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].

List of: Long-form formats [add your structures]

There are many long form formats. There are many created each week that get lost or forgotten after classes that focuses on creating forms. Here are some that are listed online:

harold

la ronde

evente

krompf

henry

rupert

sybil

movie

lotus

roadtrip

monoscene

macroscene

twoprov

funeral service

jts brown

slacker

armando

Life Game
 Deconstruction

Goon River

Handicapped Fairy Tale

The Bat

Typewriter

balladeer

cloud atlas

cut

dvd special

genres

54321

french braid

montage

pop-up storybook

musical

triple play

tell tales

script tease

documentary

living room

mosaic

Tracers

True Hollywood Story

Detours

oracle

sleep over

steve v. brain

Convergence

I shall add your formats if the the structure is listed too. 

Harold - Improv Formats

So there is a lot of information out in the world about this format. The history is readily available. Del Close began seeking the form in San Fransisco with The Committee in the 70s. On returning to Chicago, Close met Charna Halpern and they combined some improv games in the format to initiate the exploration further into a working format, Harold.

The Reckoning (http://iowatercooler.com/)

The format is more than a structure. It is where an ensemble responds to a suggestion through dissection and collaboratively forming an art piece that is funny. The performance is based on a structure, but could go beyond it. It is the fundamental point of improv to follow the show, not what is presupposed or is said should happen. As Close said on his deathbed that Harold is long-form, as it is just creating one piece from a suggestion or maybe nothing.

Harold seeks the tone, themes and connections of scenes, relationships and characters to merge; forming the resulting comedic art. 

The structure starts with the opening, which could be whatever you chose. Many openings are composed already: organic; pattern game; invocation; scene painting; monologues and more. The organic opening enables the ensemble to combine their inspiration through physical representation of the idea, seconding and adding together through verbal clarification and building the specific individual creation. E.g. The Reckoning once initiated a hospital, a specific man with specific qualities to the exact bed and surroundings and statements  that added with the same tone and qualities. Clarity can come from repetition, e.g. "Weakness is only the for the wimps." In each moment found, this may be underlining it. All opening do this, but in different ways. 

The first beat has three scenes, but that is just a classic example. None of the scenes link, as it becomes problematic to the goal. The iO style has grown and changed over the years, like Close and Halpern desired. A factor that they have focused on is relationship. The truth in the relationship will create comedy; thus the book "Truth in Comedy". The inspiration for these scenes comes from the opening. A few ways to look at the details are thematic, commentary or word or phrases; this is as with the format Deconstruction.

The group game is a game that involves all players, all of the ensemble. One approach to this is presentational games that do not engage any scenic, conversational qualities. Using any aspect of the opening or suggestion that has not been offered in the scenes so far, the group shall present their game.

Based on the themes and tone of the group game, the second beat happens. These could well be three scenes, returning to the scenes of the first beat. There are multiple ways to return to the scenes: analogous (same game of the scene, or parts); character dash (keep one character); location (same place); tangent (some idea from the first scene); story is a NO! (in the iO approach). It is possible to notice broad themes from other scenes to bring into others, but not to clearly link scenes. This is due to ruining the third beat if links happen in this section.

A group game happens again. This happens alike the first one. 

The third beat is where the threads come together. It could be one scene or three; this beat seeks to close wherever it needs to. It brings the characters together, the themes together and the tone from the group game that has followed the path laid before it.

So this is a broad look at the format, it is based on the institution that began the format. If there is anything you have from iO that is relevant that you've found, then feel free to comment. If it seems like a correction, it may be added to the blog with attribution.

4Track - Improv Formats

The origins of the format come directly from Christian Capozzoli. Capozzoli is a Literature and Education Masters man, from Harvard University. He  teaches at Magnet Theater and Annoyance Theater. He is currently pushing improv into New York high schools, which we like.

