Improv Tips

This is a collection of lots of our improv tips from our twitter account (@HooplaImpro ) put together into one place:

– Catch yourself overly planning off stage? Shake yo head like an etch-a-sketch to come on fresh.

– If you treat the scenario as if it is real you don’t have to act, you just have to live.

– Play, let yourself go, go for it.

– You could be anywhere so set scene somewhere you’d like to be. Why so many post office scenes when it could be blue skies on Mars?

– For long-form narrative characters with desires/objectives are fun. Have a protagonist that pursues something meaningful.

– Having a drink with a beginners improv class is a very fun thing to do.

– “So just the fact that we’re alive at all I find fascinating, and I guess that’s a good place to start in drama” -random pissed bloke in pub

– “It is easy to forget, that until the past few centuries , story was always an intensely communal activity.” – The Storytelling Anima

– Whatever the other person gives you, correct! Whatever they give you, treat it like it’s awesome, cos it is.

– Listening should be active not passive, react to and use the other person’s stuff.

– You can play physical and emotional versions of the Yes And exercise, not just verbal.

– Stay open to the audience and other actor when getting it wrong, in fact especially when getting it wrong.

– improv decisions about teaching/style/content/technique made while separate from the actual audience are a total waste of time.

– Alternative names for game of scene – patterns, repeating behaviour, fun thing, what’s funny about that?, what’s it about, theme

– First unusual thing, first mistake or first laugh can signal the game of the scene. React to it, repeat it, escalate it, play.

– Don’t just pick up on what was said, pick up on how it was said. What was the emotional offer?

– Enter the stage as if you’ve just come from somewhere else.

– If feeling nervous about a show give yourself rule that you aren’t allowed to be funny for the first 8 lines of every scene.

– React to ‘mistakes’ with Celebrate, Incorporate, Justify, Expand, Celebrate.

– Improvising in the state of ‘avoiding criticism’ is no fun so f**k that.

– When people say it takes 10 years to become an overnight success they don’t mean wait 10 years then do something, act now.

– If “raising the stakes” doesn’t make sense to you try “making it more important” or “make it matter” instead.

– If your game has got no oomph then play it like a child would play it and be carefree.

– Because is a good word in improvised storytelling. Because that scene happens, this scene happens.

– Be Honest.

– Improv is going to be big in UK, really big. No, bigger than what you just thought.

– Say how you actually feel and you’ll find the character feels the same way. It’s the scene making you feel that.

– Sometimes there’s lots of technique to improv, but Yes Let’s seems to be the spirit of improv.

– Explore environment as metaphor for relationship. That’s what screenwriters & novelists do after all. Dark & stormy night.

– Make the other person’s offers, and the scene, more important not less so.

– If the character says “don’t tell the queen I’d loose my job” the improviser means “tell the queen”.

– Game of scene concept seeming too intellectual? Ask what’s fun about the scene instead. Fun is fun not thought.

– Establishing platform of character, relationship, where can come from play listening discovery instead of isolated thinking

– You don’t have to wait until audience give you a genre to play one, give yourself own suggestion and play genres for fun.

– Staying in the bar for four hours after an improv workshop won’t teach you much about improv but it certainly can be fun.

– Voice mirroring, saying the same words at the same time in your head, can help you stay focused and ready when off stage.

– When doing object work go slower and bigger than you think you have to.

– If you believe the scene you’re in is real you don’t have to act you just have to live.

– From the excellent Mark Beltzman: “Replace thinking with listening”.

– Giving yourself the job of ‘use one of the words the other person just said’ is more active than just listening.

– Make your first response to mistakes “yes and” rather than “hide” and they turn from mistakes to genius.

– Say something honest from your own life or experience of the world and your character will have instant depth.

– Lines starting “I feel” “You make me feel” “You’re being” “You’re always” “I am” “You are” help build relationships.

– You can bring in behaviour, emotion, physicality, character, tempo, connection before you even get audience suggestion.

– Reactions & emotions bring impro to life and make it both human & funny. React to each line, gasp, laugh, react.

– When someone enters your scene react and adjust your status immediately, no matter what you were doing.

Blog by Steve Roe, co-founder of Hoopla Impro. Hoopla run improv courses in London, shows and the UK’s 1st improv theatre.

Twitter: @HooplaImpro. Facebook: HooplaImpro.

Website: www.HooplaImpro.com.