Nick Byrne is Artistic Director and the creator of Improvention; Australia’s original and largest international festival and convention of unscripted theatre. He is also Artistic Director of Impro ACT, the major improvisational theatre company in Australia’s capital, Canberra.

Nick works as an actor, director, producer, and musician, in all realms of theatre and film, and has been a delegate to the Australian Theatre Forum, but improvisation is his ruling passion. He has worked in 40 countries throughout Europe, Asia, and Australasia, as an individual guest, or in festivals, including; Moment16 & Moment18 in Vienna, Mt Olymprov in Athens, FIIF in Tampere, Improfest in Gothenburg, Salento Improv Festival, Sofia Improv Festival, RIIF in St Petersburg, TILT in Tallinn, Bengaluru (India), Jo Festival in Poland, Improvember in Munich, and Singapore Improv Festival.

He teaches and directs all styles of the craft, and has done so for 20 years, producing groundbreaking shows, “The Displaced” (refugee issues), “Crescendo” (a rock band with dramas), “Drivers” (about your internal monologues), “In Person 8” (improvised impersonations), and “Parallel” (three physical stories at once), and more recently, his popular vulnerable solo show, “Inspired”.

In 2024, he worked in Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Iceland, Bulgaria, Belgium, India, and even went to Kyiv in Ukraine to donate some time to theatre practitioners keeping their arts and hearts alive.

Nick tries to make the areas of improvisation that seem difficult, easier for performers, and reduce their worry, so that they can play at their peak. He also conducts workplace sessions, helping Olympians deal with adversity, and United Nations Peacekeepers to remain culturally aware. He likes to explore.

Nick is fascinated by people, and always aims to meet as many as possible, at festivals and arranged workshop visits.

Nick writes the 220 000 word An Improviser's Learning Journal, here: https://impro.com.au/learning-journal/