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PODCAST

The Backline - An Improv Podcast

The Sonar Network

Canadian Comedy Award winners Rob Norman and Adam Cawley discuss weekly improv-based topics based on a theme. New episodes every Wednesday.

arts performing arts

All Episodes

66:31

Underwhelmed

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/04/15

This week, Rob and Adam explore how to navigate scenes with a partner who brings a limited emotional range. Together they break down the difference between performing emotion and truly embodying it, and offer practical ways to create better scenes using radical acceptance.

en

60:52

Lost

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/04/08

In this episode of The Backline, Rob and Adam explore why performers lose their footing, from overthinking to disconnection, and share practical ways to stay present, reconnect, and move forward without spiraling into shame when you get lost in a scene. Also, a question about basketball, bullying anyone about anything, and the special relationship between a man and his dragon.

en

57:18

Learning but Bored

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/04/01

Advanced improv can be tricky—students freeze, forget the game, or feel overwhelmed by structure. This week Rob and Adam discuss practical strategies to reduce overload, and motivate students who may never perform but just want to have fun. Also, "Missiles", door-Ohs, and your new favourite mantra "It's just a body".

en

65:02

PATREON EXCLUSIVE: What Makes a Scene with Mick Napier

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/03/24

Mick Napier is an acclaimed director, teacher, and author of Improvise: Scene from the Inside Out. Mick founded Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre, served as the artistic consultant at The Second City, and worked with comedy icons like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Amy Sedaris. This week, Adam and Mick discuss directing in Toronto, what makes a strong scene, and why bold choices matter.

en

53:23

Awareness VS. Agency

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/03/24

This week Rob and Adam discuss how to create interiority in a character, how focussing too much on heightening can create undesired outcomes, and how intentionally burning your own Game of the Scene can make for a more interesting, and psychologically complex character.

en

40:23

Is it a Scam?

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/03/10

This week, Rob and Adam discuss shady improv classes, incompetent improv teachers, and what to do when you’re dissatisfied with your experience in the classroom.

en

25:19

A Surprising Way to Teach Improv

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/03/02

This week Rob and Adam discuss different methods of teaching improv, what's the best way for a teacher to get their ideas across, and how context changes an improv teacher's lesson plan.

en

63:24

Is this the End of the Second City e.t.c?

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/02/24

This week, Rob and Adam unpack a major shake-up at The Second City. Starting January 22, 2026, the historic e.t.c. Stage shifts from scripted sketch to Improv Supernova, a fully improvised show—the first change in its 43-year history. They explore why the move makes sense now and what it means for the future of Second City, improv, and sketch comedy.

en

62:23

Shame, Scene Hogs, and Everything Else

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/02/17

Rob and Adam answer three questions from a single listener. This week they discuss shame, greedy scene partners, and how to strengthen your comedic muscles offstage.

en

52:03

To Care or Not Care

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/02/09

This week Rob and Adam discuss the delicate balance between telling jokes and caring about the reality of the scene, when it makes sense to care in your scene, and how to start investing in the reality more.

en

44:28

Fresh Start

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2026/02/04

We all make mistakes—but how do we recover when they happen onstage? Is there a magic phrase an improviser can use to win the audience back? This week, Rob and Adam discuss the best strategies for recovering after bombing a scene.

en

36:03

The Backline Holiday Special 2025

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2025/12/20

This week Rob and Adam reflect on the year and give spread thanks to improv communities across the world: Ann Arbor, Chris the Cameraman, mentorship from Greg Yates, and never giving up on the dream of a Magnet Harold team.

en

51:54

Bulldozer

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2025/12/12

In this episode, Rob and Adam dive into the challenges of handling heavy offers, navigating information overload, and figuring out how to deal with unexpected “bulldozers” that can derail an improv scene. They break down practical strategies, share examples, and explore how to keep scenes playful, collaborative, and fun.

en

62:35

Touch the Lamassu!

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2025/12/04

This week, Rob and Adam tackle a tricky question: does your improv teacher have secrets to share, or are they full of it? With countless improv styles—many of them contradicting each other—it can be tough to know what to believe. Rob and Adam explore how improv ideas get passed down, why some “rules” stick, and how performers can figure out what’s actually useful.

en

74:15

PATREON EXCLUSIVE: The Origins of Impro with Patti...

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2025/12/02

This week, Adam Cawley talks with renowned improviser, director, and author Patti Stiles, a longtime Keith Johnstone student and key figure at the Loose Moose Theatre. Patti shares insights from her decades of international teaching and performing, exploring how whimsy, curiosity, and emotional honesty shape great impro. She also reflects on the early origins of the art form and what makes Loose Moose such a vital, innovative home for improvisers around the world.

en

57:15

From Classroom to the Stage

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2025/12/01

This week Rob and Adam discuss the transitioning your skills from the classroom to the stage. Why is it so hard to do what works in an exercise, onstage in front of an audience?

en

50:23

Spark-less

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2025/11/17

Rob and Adam talk about navigating your improv career, dealing with self-doubt, and having honest conversations with yourself about what's possible and what is probable.

en

45:02

Intelligence VS. Integrity

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2025/11/12

This week, Rob and Adam dsicuss the time-honoured tradition of playing to the "Top of their Intelligence" by having a very dumb discussion about characters, point of view, and how much smart should you perform while improvising onstage.

en

57:58

Offensive

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2025/11/04

Improv is not historically known for being offensive, but sometimes improvisers cross the line. Why is comedy so frequently associated with offense? Does comedy need to be provocative to be funny? What do you do if you offend your audience? All this and more.

en

59:49

PATREON EXCLUSIVE: Under Pressure with Colin Mochrie

The Backline - An Improv Podcast ·

2025/10/28

Rob is no more. This week Adam welcomes Second City alumni, and star of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, Colin Mochrie to the podcast. Adam and Colin chat about pressure both onstage and offstage, and what it takes to find success in improv.

en

257 results

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