Patti is an actor, improviser, director, teacher, author and playwright who's been working professionally in theatre since 1983.
She served her theatre apprenticeship at the world renowned Loose Moose Theatre and was trained by Keith Johnstone.
She has an infectious enthusiasm for improvisation. Mix this with her insightful improvisation technique, strong narrative skill and her spirit of play, and it is no wonder she is responsible for inspiring many hundreds of people to improvise. Her understanding of Johnstone’s work and philosophy, combined with her own discoveries and her wealth of experience on the world impro stage, has made her a “must have” teacher for performers and companies wishing to create spontaneous theatre with fine skill, strong narrative, heart and elegant style.
Patti has taught and performed in North and South America, Europe, Scandinavia, Asia, UAE and the Oceania region for numerous improvisation companies, festivals, and theatre schools and in the corporate arena.
Notable Theatre Schools include:
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)
Patti is an actor, director, author, playwright and teacher who specialises in improvisational theatre. She is a former Artistic Director of Rapid Fire Theatre (CA), Dream Kitchen Theatre (CA), Impro Melbourne (AU) and the International Theatresports Institute (CA), and a founding member of the award winning Die Nasty – the live improvised soap opera (CA).
Her tutelage and mentorship has strongly influenced many improvisors and improvisation companies all over the world. Such as Rapid Fire Theatre (CA), Impro Melbourne (AU), Spontaneity Shop (UK), Closer Each Day (UK), Smoking Sofa (FR), Teatro A Molla (IT) and I Bugardini (IT), B.L.U.E – the musical (IT), Courtyard Playhouse (UAE) and the award winning Austentacious (UK).
In 2021 she released her first book Improvise Freely. It has received an enthusiastic response from improvisors, teachers and impro companies around the globe. In 2022 it was translated into Italian.
Patti has been featured on the cover of the Spanish impro magazine Status; she is a contributor to the book The Art of Making 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 famous Die Nasty soap a thon.
The Canadian press has given her the titles “Impro Doyen” and “Queen of Improvisation”.