Whether you’re telling a funny anecdote to friends in a pub garden, presenting to your work colleagues over Zoom, or gearing up to stand on stage and address an audience of five hundred, public speaking can feel overwhelming and anxiety-provoking - even if you’ve done it before. We’ve all had our self-esteem knocked over lockdown and this masterclass is the antidote to regain that pep in your step!

In this practical virtual evening class with comedian and actor Maddy Anholt, you will learn how to boost your personal impact using insights from improvisational comedy to build your confidence and self assurance. Blending seminar-style guidance from Maddy with practical exercises with your peers, you will get back in touch with your reserves of creativity and instinct, to trick your body into thinking you’re more confident than you believe you are.

Ultimately, you will complete this course with the ability to combat your inner critical voice - and make your voice heard, whether it’s among friends or total strangers.

Course content

• Observe and take down your self-limiting beliefs
• Understand the importance of breath placement and use it as a confidence hack
• Work through the Art of Storytelling and learn how to pepper your conversations with humour
• Utilise diaphragmatic breathing, grounding and Mindfulness to pique self-belief
• Re-find your Inner Child and get ready to feel joy through freedom in play

This course is for…

• Anyone who needs a confidence boost for public speaking in both professional and social situations
• Anyone looking for advice and insight into feeling more comfortable in making themselves heard

Tutor profile

Maddy Anholt is a comedian, actress and writer. She has appeared in sitcoms for BBC Three and BBC One, on ITV and Channel 4. She’s had four sell-out solo comedies at Underbelly, Gilded Balloon, Latitude Festival Main Stage and the Soho Theatre. Maddy also wrote and starred in her own comedy for BBC Radio 4 and has amassed over seven million views online for her sketches. Her new solo comedy hour How to Leave Your Psychopath will tour the UK in 2021. She signed a book deal with Pan Macmillan, Bluebird to write a book of the same name, published Feb ‘22. She tweets @maddy_anholt.

Course Details

• Date: Thursday 20 January 2022
• Time: 6.30pm-9pm (GMT)

6.30pm GMT | 7.30pm CET | 10.30am PST | 1.30pm EST

This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.

You will be sent a link to the webinar two hrs before the start time. Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have not received the access link within one hour of the scheduled start time.

All Guardian Masterclasses are fully accessible but please contact us at masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have any queries or concerns.

Full course and returns information on the Masterclasses website