CUTTING EDGE DRAMA run affordable Adult Improv Classes and Improv Workshops & Acting Toolkit Classes for Budding/Working Actors & Public Speaking Skills
We offer Improv classes – General Improv & General Improv with a showcase, Improv Fun-Factor Workshops & Team Building Workshops. We also run Acting Toolkit classes for learning both acting and public speaking skills.
We understand that things are a little harder at this time, however people still want to connect with others and have fun! With that in mind, we have reduced our fees for the rest of 2025. A 5-week General Improv Class will now cost just $99 for the term (down from $125) and the 5-week Showcase class will be $109 (down from $139).
Dates & Fees 2025“Your classes have been such a big help for my happiness, confidence, and general well-being over the last year or so. I came to your improv classes with the aim of becoming a more social person, but I’ve gained so much more than that. I’ve become a freer, more relaxed, more creative individual, and have made some great friends along the way.”
Richard Charleston
Learn to play again in a welcoming, fun and super supportive environment
Build confidence and enjoy the pure escapism! The added bonus is picking up some awesome acting skills and making new friends along the way.
No previous experience is needed – just a willingness to give it a go. The skills learnt will help you to engage more fully and confidently in life. All our classes are about a journey of self-discovery to improve social skills and communication. Each new term of each class is different activities so you can return as often as you like!
The Acting Toolkit Class is an 8-week course for both beginning and working actors as well as people who do any type of work presentations and public speaking. This class will build your confidence and teach you to ‘think on the spot’ which helps lessen performance anxiety and nerves.
Find out just how funny you can be! The General Improv Class is an amazing way to learn improvisation and lose anxiety about being in the limelight. The emphasis is on fun, teamwork and the class is suitable for all levels of ability including absolute beginners.
The Improv General with showcase night is a wonderful chance to showcase skills learnt to friends and family on the last evening of the term and go ROAR! I only run this class in the last term of the Improv class.
Improv Fun-Factor Workshops are 3.5-hour sessions held on various Saturdays throughout the year. They include improvisation games, activities and some longform improv. You will be amazed at how much you can achieve in just half a day and walk away feeling on top of the world!
The Team & Confidence Building Workshops use improvisation as the tool for building positive team spirit and confidence. These workshops are an amazing way to bond with workmates while having fun! They improve communication skills while also enhancing team dynamics. My style of teaching immediately engages everyone in the activities so that nerves quickly fade away!
“Finding interesting and engaging team building activities can be a challenge. For our end of year activity in 2024, I wanted to do something to help the team connect with each other, build trust and was fun. After some research, I chose Cutting Edge Drama for an Improv workshop. Admittedly, there were some members of my team who were apprehensive about this activity. Sioux and I discussed this prior to workshop and she came up with a plan and approach that was immediately engaging and inclusive. Thanks to her guidance, and despite the nerves, the team stepped up, engaged, took risks and most importantly had fun. The 3-hour session was filled with laughter and smiles and the added bonus of uncovering some of the hidden talents of the team. It was a very positive experience and one that I recommend.”
Jackie Greenizan, Fonterra
“Best acting class I have ever been to. The tutor did not do a lot of waffling but instead directed us as we worked. It meant we all got tons of floor time and so progressed quickly. Every week was filled with laughter and my confidence increased at a rapid rate. It enabled me to be a more dynamic public speaker at work and I lost my fear of performing in front of a crowd. I highly recommend these classes.”
Courtney, Events Coordinator
“I ended up taking Sioux’s Improv classes for 5+ years. My work at that time was incredibly stressful so the classes were awesome escapism. The fun, learning and laughter every week kept me coming back for more! I loved the freedom that Sioux gave us to experiment while also encouraging and coaching from the side to help improve scenes and performances.”
Jenny Liu, Doctor
“These classes changed my life. I was training as a teacher and had serious confidence issues which was very stressful for me. Sioux was such a supportive and positive tutor who encourages everyone to be the best version of themselves that they can. The class content was always so fresh and exciting that my Tuesday class became the highlight of my week. My confidence just soared after several terms and I lost my anxiety about being in front of a class.”
Andrea, Teacher
“I work in a very driven and competitive industry, so I went along to these classes for the total escapism as mentioned on the website. They were not wrong! I found the hour and a half a week that I spent in the class was enough to recharge me for the week ahead at work. The added benefit was that my presentation skills also went up to the next level.”
Falau, IT Specialist
At Cutting Edge Drama we are passionate about teaching acting but not ‘Drama Queens’ when it comes to our fees – we keep it totally affordable!
My classes are an awesome way for anyone to build both their personal and work confidence. I create a welcoming and supportive environment within which people can experiment and release their inner creativity. Watching student self-esteem flourish as a result of what they learn is incredibly uplifting. My belief is that positive and constructive feedback is one of the most powerful teaching tools. Even the shyest people gain amazing confidence from taking the classes. I believe in what I do!
– Sioux
Dates & Fees 2025
All Classes & Workshops held at Grey Lynn Community Centre, 510 Richmond Road, Auckland.
Improv General class
Monday 6.30–8pm
- 22 September to 20 October
- Fee $99 for 5-week class
Improv Showcase Class
Monday 6.30 – 8pm
- 17 November to 15 December
- Final week is a showcase for friends and family
- Fee: $109 for 5-week class (includes showcase)
Acting Toolkit Classes (2026)
Monday 6.30 – 8.30pm
- 20 July to 07 September
- Fee: $169 for 8-week class
Payment of Fees
BNZ: 02-0272-0042538-000
Account Name: Sioux Manning
Fee payment due one week before class starts. Instalment options available.