Some Sample WIT People

WIT welcomes people from all walks of life and improvisers at all levels of experience and skill. Made up of itinerant theatre professionals, bored public servants, confused stand-up comedians, desperate homemakers, cut-throat corporate sociopaths, nervous public speakers and relapsed improvoholics, we are altogether unique in New Zealand.

Guided by Creative Directors Geoff Simmons and Christine Brooks and the WIT Committee, WIT is a cooperative and inclusive family. WIT is the only improv troupe in the country that is accessible to members of the community and founded on the principle of community participation. We aim to provide pathways for all players.

WIT maintains an active membership of about thirty adults with an even number of men and women. We pioneered the first all-female act (Improv Divas) and professional youth act (Joe Improv) in New Zealand. Check out some of the people who make WIT happen below.


		Adam Williamson is a geek. He spends his days playing computer games and reading fantasy novels. Using his primary character trait (intelligence) he graduated from university with a degree majoring in Mathematics. Failing, however, to educate people on the importance of there being precisely six convex regular polytopes in four-dimensional space, Adam fell back on his secondary character traits of humour and charisma. After equipping his Ring of Sarcasm (+5 to Snappy Comebacks) and paying 30GP to join the Guild of WIT, Adam was given a rare T-Shirt of Improv (+10 to All Comedic Skills) and now participates in frequent 8-12 player high-level Venue Raids.

		Anton van Helden /‘Un’ton van Helden’/ n. 1. A marine mammal scientist by day. 2. A magician, singer, clarinet and mandolin player, cartoonist and improviser by night. An unforgettable, highly-realistic performance of an improvised song entitled "Sweaty Man" landed him the first of his many improv trophies in 2001, with other contestants literally throwing in their towels. From such humble beginnings, Anton has starred in WIT's recent soaps, and the "Sunday Improv Jam" in Fringe 2009, he has also been heavily involved over the years teaching as part of the Improv courses taught at the Wellington Community Education Centre. Trying to emulate the musical stylings of a humpback whale, this big man loves to sing - he put the blues in Blue Whale.

		Barry Miskimmin is the oldest living member of WIT. Twice awarded the WIT annual prize for gravitas, Barry brings a serious flair for improvisation to the stage. Proud of his Celtic roots, Barry often gets Irish and Scottish accents confused. Barry trained in the WIT Keith Johnstone masterclass and is one of WIT's senior trainers and MCs. He is also perhaps the most stable improviser in the group, performing in all of WIT’s improv formats and starring in Micetro (Best Comedy Award, New Zealand International Fringe Festival 2003). Barry is so dry that he is a fire hazard. Weekdays, Barry is a sales sales weasel for a large corporation.

		Chelsea Hughes graduated cumma cumma cumma cumma cumma chameleon laude from the University of Foreign before invading New Zealand just a few years ago. Since then she has Stood Up at the Fringe Bar and been Stood Outside for inappropriate use of the Dewy Decimal system. Chelsea also appeared in WellingSIN City, a noir-themed improv show, as part of the 2009 New Zealand International Comedy Festival, and is one third of the comedy triumvirate that is Little Moustache.

		Christine Brooks joined WIT in 2005 and currently puts her sharp pen to work as WIT's Creative Co-director. Christine has been improvising since she was old enough to know better. After many years performing in the obscurity and smog of Christchurch, she was spotted by a WIT talent scout concerned for her health. When she is not improvising, Christine likes to work from a script approved by the Prime Minister. She moves documents from folder to folder. Christine is a public servant. She is your servant. If you are dissatisfied with the level of public service you have received, she will be happy to respond to any enquiries in due course and as appropriate.

		Clare Kerrison joined the group that became WIT in 2003. With a stage presence large enough to lift two Improv Divas off the ground while speaking gibberish, Clare has become one of WIT's leading ladies and a senior trainer. She trained at the NASDA in Christchurch, in the WIT Keith Johnstone masterclass, and at the Loose Moose International Improvisation School, Calgary. Clare spent years as a mild mannered Business Manager for BATS Theatre by day and a seductive megalomaniac by night, and then ran off to foreign. She is sorry for any inconvenience and thanks you for the fish.

		Corey Matthew’s ability to vacillate with astonishing virtuosity between swaggering Lothario and little boy lost mean that he is widely recognised as bringing a certain . . . something to everything he does.

