Patti is an actor, director, playwright and teacher who specializes in improvisational theatre. She is a member of the ITI Artistic Committee (CA), a founding member of the award winning Die Nasty – improvised soap opera (CA) and former Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre (CA) and Impro Melbourne (AU). Her tutelage was a spark of inspiration for the birth of London’s Spontaneity Shop and groups such as Smoking Sofa (FR). Patti is a regular guest director with B.L.U.E – the musical (IT) and the award winning Austentacious (UK).
She has taught for the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (UK), London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts (UK), Danish National School of the Performing Arts (DK), The Actors Centre (UK), The National Institute of Circus Arts (AU), The National Theatre (AU), University El Bosque (Colombia), Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia), Citadel Theatre (CA) and improvisation companies in North and South America, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, UAE and the Oceania region. Her mentorship has strongly influenced many improvisors and improvisation companies all over the world.
Patti has been featured on the cover of the Spanish impro magazine Status; she is a contributor to the book Art of Mistakes and has been interviewed for the books Something Like A Drug and The Improv Handbook (which is dedicated to Patti in recognition of her mentorship). She has been interviewed for numerous podcasts and University papers and her blog has been translated into French, Italian, German and Portuguese. Adding to her list of credits are three nominations for an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award, plus she holds the unofficial record for being the first female to improvise for 53 hours in a row in the Die Nasty soap-a-thon.
The Canadian press has given her the titles “Impro Doyen” and “Queen of Improvisation”.
What’s a favourite memory of your time at RFT?
“So many wonderful memories of inspired moments on stage playing Theatresports, the energy of our festivals and the laughter and friendship offstage. Using our improvisation skills in creating shows such as Suspect – a game of murder, our Christmas shows like The Grinch or Charlie Brown’s Christmas, our spooky Edgar Allen Poe show and doing the Sterling-award-winning Johnny Drops Out – the rock musical schools touring show are all precious memories.”