This week was a very busy one in the world of improv as we had a lot on because it was the week of our main show Improv Towers! We started this week with our final rehearsals for the show so lets start there first.

Final Rehearsal

This week started off with final rehearsals for Improv Towers – so we spent three hours of doing run throughs. The great thing about doing a full day of practice a few days before a show means that we can wriggle out any problems that we may have and figure out solutions to try and resolve them before we have to perform in front of an audience. We also make sure that we have a set booked in the same day so we can test all the tech at the venue and try out a few games to see how they work in front of an audience. The run through went well and the set that we did really worked successfully and it gave us a chance to work out where we needed to do certain things at the actual show.

Improv Towers – April SHOWers

This months show we were all really looking forward to and it went so well that it was such a fun night. The venue was full which was such an achievement and everytime this happens for us it makes us very excited and happy; it is always lovely to see.

All the games seem to go down well with the audience and the music ones as well as survivor went down an absolute storm. Knowing how well these went down means that we now have games that we can develop and work to, to make them even more fun and engaging. I am really proud of Team Punders it went so well and cannot wait until our next show in June. 

Characters Workshop 

This week in Character Workshop Scenes we focussed on the world of real facial expressions and bringing them into the world of improv. In the first exercise we stand in front of our partner and explain what their face looks like – ‘you look like your tired, you look happy’ etc.

We then did scenes where we had our backs to each other and then when Sue would clap we would turn around and then explain the expressions of what the other person is feeling and then go into a scene and do one that is all based on the emotion and why they are in the emotional state.

We then did a  Character circle warm up game after the break where we had to go round the circle and do our best celebrity impressions and as that person talk about what we had for breakfast. Everyone else in the circle would respond in the same style of character and try and guess as to what famous person you were trying to be. I learnt from this I can impersonate Boris Johnson quite well.

The final exercise you had to have the same emotion as your scene partner the same time and sort of mirror it. There was another improviser at the side analysing the scene and then at one point Sue would pause it and then that person would explain the characters then go into the scene with completely different emotion to change the state of play.

Case Study: Jeff B Davis

Whenever I go into doing a musical improv number the person that I keep in the back of my mind is Jeff B Davis. Whilst it may not be the first persons name that comes to most improvisers minds when it comes to musical improv it is mine because I remember watching him with Whose Line Is It Anyway at the London Palladium and his musical numbers is the one thing that still sticks in my mind because everytime he did a song he thought completely outside the box.

When I go into do Greatest Hits I always try and think of different ways I can approach the songs and the theme that we are given. The presenters always give us a song title but trying to implement that into a song and a catchy chorus can be the hardest thing. I feel that watching Jeff on stage has hugely inspired me as when I approach to sing a song I always try and think of the style I can sing It, where the mms and ahhs can be in the backing and the movement when I approach the front of the stage.