		Danni has astonished everyone with her amazing special powers. These first manifested themselves on stage in 2008, and continue to draw gasps of astonished astonishment from audiences and WIT players alike. She is a furtive standup comedian and is one third of the triumvirate that is Little Moustache.

		Derek Flores is a Canadian improv import with 20+ years of comedy experience, beginning way back in 1988 when he joined the Loose Moose Theatre Company in Alberta. Since then he's done time on the mean streets and in the hard bars, as well as performing in many festivals, including Adelaide, Christchurch, Nashville, Edmonton, and Edinburgh and Melbourne to name a few. His Wellington career has included Fringe Fest fav The Chit Chat Lounge, the 2009 Improv Festival fav "Mr. Fish and His Spooky Library of Improv Macabre", and three seasons in improv soapy The Young and the Witless. Derek describes his time as a senior trainer for WIT and as a past creative co-director as "well spent". He continues to maintain a number of secret identities "just in case".

		Geoff Simmons has been visibly involved in improv since 1997 when he joined Auckland group Improv Bandits. Escaping to Wellington, he was a founder member of the group which subsequently became WIT. Then he went away, but eventually came back, only to become a Creative Codirector and regularly train the WIT Corps .

		Janet Humphris joined WIT in 2003 and is one of WIT’s growing number of public servants. Disappointed initially by the lack of a strategic policy framework, Janet quickly adjusted to the world of improvisation and started performing in Battle of WITs. She won the inaugural WIT Award for Most Improved Player 2003, and is known for her winning way with words. Janet enjoys long meetings, cups of tea, Powerpoint presentations and the feeling that nothing she contributes as an individual matters. She applies her "Yes, (Let's!) Minister" attitude to work and WIT. Most recently it was discovered that Janet is in fact on the cutting edge of 'uncool'.

		Jen Mason, an openly reformed Hutt girl, has performed in improv since she was 12 and has not yet gotten sick of it. Being a customer support representative for an underground auction site pays the bills in order to allow Jen to answer her true calling - being a wrestling valet for Kiwi Professional Wrestling .

		Josh Samuels considers himself to be a Writer/Cricketer/Performer (in that order). He’s been improvising for about 3 years, after first studying improv under Julie Welch of The Groundlings when he attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Since then, he’s also performed in Brisbane and his new home of Wellington.

		Kate Zabranski-Todd is a 'nice girl' although she may have spent too long in the bush with her cats and has a more than reasonable aversion to men with no teeth. She is currently trying to avoid dressing in hessian and becoming the weird woman of the 'hood". Improv provides her with an outlet for the 'weird that lives within'. She has been improvising for about 3 years and loves the challenges that it brings, plus it gets her out of the house.

		Kirstin Price is the longest-running female improviser in Wellington, and a founding member of WIT and of New Zealand’s first all-female improvisation act, the Improv Divas. Kirstin has been involved in improvised comedy since forgetting her lines and cutting out her twin brother's big scene in a school play some years ago. She trained in the Victoria University Theatresports troupe and performed in seedy bars when WIT was a just a twinkle in Keith Johnstone ’s eye. She compensates for her short stature by being quicker and smarter than other improvisers.

		Keith Johnstone joined WIT as an honorary member in 2004, directed the WIT masterclass and his first and only show in New Zealand (“The Secret Origin of Improv”). Keith is the world’s leading authority on improv, great chunks of which he invented (including Theatresports, Micetro, The Life Game). He currently tours the world teaching it. On discovering that WIT was largely unresponsive to outside help and unable to follow a trail to the end of a story, he concluded that WIT reminded him of ‘clinic clowns’, the gentle people who are entrusted to entertain very sick children - a badge we wear with pride. WIT continues to miss Keith and we hope to train with him again.

		Lorraine Ward is quiet and unassuming in public. Speculation exists as to her private life.

		Lyndon Hood likes to dress in green leathers and is a descendant of Robin. He has been improvising since late last century, stealing lines from the rich to give to the poor. Lyndon left Dunedin in 2004, when it became apparent that all the good improvisers had left. Lyndon brings intellectual rigour and a love for technological gadgetry to the stage in Battle of WITs and the Improv Factor. Generally creative, he is currently daylighting as the office lackey and in-house satirist for an independent internet news agency. He can be found sitting in cyber oak trees, thinking.

