Performing improv can be really fun and it is exciting to be on stage and have an audience laugh at yo but no matter how much you love it, there is one thing that you really need to remember – know when to end a scene. I am a video editor and I find that when I watch improv I can get irritated really easily if a troupe don’t know when to cut and edit a scene. Me and my friend used to go to improv scenes and sit there getting so irritated when a scene didn’t end when it should have. Sometimes the key to successful improv improv is to leave the audience wanting more. So how do you know when it is time to end a scene? Here are a few points to help out.

+ The narrative has hit a great point for the next scene – Sometimes the best time to end the scene is when it reaches it peak. If it is part of a narrative improv show then these peak moments can lead to some great scenes that follow it and can lead to a really great all round show. Leaving scenes open can always leave an audience wanting more and can also open the world up that you are creating. If you are doing short form improv then it can also be great to end when the scene is at it’s peak. If you get a moment that is a really big laugh it may be a great time to round it up or end it as it is a sign that it has reached a great part, think of it like a rollercoaster.

+ The narrative has come to a natural finish – If you feel like the narrative in the scene has come to a natural end then finish the scene! A good improv scene can be ruined when people deliberately drag it out or don’t end it because they feel that they should keep it going. It is not always about length it is about quality! If you feel that it is the end of the scene finish the scene doesn’t matter if it is short, the audience will love you for it, trust me.

+ You don’t know where else to go with it – Sometimes as an improviser you get given a suggestion that when you get into the scene you realise you cannot do much with it and start to struggle with the scene. If this happen find a way to end it – don’t leave it dragging out it’s not fun for anyone!

+ It is not making sense anymore – Sometimes you can be in a scene where so much has been thrown into it that it becomes confusing and completely lost – if this happens and you are struggling end the scene!