(http://christiancapozzoli.com/)

4Track is a "form uses the “Aerodynamics of Yes” to create an explosive piece with bold characters, rich commentary, and high stakes" (ibid.). The 'Aerodynamics of Yes' is the book that this guy wrote. In discussion with the UCB Long Form Conversations podcast, Capozzoli dissects the form as a bursts of energy and waves. 

The team begins from taking a suggestion to a matching physicality game; they heighten the physicality; following the action and energy, the peak has the edit. They enter a relationship-based two person scene from the themes of the game. This repeats to have four rounds of matching and two person scenes. After this point, the performance has an "...avalanche of callbacks" (ibid.) where the scenes reincorporate characters of the past scene. In completion of the form, they have a fast-paced tag run of scenes.

If you have seen the form, done the form or taught the form and know differently; feel free to offer corrections. I'll change it and acknowledge you.

Manila Improv Festival has invited us! Help us get there.

We have opened a Kickstarter. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/491970635/improv-musical-madness-to-manila-improv-festival-a-0 Please goto the link and share it, back us and hope that we get all the backing needed to get us there! We have ONLY 9 days. Thank you, Nathan

Playfulness, Risk and being Structureless [Full Article]

To speak of importance is a reason to write. Whilst responding to a few articles online I noticed that what I trying to write in a couple of words did not say anything I was trying to. Therefore, I decided to write an article on 'play, taking risks and being structureless'. In the composition I mention a few elements of what improv is for myself and how and who I run various improvisation projects with.
Finding improvisers that play the same consistent short-form games is common. The tearful aspect of this discovery is that players will define their role in each game that their team plays and stay with that. The partier who is having a birthday or anniversary are setting their twiglets on the dining room table for their guests. They have their celebrations multiple times each year. Definitely a lucky person, but surely tedious to play that role every time. Even more so if the game has been played for many years and still just doing the same old guessing game.

“Ah, Watson I heard Sherlock took his last sniff.” And applause. Try guessing after years of not playing that role in the game, will it be fun? I consider the prospect of not improvising when I am improvising scary. If you can do it, quit. Phelim McDermott talks about being able to improvise as impossible and says, “...otherwise there is no point in doing it.” This is one of my most favourite quotes about improvising. Improvisers could be said to be worried then and this is addressed by Keith Johnstone when we discover people end up pressed up against the wall or even off-stage (in beginning classes).
The audience sees the player and the story. Improvising will show 'you'. Not just the exterior presentation you wish to let lose on the everyday world that you meet, shake hands with and murmur your words of elegant meanings and purposeful phrases. Augusto Boal states that we all present ourselves in life like we are in our own performance. Boal's 'Rainbow of Desire' shares the thought that everyone performs naturally. The last time I saw a person be their self in the present of others was in fact never. Barry may well be upset, but is the upset he is displaying to get the pity and sorrow of those around him? Barry might know, but also it needs to be said that Barry might not know. Sub-conscious desires are controlling what you get up to and will choose for you. (Not that the conscious self and the sub-conscious self are separate beings). Therefore, the more we listen and follow the sub-conscious the better the results in everything else. Then Barry might even realise that he is trying to get Sally and Jacob to hug him in the park on that miserable Saturday afternoon.
The most enjoyable moments in improv are when the player risks. I wrote an article about this for Ludus Ludius based on a mainstream news article about a mouse. As every player is delving into the depths of their own sub-conscious and coming up to the audience with their life's truffles, the choice to try and hide and go for a quick gag could be quite apparent. Even more so, are those that don't even get that far. Risk will be scary, but the audience think improvising is scary anyway.
The answer to risk is play. Look at kids.

