Top tips for learning and teaching Keith Johnstone’s He Said, She Said exercise. Begin with any three word sentence –don’t judge it; just say it! ‘Hello Big Boy’, ‘There’s the car!’, ‘Pass the scissors’ Go very slowly whilst learning and try to establish what’s going on, rather than being silly i.e ‘he said smashing an egg on his head’ for the first direction. Slowly and sensibly whilst you learn the mechanics of the game. Try not to offer stage directions that have already happened – instead give your partner something physical to do in the future: She said crying, she said coming towards ..read more

Top tips for learning and teaching Keith Johnstone’s ‘Gibberish’ Make physical offers to your partner in the scene Have different emotional reactions to suggestions and offers Repeat the last word or syllable to create a conversational flow Double down on the gibberish and commit The post Improv Top Tips: Gibberish appeared first on Courtyard Playhouse ..read more

Top tips for learning and teaching Keith Johnstone’s ‘What Comes Next?’ “Nope” is always in a high pitched voice to keep it light hearted • Be obvious when making offers Stay connected to your partner and focus on inspiring them If you are really stuck, just make a suggestion and be ready to be rejected rather than trying to think of the best suggestion The post Improv Top Tips: What Comes Next appeared first on Courtyard Playhouse ..read more

Top Tips for teaching and playing Keith Johnstone’s Split Attention Game: Questions Only   Connect with your partner by making eye contact, listening to them etc. Don’t go ‘solo’! Fail gracefully! Lots! Smiling.  Respond to what your partner says in the moment; not your own pre-conceived questions. Don’t try to win! Be Average. Ask different types of questions: not Why, Why Why zzzz. You might win the game and lose your audience.  Be physical – not just a pair of talking heads. Reach out, grab something! The post Improv Top Tips: Questions Only appeared first on Courtyard ..read more

Top tips for learning and teaching Keith Johnstone’s Word-at-a-Time Story exercise   Interact with someone or something: A penguin, the king, your boss! Say ‘suddenly’ if you get stuck; it will make action happen. Practice the game by killing a monster asap. Then make friends with the monster. Then rescue the monster. Gradually learn good and bad storytelling habits – like killing the thing you are interacting with, whilst fun, is the end of a routine.  Keep eye contact with your partner. You can tell the moral of the story to close it nicely, if you choose, sometimes. Be ob ..read more

Top tips for learning and teaching Keith Johnstone’s ‘Hat Game’  Be daring and risk losing the hat instead of avoiding danger Don’t plan and be present with your partner “Yes and” each other offers even though it may put you in a difficult position, players tend to block when fear sets in Justify movements and offers rather than moving erratically The post Improv Top Tips: The Hat Game appeared first on Courtyard Playhouse ..read more

Top tips for learning and teaching Keith Johnstone’s New Choice exercise Start the scene normally, as the game will make it weird all by itself. Try to establish relationship, location and activity in the first couple of lines so you have something to play with. Speak in bold, clear statements instead of being vague. Say the first thing that comes to you even if it seems wrong, you can justify it afterwards. Have fun! The post Improv Top Tips: New Choice appeared first on Courtyard Playhouse ..read more

Top tips for learning and teaching Keith Johnstone’s Speak in One Voice exercise   Make eye contact with your partner(s). Especially in larger groups make sure to check in with each member of the group as you go Try to speak one syllable at a time rather than full words, this stops individuals from leading the group too much and helps the group work together to find each word. Start slowly and every time the group finishes a sentence, repeat it but faster. Continue doing so until the entire group speaks together at a normal speed. The post Improv Top Tips: Speak in One Voice appeare ..read more

Top tips for learning and teaching Keith Johnstone’s Three Word Sentences exercise Don’t do your best; the fun is in the failing! Physically Interact with your partner or environment. Don’t change the game; three words is three for good reason. Make sense grammatically: no half-finished or nonsense sentences. Have a director ensure that the players re-phrase their ‘errors’!  Use a bell! The post Improv Top Tips: Three Word Sentences appeared first on Courtyard Playhouse ..read more

The Courtyard Playhouse Top tips for teaching and playing Keith Johnstone’s ‘No S Game’   Stop trying so hard throw caution to the wind: lose the game; win the audience Have a director ensure that the players re-phrase their ‘errors’! Play fast Use a bell!   The post Improv Top Tips: The no ‘S’ Game appeared first on Courtyard Playhouse ..read more