If there is one thing that fascinates me about improv and that is how it is portrayed in Television, books and Film. This is becoming more and more apparent in recent years because the comedy art form is sort of in fashion. There are some interesting topics that we can gain from these ways they are displayed so every so often we are going to look at different scenes from different shows and films.

I love reading and a while back I read a book by one of the producers of Vicar of Dibley, Jon Plowman and came across a great paragraph that I think is really important for improv. Here it is:

Even though he is talking in relation to television show Psychoville, this is a great paragraph for improvisers. It is so easy to go for a character that is ‘crazy’ for no reason other then to get a laugh from the audience.

If you want to play an unusual character the you have to play it so that it is real to the world you are improvising in. It doesn’t matter how wacky or interesting your character is, play and commit to it and don’t break character and you will reel the audience into them believing this world is true.

Another important thing to remember is that your fellow players should also play to the world your character creates or believes in. No matter the extent, the rules of ‘yes and’ really help and amplify your scene.

Even though this is not a book about improv, I recommend a read as it is really interesting and will give you some great advice.

Thank you again for all your support in reading and engaging with the website.

If you want to help support the website then you can! You can buy Holly a cup of tea (and a biscuit!)