The fact is that kids play freely, spontaneously coming up with stories and games and everything adults now train for years to do. Play is human nature. Admittedly it happens with children. Look at a dad who has got a young toddler, he starts playing. I once saw a dad in the Wales Millennium Centre that told his kid off for being on the (free) Glanfa stage. I have also seen parents play at the best of their ability. The fear creeps in when another adult is around. Walking passed a dad and a young child playing catch they stopped for me to walk passed and there was plenty of room. Playing is an innate ability that is animalistic. Lions will play to train their young to fight. Gazelles play on the mountains to make sure they can handle the mountainous lands they live in and run from their predators. Humans learn through play. Our foundation phase in schools now teach through play. Crazily the adults that lost their playful attitude now attempt to control the children's play in order for them to learn. “...education can be a destructive process...” (Johnstone, 1989, p. 16) The education system nowadays complains that the concept is failing. If the kids that have gone through that phase were dealt with well then we should have some of the most socialised children now. Play can be on your own, but it is likely that during that process the youngsters in question have played with others. The children move on and begin their treacherous educational life where all they are told to do is 'put down what I say on paper.' From socialised young people to robotic teens. Constantly being told off for being a 'lion' or a 'gazelle.' “No fighting, Jerry.” Or even, “Get off that fence, Julietta.” However, controlling kids' lives is what we have to say and do or maybe that evil nasty man lurking around will take them and harm them. When can they fail and try again, if there is only one answer. I feel I always learnt the hard way, but that has made who I am. Over years of media attack, the playful nature of society has diminished to ensure our thinking as adults will keep the children in on their Xbox till the early hours.
Playing cannot be scary. What is scary is the judgement. The part of growing up where we learn that other people will mock you if they do not agree with you. Playing is not the scary part, its being concerned what other people think. Furthermore, after our education system has taken place, some decide to be actors. Our actors read through their script and enter a theatre and perform. The scripts that are performed we call a 'play.' Surely then the actors are experts at playing. The play is certainly named to be done in a playful manner. As improvisers, we spontaneously create our plays or productions. These experts can indulge in playing without fear. It is the usual hiding from their reality that stops play for these experts too. Jerzy Grotowski left having an audience and rather preferred the idea of the performance being for those involved, paratheatrical. The level of play that this would involve would be without fear then.

The social judgement that happens when you step out your door and you perform who you are is on-stage too. Theatre critics praise and insult the actors that they watch creating this fear in the actors.
Many theatre practitioners teach acting in their experience and theories. Some agree with the sentiment I have made. Philippe Gaulier teaches through the use of play or pleasure. The issue is that English uses the term play in many ways and other languages do not even have the word. John Wright runs an amazing play course and it truly assists with digesting the people around you.
Play connects people. See the sparkling eyes of the youth and then see adults involved together with in a playful environment, the image is the same. The essence of human connection is the capacity to sparkle. Friendships are built upon playing.
If you can improvise there is not more challenge, no more risk. No risk means no pleasure for the performer and the audience. Also, there has to be play, like what Gaulier and Wright utilise to their best in the theatrical world. Gaulier is well known in the 'clown world' as well as others. Gaulier speaks about the essential part of performance and theatre as, “I teach theatre of freedom, I teach theatre of the imagination, I teach theatre and the dream of theatre, I don’t teach a style, when you show your please you show something fantastic.” (http://www.performingplays.co.uk/uploads/resources/14/philippe-gaulier-by-charlotte-clisby.pdf) Likewise with the way John Wright uses play in his theatre work. Wright describes how people perform, “When we're having a good time we forget that we are working hard, flops become more bearable and can be seen in the context of the workshop rather than signalling the end of your career, as a result we can take more risk.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wright_%28theatre_director%29#The_Wright_School) So when we play and risk we engage ourselves in the activity and lose fear and panic over the scene and stage. As improvisers we revel in this and we can both engross the conscious in what we are doing and more importantly the others around us. In a competitive impro show the players should not be concerned at only part of the players making the show happen, but everyone. I have had the best moments in competitions when I play and play well with others.

