and deeper understanding of what works for me. It was nice to pinpoint the mechanisms behind the rules. Very exciting and refreshing approach!
Kai Stupperich
Hamburg (Germany)
I liked the combination of working and reflecting on the rules - this had a deep impact on the consciousness of our play.
I really recommend Ben's workshop - it applies to impro players of every level.
Jorien
De Tegenpartij, Voorburg (Nederland)
We hebben een fantastische workshopdag van Ben gehad over de impro longform Weerwolven. De workshop was goed opgebouwd. Het concept is complex, maar helder overgekomen. We kunnen hier maanden mee vooruit om samen te trainen. Ben gaf concrete en opbouwende coaching, heel prettig. Veel dank!
Jens Wienand
Mannheim (Germany)
Ben is a great teacher! Nice to everyone, super clear in his format and got the best out of everyone in the group. I recommend everyone who likes to get input in a fun, narrative format to take this class!
Claudia Behlendorf
Die Affirmative, Mainz (Germany)
Ben is a very structured yet passionate teacher who flexibly adapts to the needs of the group. While he brought across a lot of knowledge and skills, he teaches in a very inspiring way and makes sure that everyone has tons of fun while still being productive. It was a phantastic weekend and the feedback we got from our participants was 100% positive. Go ahead and BOOK HIM!
Anne Veling
Expreszo Theatersport, Hoorn (Nederland)
De workshop "Liedjes met Structuur" is een van de beste - en meest bruikbare - improvisatie-workshops die ik ooit heb gevolgd. Naast gewoon heerlijk zingen, hebben we met een aantal heel praktische tips geoefend die er voor gaan zorgen dat het improviseren van liedjes tijdens een scène makkelijker wordt. Bijzonder hoe men echt nadenkt over hoe muziek een scène kan versterken en een extra emotionele laag kan geven, en meer dan alleen een simpele toevoeging kan zijn. Nu nog proberen al die waardevolle ideeën op het podium te gebruiken. Een aanrader!
Anna Zuykova
Improholics, Ljubljana (Slovenia)
I am very grateful to you, Ben, for your professionalism, gentle and careful style of work with such a sensitive topic as feelingsemotions. This workshop is a great opportunity to connect to our own feelings and become more conscious about how we are expressing (or not expressing) them. The finishing part was cherry on top – I went home in a cheerful and relaxed mood, feeling satisfaction.
Alex Zdvorak
Mind into Matter, Chiang Mai (Thailand)
I had the privilege of learning from Ben at the Bengaluru Improv Fest. Not only is Ben incredibly knowledgable & experienced, he is able to teach with grace and ease. He is a pleasure to be around and has a big heart! I hope we cross paths again. Thank you Ben!
Abhishek Goyal
New Delhi (India)
Ben is a great actor and very good with people. I loved the workshop and understood the concept very well. He is always there if anyone struggles and is appreciative of small things in life. Thank you Ben for this experience!
A laboratory of impro rules
Which impro rules do you strive to play by? Which improv tips do you believe in? Well, prepare to have your beliefs challenged. In this laboratory we will experiment and play with the rules. This investigation will help us gain understanding in the how, why and when of such rules. Nothing is true until proven! Homework: think of the improv rule that you personally swear by and bring it to class.
Pathos and passion
The most rewarding moment doing improv, is the absolute silence that engulfs a theatre during an emotional scene. When you reach this absolute silence, you realize that you’ve managed to captivate your audience. That you’ve moved them and that they hold their breath in suspense as the scene unfolds.
One important aspect for creating such moments is showing honest emotions. This workshop is about exploiting real and nuanced emotions to make your audience care. We will use acting exercises to experience how our face, voice and body changes when feeling specific emotions. We will analyze those changes and employ them to inject tension into a scene. If you invest in your scene, the audience will invest in you.
Keeping up appearances
Sometimes when improvising a scene, we don’t know where we’re headed, other times we are surprised by our partner’s offer. In both cases, we don’t want our audience to notice this. Showing confidence by hiding our doubt as an actor is the key to make this work.
In this workshop we will work on confidently making bold offers, but also follow our partners’ strong offers with just as much confidence. While the actor sometimes doesn’t know what the hell they’re doing, the character always knows. Confidence will become our second nature.
Werewolves, the improv show
Werewolves is an improvised theatre show based on the popular game Werewolves of Miller’s Hollow. The actors play out the story of a village which is struck by a werewolf curse. Every night, an innocent villager is murdered. In this show it’s not the players, but the audience who has to unmask and execute the werewolves. Together with Sytse Wilman, Ben co-directs a Dutch-Belgian ensemble that performs this show at international festivals.
In this workshop, you will learn to perform this show full of blood-thirsty wolves and innocent villagers. Step by step we go through its different phases and learn the essential techniques that help to convincingly perform it. We pay special attention to building atmosphere, creating suspense and envisioning the stage picture.
Songs with structure
In this workshop, we learn different structures for improvised songs. We dive into some new and refurbished ideas that are guaranteed to impress your audience. Participants are expected to have previous experience with musical improvisation.
This workshop is taught together with the amazing pianist Ingmar Dasseville. The material for this workshop is developed during rehearsals with the musical improvisation ensemble Commotie.
Nature’s call
People are born with the ability to move, to see, to listen, to touch, to taste and … to make music. This workshop is about using the very first instrument that nature has provided us with: our voice. In this workshop we learn to make our own soundtrack on stage. We will build up songs with beats, harmonies and melodies and learn to use them for both supporting our scenes with music, as for singing fully improvised a capella songs.
