The Hero's Journey - Improv Formats

A fair amount of improv comedy is a narrative structure based on Joseph Campbell's structure for writers, 'Hero's Journey'.

Christopher Vogler adapted Campbell's approach and the mix of resources are readily available online. The structure that when questioning a writer in 2011 (est.) about it said the structure was so loose and hardly an impact for a writer. Personally, the Hero's Journey is a constricting and highly structured approach to improvising. In the structure there is the route through the story and the archetypal characters that are involved. The steps the 'hero' takes are as follows:

1. Heroes are introduced in the ORDINARY WORLD, where
2. they receive the CALL TO ADVENTURE
3. They are RELUCTANT at first or REFUSE THE CALL, but
4. are encouraged by a MENTOR to
5. CROSS THE FIRST THRESHOLD and enter the Special World.
6. They encounter TEST, ALLIES, and ENEMIES.
7. They approach the INMOST CAVE, crossing a second threshold
8. where they endure the ORDEAL.
9. The take possession of their REWARD and
10. are pursued on THE ROAD BACK to the Ordinary World.
11. They cross the third threshold, experience a RESURRECTION, and are transformed by the experience.
12. They RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR, a boon or treasure to benefit the Ordinary World.
(Merlin, 2005)

 (Also from Merlin, 2005)

Viv McWaters (McWaters, 2010) speaks about how the hero is to change through the story and how the events are trials of personal strength. The hero is unaware and holds inner struggle as he or she encounters new challenges. 

In the structure there are also archetypal characters that the hero meets and knows along the way. For example, generally on the refusal the call the hero meets the mentor that offers advice that will be re-incorporated later. There are many more, so here is a list with descriptors about them:

ARCHETYPES are recurring patterns of human behavior, symbolized by standard types of characters in movies and stories.

HEROES

Central figures in stories.  Everyone is the hero of his or her own myth.

SHADOWS

Villains and enemies, perhaps the enemy within.  The dark side of the Force, the repressed possibilities of the hero, his or her potential for evil.  Can be other kinds of repression, such as repressed grief, anger, frustration or creativity that is dangerous if it doesn’t have an outlet.

MENTORS

The hero’s guide or guiding principles.  Yoda, Merlin, a great coach or teacher.

HERALD

One who brings the Call to Adventure.  Could be a person or an event.

THRESHOLD GUARDIANS

The forces that stand in the way at important turning points, including jealous enemies, professional gatekeepers, or your own fears and doubts.

SHAPESHIFTERS

In stories, creatures like vampires or werewolves who change shape.  In life, the shapeshifter represents change.  The way other people (or our perceptions of them) keep changing.  The opposite sex, the way people can be two-faced.

TRICKSTERS

Clowns and mischief-makers, Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy.  Our own mischievous subconscious, urging us to change.

ALLIES

Characters who help the hero through the change.  Sidekicks, buddies, girlfriends who advise the hero through the transitions of life.

(Thewritersjourney.com, 2015)

 In summary, the hero has the normal world where the character is unaware of their flaws. These flaws are addressed in the story. The character is therefore changed for the better upon their return to the ordinary realm. In the ordinary world, the hero has his friends or normal people that can be useful in an improv version of performing this structure. It is important that the hero has clear spoken and displayed wants and desires too, as all the information will be used. 

The hero gets a call to action that is in direct reference to what we have seen so far. This addresses the wants and flaws. E.g. Deidre wants to finally meet Tom Hanks but is so timid and shy naturally that she couldn't speak to him anyway. A memo arrives that says she is to escort the journalist on their way to the Baftas to interview people from Hanks new film. 

The refusal of the call is next where the hero knows that they can't be successful in the action required. However, the Mentor character offers three bits of advice and encourages and enables the hero to accomplish it. In the improv set, the mentor's advice shall be used completely in a surprising way for all. This means not foreshadowing the use of it too much, as that steals the fun from the audience and the performers. 

During these scenes, the glimpse of the Shadows are useful. We see what the hero shall come up against later. In improv this will help, as we get to know the characters that shall collide majorly and having details about them will help build the battle moments easier. 

At the gates to the new world, the extraordinary world, we have the Gatekeepers. A challenge here for the hero is how to get through. E.g. Deidre has to get into the V.I.P section and hasn't got her pass. She has to seek confidence to achieve it or something happens that cheats the moment; she cannot be confident yet!

The hero is to then meet other archetypes and have trials and failures. These could be a mix of any in improv. We could have Shapeshifters, Tricksters, there could be allies. This is all in build up to the Shadows. The hero has to be building towards that moment. E.g Deidre could meet Jack Spencer (a trickster) that guides her into a large room of journalists from other companies (the shapeshifters). Deidre seeks to gain information whilst her ally and accompaniment (her journalist) is busy making notes. Spencer takes her to Adam Trillons. In the dialogue between them, Deidre thinks something maybe wrong and almost and noteably wishes to ask. Deidre obviously doesn't and with Adam she has to try to not be misguided. So on and so forth, Adam gets the better of her as he pretends to be nice and helpful. 

The hero grows and learns new skills, in improv it could be a moment to re-incorporate a piece of advice from the Mentor. E.g. perhaps with Deidre the Mentor mystically said about when one door closes another opens. It would be fun to have Deidre remember that and she looks for a door back in (Adam gets them out the building); they go back in as the rubbish is being chucked in the bin in the alley. This can be the first success.

The Shadow is met. The hero has to use more advice, build on the flaws that have been mentioned and overcome it partially. It would be important to see the hero succeed a little and then succeed a lot. The big success leads the hero back to the ordinary world, after the chase or Road Back. E.g. Deidre has to get through Tom Hanks P.A. (the Shadow). Deidre uses all the advice she has gotten and grows in confidence to rightly challenge the personal assistant. 