Strangely a book about improv has this exact title, 'Plays Well With Others' by Les McGehee. The best 'instructional' videos on improv are from him – well the most enjoyable. I have never read the book, but it probably lives up to the title.
Suddenly in the competition I found myself actually caring about what happened and started losing that playfulness within. It wouldn't take a genius to work out what happened then. What we did stunk! I felt like I wasn't living up to my title. Until I took a risk, I played to make the show great even if it broke the rule of make the show look like a competition and don't really need to win – we played to the opponents strength and something I truly gain jollification in playing with. The other option I had thought could have been fun was to challenge the other groups to name and set-up a game we had never played before. As improvisers we should be capable to improvise in any game. I started improvising because I wanted to get on-stage with nothing and find success. Frankly this is impossible, but I still search. The team you work with will know that 'I am going on stage to perform narrative' or 'music' or 'dance'... even simpler is 'I am improvising scenes'... whatever. In search of free-form I have found that it is impossible without all the team having the same experience of all uses of improv known. There still is unknown uses that can be found in the moment.
Working with some brave youth improvisers, I have taught them to go on stage with nothing not ‘pre-plan’. They know if they are doing scenic or improv games, but even then we have explored various other forms and uses of improv that can crop up. They have a long-form that is just telling a story in whatever way it happens. Although it is not free-form, the way it is done could be extremely fast-paced or long scenes. What this tells me is that if we sincerely use what's there then our strict need to adhere to a the format will vanish. For example, a monoscene format will not mean we cannot have 'cut to' moments. In one of the podcast 'improv nerding' sessions I have indulged in recently, the Americans spoke about this exact topic. Just because the monoscene is supposed to have no edits, if edits happen this shouldn't mean it’s no longer a monoscene. We 'yes and' on-stage, but do we then? Whatever happens can be accepted.
A recent production I created, desired no structure, but to get there we all needed the same base of what could happen. I used a puzzle structure in order to eventually get everyone on-board. Any of these 'puzzle pieces' could be placed anywhere as many times as occurred and be any length in the show. The reasoning was that if we can do everything, then everything can happen. Of course it is impossible to achieve this in all its glorious totality. We had discussion, singing, dancing, poetry, scenes, some games, some styles of scenes and puppetry; perhaps more too. Whatever happened was accepted most of the time. When I create this again, then I hope it will be easier to get to the right place (as I didn't complete it in time).

Starting my improv career in movement I discovered various elements I still love today, but are not quite fitting with others. However, the one that does easily cross art-forms is the 'tool-kit' metaphor. Keith Johnstone states do a lot of art forms and this will enhance your improvisation. Likewise Del Close stated as improvisers we have to do more than just improv. A team of scientists will create a great Harold team, as they have something to talk about. Personally proven when in a Cardiff competition I had a scientist and a digestion scene came up and it was greatly enhanced by the actual science of it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzM7CoYGt54) The original hearing of the concept was from the improvisational movement practitioner, Al Wunder. Hearing all about his theories and practising them later on from the Cardiff Improvisation Symposium in 2007.
By this point the aims of when I step on-stage or a workshop as a facilitator will be clear. I want structureless play that will enhance the connections we have as people in life and in the theatre or stage area. I see what we do as more than what we have now or even what we are heading for. All forms of improvisation can be combined for great theatrical extravagance. Lets take the big leap of faith with our teams and really get into improvising freely and playfully. Play a game in front of your audience that you don't know. Why not? Second City would do their two acts and then have no idea what they would do in their third act. (Okay, they know it was going to be a run of scenes.) When being in a Jay Rhoderick's workshop we heard the great phrase of 'Yes the shit out of it.” The ability to support, no matter what, comes from in this phrase. Living and learning as we go. Fail with a smile. Find risk, play and free-form (at its most capable for your group[s]) and notice that it feels good and then entirely break it all. I speak as a hypocrite, as I search for this and try to live by this and clearly don't sometimes. This probably says a lot about me.

