Whilst this may not be directly focussed on improv, I think that characters are an important part of it – this is why I am starting a new feature called Character Building.

I came up with this idea the other day when I was watching Brooklyn 99 and some of the characters were so fascinating when I thought about it, I decided that character analysis could be interesting.

Obviously, improv is made up on the spot but looking at other characters can create inspiration for ideas you can take away to help develop your own personas in the future.

Today we are looking at a character that is fantastic for physical and sarcastic comedy.

This Week’s Character – Chandler Bing

Why This character?

If you are anyone who has watched Friends then you can understand why I have chosen Chandler. If you have not seen the show let me tell you why. His sarcasm is used in places you wouldn’t expect, he makes jokes at anything and also he can create some really good physical comedy when you least expect it.

Personality traits that are great

• Creating sarcastic comments out of anything creates a lot of the humour in spaces where nothing else would potentially happen.
• Cheap jokes are great for predictable laughs but they seem to work well with Chandler’s character.
• The simplest physical comedy can create lots of humour for an audience
• There is also a soft side to Chandler which makes audiences sympathise with him.

What we can learn for Improv Characters?

• Creating sarcastic comments out of anything could really elevate your improv scene and make it more interesting.
• Whilst we are told to avoid jokes for ‘cheap laughs’ in improv, Chandler shows that you can use them in a very certain way to create awkwardness or even sympathy from the audience as he can use them for desperation.
• Sometimes exaggerating the way you say one or two words can really heighten the comedy. The way Chandler says ‘could I BE’ creates a lot of humour. Emphasising words that are least predicted to be creates a really fun experience for the audience.

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