		Mark (last name withheld) is regarded in some circles regarded as the best person in the world. Mark is an amateur astronomer. Except not so much amateur- as professional, and astronomer- as drunk. From his mind numbingly boring public service job he dreams of a better life for Brad and Angelina. Other than that he is content. Can drive a tractor. Most recently seen as that guy who robbed Il Bordello's. Allegedly

		Matt has been described as relentlessly cheerful. He is inevitably kind to brave little lost kittens. On stage, Matt is widely admired for his ability to turn on a low denomination foreign coin from a tiger of fierce ferocity into a fluffy bunny. With accents. And gymnastics. Widely admired

		Merrilee McCoy is a seasoned improviser who has performed in myriad shows since her improv début (in home town, Brisbane) back last century (‘98). She has spent time working with many different ensembles, learning both short and long-form improv, as well as singing, physical theatre, and writing sketch comedy. She has a Bachelor of Creative Industries (Drama), and currently serves on the WIT committee as Secretary. Busy as she is, Merrilee also finds time to produce and direct. Oh, and she also has a day job in the public sector!

		Paul Sullivan is coming along nicely. He was handpicked by the Improv Divas to star in lovepossibly on account of his sweet nature, youthful good looks and prehensile tail. A graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art, Paul is a professional actor and drama teacher, but fortunately was liberated from scripted acting in 2004 by WIT. Paul practices yoga meditation and is so enlightened he glows on stage.

		Peter Dorn wanted to be an exotic dancer in a night club when he grew up, but neither has happened. For years, nothing had happened for Peter. Then one night, in the audience of a WIT show, sudden waves of sensual excitement rippled through his body during an epic poem. Soon after, he changed his daily routine and started to care more about stage appearances. By 2004, he was sneaking out at night to attend the WIT Community Education Centre beginners course . When Peter is not improvising, he produces volumes of paper and WIT's business cards. He joined WIT in 2005. He is attentive and responds well.

		Robbie Ellis was born on Auckland's sunny North Shore. After showing some musical ability as a child, his Mum & Dad pointed at any musician they saw and said to him "You can do that!" at every opportunity. In the case of pointing at improv theatre musos, his parents' suggestion actually came true. After providing seven years' worth of improv music for ConArtists in Auckland through high school and uni, Robbie swapped volcanoes for earthquakes and made the move south. Thanks to WIT, he got gigs before he got a flat. Wellington's a good town like that. Occasionally, WIT gets him out from behind the keyboard to say stuff on stage. Like, words. With his mouth. At every opportunity.

		Simon Smith wants people to take him seriously, and gosh darn it, they will now he's a past co-creative director of WIT. Simon is a professional improviser - he has trained at the Loose Moose International Improvisation School in Calgary, Canada, the Wellington School of Performing Arts, New Zealand, and Blockbuster Video, Kent Terrace. Notwithstanding his habit of dropping his trousers on stage, Simon is adored by the Wellington audience, as well as his fellow players. He is one of WIT’s senior trainers, MCs and producers, spearheading the internationally renowned show, Gorilla Theatre, and performing in all of WITs formats, blah, blah, blah. He plays himself, thus specialising in very wide range of unusual personalities.

		Steven Youngblood has been improvising for years (some might say his whole life). He was discovered by WIT living in the backstreets of the 1980s, performing with Palmerston North's FABULOUS local improv boy band, ‘Scared Scriptless’. In 2005, we successfully negotiated his release back into the mainstream improv community but still allow him to wear colourful knee-warmers and a towelling head-band at training. Steven’s hobbies include long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners. He claims to be in a committed relationship as a means of attracting women who like unavailable men who are unable to commit.

		Wiremu (Woody) Tuhiwai was born and raised in the golden fields of Hawkes Bay (only golden in summer and actually near the hills not in them). He first graced the stage with Theatre Hawkes Bay and was introduced to the world of Improv through Hawkes Bay Youth Theatre (HaBYT), joining the improv happenings of ‘Strange Habyts.’ A move to Wellington and Vic University in early 2007 led Woody to stumble across WIT. A generous player both on stage and off, Woody has been embraced with welcoming arms to the WIT family.