Images from: http://adssuck.blogspot.com/
http://www.clipartof.com/
http://adventuresinednos.blogspot.com/
http://www.prlog.org/

Ludus Ludius' perform 20 minute improvised musical (the rehearsal songs)

In our rehearsal for the Newport Comedy Festival where we performed our 20 minute improv comedy musical, Ludus Ludius Improv do songs based on a couple of suggestions.

In this song we had just stolen a melody and reeling off that we go into this tune, "Two Pints o Guiness"



In this song we started again as we lost inspiration, but we got a song out after. Not the best song, but certainly catchy.



In this song we found and lost our feet, but I blame... "Radiation Sickness"

A big thank you goes to the improvisers that gave so much effort into this show, Charlie Hammond, Osian Llew and Nathan Keates. Each improviser showed a tremendous amount of energy in the festival too for Tin Shed Production's Launch Pad 2011, as apart of the Newport Comedy Festival. Our "Racoon's Fishy G**ch" blew them away that night and we can be glad to gain such comments as "...you've been the best in this half..." We were in the first half, just in case you were wondering.

Check out www.ludusludius.co.uk for more details of workshops and performances.

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Edinburgh Preview (Cardiff): Emblem Spontaneous Thoughts on Perception

It was 6:45pm and we had just got into our warm-up when I, Nathan took on to see who may well be turning up. I looked outside to see a vast crowd of air. However when visiting the crowd downstairs I found our audience. The loveliest fact was that the numbers kept coming in making our cameraman become an usher. Due to this rather premature fetching of our audience we did start five or so minute too early. No one that came in at seven o’clock missed much of the opening exploration of the suggestion.

So I, Nathan opened the show like any other improvisation show. Apart from keeping them waiting in a semi-amused state beforehand with a meet and greet of who we had. Even managed to get a doorstep, sorry I was corrected doorstop. What is one little letter in a word anyway. A ship is still a ship with a little letter changed? We began with enough energy to start a wind turbine and plenty of interaction. Warming their suggestions up with the norm: names, colour, and holiday destination. Wasting no more time we started the show.

Our suggestion was ice cream, and they were amused, shocked that the next hour would be all on ice cream. To be quite honest in a normal long-form show that would be one of the best suggestions ever! Our show isn’t normal, but the stuff we got was pretty cool.

The show comprises of drawing, processworks*, scenes and alternative skills. Using the content of what we have done in the past we surpassed my expectations of the preview production ‘s possibilities by far. The cast worked well and hard and picked up on the offers and utilised alsorts of wonderful ‘adds’ to scenes that enhanced them tremendously. Recently we saw a return of a game we played once in rehearsal months ago and it turned up in the show too. These moments of agreeing and doing are wonderful to watch and definitely beautiful to be in.

Well done cast for such an amazing production to be in and great to be onstage with you all.

We have one more preview booked currently:

The Ballroom in The Bedford, Balham, South London – Saturday 30th July 2011, 1pm.
It’s a part of a mini-festival of Edinburgh Previews.

We are in Edinburgh for PBH’s Free Fringe:

Kiwi Bar @ Walkabout, Omni Centre, Leith Street – Sunday 14th August – Saturday 20th August 2011, 8.45pm (1 hour show)

~ Nathan Keates

* Processworks is based on Improbable's 2007 show where they used it as a freeing method of discussing.

