​Instead of just telling you about how improv changed my life, I thought it would be a good to do a feature looking at different areas of the comedy art form.Now, I am not a teacher of improv and I have only been doing it for just over two years, however in that time I feel like i have learnt a lot and want to write about different areas each week just to give those who are thinking about doing improv an insight into different areas and also just to discuss a few things that are interesting and fun topics.

One of the first things that you learn when you start training in improv is to say the word Yes. Never in your life before has the word been so scary and at the same time also been so important. Just three letters to a word and those simple letters mean a lot when you start training but in the best possible way.

The reason that Yes means a lot in improv is because when you first start doing the comedy form you will feel silly. There is no other word for it really – improv sort of takes you away from the norm of being an adult and takes you into a child like state so its going to feel very weird saying the word YES to everything. There is another word that goes along with this word and that is the word AND. You will realise very early on in your training of improv that the word AND really is a key to helping you get over the barrier of going into a child like environment.

When you first start improv you will find it weird and an unusual experience. We are told in everyday life we have to follow certain rules, and abide by the way that society makes us act. When you enter the world of comedy improvisation all of these are broken down. When you enter a scene and someone says “I see you are wearing a pineapple on your head” your first initial reaction is to say no. In improv using the format of “Yes And” means that you don’t block a suggestions and you agree with whatever is being said no matter how silly – this is how you create the basis of a scene.

Now if you are reading this and are trying to decide whether to do improv and are having a panic reading this thinking “Oh my Improv sounds really difficult and something that is going to take me completely out of  my comfort zone and leave me more scared then before” – don’t fret. You don’t just go to a lesson and be thrown off a plank into the world of scene work and saying YES AND left right and centre. You are introduced to the world slowly and calmly in a world of games.

The games that you are introduced at a beginners level allow you to slowly get used to the styles and ways of improv. You will notice over time that you will start to find it natural to say “yes and”. Most importantly you will enjoy it. Even the most basic games as fun and really make you laugh and enjoy the comedy form.

Another thing that you need to realise about improv is not everyone is there to be a comedian or to perform on stage. Some people I have met have only done a beginners course because they want to develop themselves to be more confident in leading a presentation in their office or just to make them more outgoing. It is amazing how two simple words can have an effect but I promise you this – once you start saying yes and, you really won’t be able to stop!