Chicago Improv Festival

The Chicago Improv festival runs from 23-29 April and is celebrating its 15th year. The festival features over 75 acts and ensembles from 5 countries, performing in 10 venues over one week. You can see the full line up at www.chicagoimprovfestival.org

Take a sketch comedy or writing class

If improv gets your creative juices flowing, why not try taking a sketch comedy or writing class at the Second City Training Center in Chicago's Old Town? Comedy and Chicago go hand in hand, thanks to the Second City. At one time a University of Chicago-born cabaret revue, its first production debuted in 1959. By 1961, it sent a cast to Broadway with a Tony nomination intact. From there, it grew beyond a single stage to become a bastion for improv – one that’s served as a training ground for celebrity comics such as Stephen Colbert, Mike Myers, Steve Carell, and Tina Fey. This school of comedy has been exporting talents to Saturday Night Live since the 1970s.

Visit Secondcity.com/training for more details of the classes on offer, and check out our online Chicago guide and Select Chicago for more ideas on how to enjoy the city.