11th Week of Rehearsals

This week it was back to Nathan, the person now typing, to be the director. With the knowledge that we are rapidly running out of foreseen time together before other projects and journeys have to happen, I had to make the exploration concise and productive.
Focusing on complicité and also concluding any issues and format queries that we were encountering. The first rehearsal of the week was okay and we had troubles with losing interest making the run all on one player to keep the whole piece together. Clearly not fair on that person nor productive on trying to ‘follow the follower’ instead of have one player leading.
Using the games we had been using with Ana, we added in some complicité games too. We couldn’t rehearse as much this week, but with one player’s confusion of times and venues we stumbled upon some wonderful energy and playfulness: Which has always been the key to Ludus Ludius. Using this, seemingly, we couldn’t play the usual rules to a warm-up game... ‘Crack’. It ended up being about delivering spontaneous objects to one player who either took it or gave it to another. We discovered 80s rap in the style of Beastie Boys and how sticking to the rules of that are difficult but crucial. We also had fun with ‘What are you doing?’ and ‘Questions Only’. Initiating with some nostalgic memories of what we have liked from the past. There was so much.
From the weariness of the first rehearsal of the week we needed to remember all the great moments we have had even in times where we were nowhere near the format itself. Now we were doing half runs, exploring the opening of the show and how that runs into the rest. We used TV Channel to get us in the mindset of exploring ‘perception’. We tried a ‘Rupert’ opening stolen from MissImp in Nottingham. We also used improvising art game that I thought I had invented, but I’ve played it from someone else’s facilitation too now. Thus it’s a common game that been around for ages.
All in all we ended on a good run. Now to slot it all together and name it cooked, ready to serve and be eaten.

What's happening now?

With some big projects on the go at the moment, we take the time to enjoy the beauty of sharing.

Improvisation is a shared experience. With an audience its a wider sharing too. Tales of great depth and lovely humour can be in conjunction with the trauma of being spontaneous. Spectators revel and improvisers play. All from a suggestion that may have been grabbed from the onlookers.

Instead of grabbing some form of suggestion from NTW for this blog though, I shall just type. And thus share.

A little about us: As you may know or may not, Ludus Ludius Improvisation Theatre Company was founded in 2007 by Nathan Keates and Matt Mills. We began to create theatre through improvised playfulness. Now we are a collective. Various performers, artists, actors, dancers, musicians and obviously improvisers are called upon when a project could be ideal for whom ever. Ludus Ludius are moving towards applying improvisation skill and techniques to those that may benefit personally, socially, emotionally and collaboratively. This therefore means that along with productions that we explore and workshops we share, move to applied improv.

A workshop that is coming that we are sharing the art form through is open to all. People in the theatrical world and those that aren't. This generally makes for better improvisation in any case and is always really interesting. In a weekend workshop we shall cover the basics of improvisation. Covering topics from Keith Johnstone, Viola Spolin, John Wright, Chris Johnston and some from the infamous Nathan Keates (amongst others). By the end of the weekend you should have a good understanding of the art form of improvisation and can stroll through the wonders that is your journey to the unknown.

We call the process the 'journey to the unknown' because no one can tell you how to improvise and everyone has a different 'journey' or process to finding their approach that suits them.

Next Weekend is planned for: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July '11, 10am - 5pm @ Rummer Tavern
(14 Duke Street - Opposite the castle)

Book via: www.ludusludius.co.uk > Workshops (tab)

Or Skiddle, Brown Paper Tickets or Eventbrite

And the ALMIGHTY Edinburgh Fringe production that we are rehearsing for too. Read about it on Ideastap or our Blog. Initially set out as aiming to explore an emblem or theme/issue spontaneously and improvisationally as a free-form long-form improvisation and now after months of processing we are nearing the stage where we can state what it is. This very day we opened the rehearsal sentimentally and reflectively. It was nice to recall what we have done in the past and use that energy to look to the future.

Subsequently we are previewing the production, 'Emblem: Spontaneous Thoughts on Perception' in ATRium Studio (CB218) on Wednesday 8th June, 7pm. Its free, but it is a fundraiser so help us out and come support a welsh-based production get to Edinburgh. (I know there are more than just this show that is going from Wales). There is some welsh in the show too, perhaps. It may not arrive on the preview - lets see.

Do not panic if you are busy as we are also previewing in London near the end of June. With a lot of other Edinburgh Fringe previews. That will take place in Balham in South London. The Bedford is the home of great shows and some massive famous names have played in the venue. Even great improv has been shown there. The likes of Hoopla have used the venue a lot in the past.