On the return to the ordinary world, the hero knows the changes and accepts the new role. The road back could be the exploration of these changes. E.g. Deidre notices that she did all the work and her ally, the journalist, just doodled mostly. Deidre decides to write the article and have the journalist drive back. 

 Trouble hits, obviously, as the hero has a Final Challenge where they over come their flaws and have a Resurrection. 

In returning to the ordinary world, the hero is new in their old environment. Their Return With the Elixir is what they have changed; their gain from the experience affects their old world in someway and it is see how that happens. E.g. Deidre hands in the article and the Editor thanks the journalist and Deidre says it was her that managed it. She gets awarded. 

This can also lead to a cliffhanger by having the other character(s) set-up another character's flaws and such. E.g. the journalist is easily set-up to go on an adventure to overcome laziness or whatever it truly was that stopped their writing. 

All in all, the hero wins.   

McWaters, V. (2010). Facilitator's Journey Summary. 1st ed. [ebook] Torquay, Australia: VivMcWaters.com.au. Available at: http://vivmcwaters.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Facilitators-Journey-Summary.pdf [Accessed 18 Feb. 2015].
Merlin, S. (2005). The Heroes Journey and Improv - Merlin Works - Austin Improv Classes. [online] Merlin-works.com. Available at: http://www.merlin-works.com/2005/12/01/the-heroes-journey-and-improv/ [Accessed 18 Feb. 2015].
Thewritersjourney.com, (2015). hero's journey. [online] Available at: http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero%27s_journey.htm [Accessed 18 Feb. 2015].

The British Improv Scene: a dedicated improv theatre

The United Kingdom having its very own improvisation theatre was not a lone thought. The voices heard at the start of these spoken thoughts about this very concept was very exciting. It probably is certain that every improviser had the idea of starting an actual building with the commitment to improvisation. I know I did and in a way still do. The excitements of hearing other people desire the same as myself meant that the likelihood that a place would appear and be totally dedicated to the common cause was more probable.

I cannot tell how many of those original voices are involved with The Miller becoming this very building, but with a multitude of resident groups performing in the venue we can be safe to say we have a step closer. I heard mentions from the likes of Jules Munn who runs many theatre projects including improvisation tasks, such as The Nursery and their festival and the Slapdash improv festival in London and no doubt a countless amount of other vast and impressive events and projects. And we all look forward to the next Slapdash that will join the history of improvisation festivals that the UK has: Assisting the growth of the variety of improv that exists in the country. With Bristol Jam entering its third year and Shifti that sadly hasn’t returned since its debut in 2007. I also heard Steve Roe talking about the possibilities. He is from Hoopla that had weekly shows in the venue (The Miller near London Bridge tube) and then joined Shotgun Impro that also then began performing in The Miller. With weekly drop-in sessions in The Bedlam in Balham and also Saturday sessions that are always something magnificent. This is along with many other names that you could have heard on the grapevine. Whispers have been around for longer than I was close enough to hear and now we cannot just hear but see! So to those people that are actually involved, I thank you and look forward to hearing more from over the border with the sheep. The sheep and I are looking at each step with glee and anticipation.
The main reason why this should excite most if not all improvisers in Britain is because we can become a tighter community of improvisers. We can easily see that many people desire this with the start of Crunchy Frog Collective that began about five or so years ago and the recent online request from Alex Fradera who has started a ning network for Community Improvisation. The load of times I have gone to other groups and played, from Wow Impro in Coventry to The Bourne ImprovAbles in Bournemouth.

Connecting up with others is more of a joy for me. Easily found when I got strangers together in last year’s show in London, ‘Catch Impro’, to perform in a duo against another pairing. A good network leads to better quality and this creates a wider audience. When my Nan is going to improv shows I know we have made a good network. A dedicated venue shall have a major impact on the network. Like the Improv Symposium in Edinburgh in August ’10, bringing people together is beautiful.

We can all aspire to have the nation-wide recognised improv theatres, events and productions. We have ‘Scenes from Communal Living’ that started in Australia and moved to us and ‘Fingers on Buzzards’ that is now being performed in Canada, so how come we cannot get shows to be national if we have international. Personally I am doing my part with beginning a youth group in Cardiff and will try and get them to compete in ‘Cagematch’ wherever possible. (So if you have a youth group, then let’s play!) There are a lot of shows that are like Theatresports or Maestro – depending on how you perceive the productions. I guess what I am trying to say is perhaps naming it one title and spread that around. Or is it important in the slightest? Is the one roof the tie of recognition? I know Fat Kitten have competed against Student Improv Nottingham and MissImp against BangorSoc from North Wales. These probably were not the same game. How about Britain Improv Games? With the likes of the fantastic David Shore we should get more and more long-form, perhaps Harolds. This may well lead to Harold competitions or even the afore mentioned Cagematch. The improvisation scene in Britain is getting highly interesting, exciting and thrilling. With new influences, new mediums being used like ‘Fast and Loose’ on telly and ‘Showstopper’ on radio. (Although this is more getting back onto those mediums) and also the best result an actual venue.
‘London Improv’ is the place to perform at the moment. They are booked up till the Edinburgh Fringe, which I have a show in and you can get more about that via searching ‘Ludus Ludius’. Further articles may well come about this too. Unfortunately we cannot bring it to the venue before the festival. However, if we want this to work then everyone needs to bombard them with requests to perform in The Miller and make sure we are seeing the true depth of what people are producing from all around the UK. Utilise what we have and let us see something magical.

Thank you,
Nathan Keates