Shellshock! is Durham University’s only Improvised Comedy Society, fighting a lone battle to bring unpremeditated laughter into student life. Our weekly workshops are open to anyone who wants to try out some improvisation games, or just laugh at other people. For those ready to progress to more serious (that is, less serious) improvised comedy, we offer advanced workshops every week, aimed at honing skills for performance. As often as possible, we bring our comedy into the wider world with shows at the university. Since 2009, we have also taken shows annually to the Edinburgh Fringe, improvising scenes and plays based entirely on audience suggestions.

The aims of the society are to provide regular workshops in improvised comedy for both new and experienced improvisers, to organise improvised comedy performances around the university and possibly further away, to organise regular socials for society members and to train members in key improvisational skills.