Once more if you do not make that date either, then there is always the run itself in Edinburgh to come to. It would be advised that you come anyway, whether or not you saw a preview. Mainly advisable as the previews are where we fine tune it for the fringe itself and thus not the complete finished product.

Kiwi Bar @ Walkabout (Venue #344), Leith St nr the railway. From Sunday 14th August - Saturday 20th August, 20.45pm - 21.45pm. Free entry there too, but donations welcome to make sure we survive doing the fringe.

So what's happening with Ludus Ludius? A lot, big projects.

10th Week of Rehearsals

Still with the lovely Ana Diaz directing and as with last week the focus has been ironing out (and sometimes bashing out until we get the idea) the small problems. One of the games which we all seem to have gone the hang of is to die in 30 seconds. Exactly. This has given us all a sense of time, for some being too quick but mainly a certain tendency to drag things out has been noted. Unfortunately this came into this weeks game of 5,4,3,2,1 where we used half of our time limit in the first round, but we certainly picked up the pace after that.

Some further exploration of the perception idea and the start of the show has led to the possibility of opening with a combined drawing from all of us of an ideal object (probably one suggested from the audience) such as ideal women, car, home, and then a discussion around this. Then we hope to incorporate some of our perception based questions to the audience as well to allow us plenty of material and spontaneous ideas to work with.

However, at this stage there seems to be a drop in energy levels, we seem to go from highs to lows, and there is a need to revitalise our improvisation skills by pushing into new boundaries, new situations and new risks. The known and comfortable are dull; the risky and spontaneous is compelling.

- Charlie Hammond

Extra rehearsal #1: ProcessWorks

Although we didn't take any photos or videos and therefore have no media from the night for sharing here, we did get exhaustion.

Processworks in the words of Nathan is a way of discussing. Processing a discussion in a way that frees and allows everyone to engage by whatever means they need to. Processworks was explored by Improbable in their production, 'Spirit' and we shall be trying to use this too.

"Process Work methods support artists to get in deeper contact with the material and its innate structure, feel in touch with their performance, and build new levels of contact between performers. It's not about pushing across boundaries into the unknown, but more about using your awareness to meet and unfold the creative tension, found in the most difficult bits, and by playing with the most suprising and minimal cues. It's about both catching the creative spark, and giving the necessary play and work to bring it to life - whether working with a script, in a process of devising, or in moment to moment performance." - Arts Artelier

"Process Work was developed by Jungian analyst Arnold Mindell in the 1970s when Mindell began to research illness as a meaningful expression of the unconscious mind. He discovered that the unconscious manifests not only in nighttime dreams but also in physical symptoms, relationship difficulties, addictions, and social tensions." - ProcessWorks

It was a great night with a lot of natural flow and amazing discoveries within each other. From the sublimely abstract and releasing the tension with a most likely inappropriate exploration to the intense fiery discussions that upset someone as they couldn't speak. Frustration certainly ensued.

All in all, a good time.

Rehearsal 5: Emblem - EdFringe

5th Week of Rehearsals

With Anna flying back to Mexico, we were left locked out of Atrium for the time being and returned to Keith's house, which was very much appreciated. For this rehearsal we began by exploring some short form Improv, moving onto structured long form and ending the session with focus on exploring and defining our environments. Memborable moments arose from: Ian, as the Taxi driver who adopts and collates characteristics from each of his passengers; Amy beating us at our own wish to make her frustrated during the Conference game; a fiendishly long game of 'biberty bibert BOP', with underhanded tactics by all and an effective use of stomach rumblings by introducings characters who were, like us at 2 o'clock waiting for our lunch break, quite hungry.

Two instances stood out from the session as a whole: a wonderfully awkward moment between a father (Nathan) and son (Ian) when the father reveals that the reason his family has always referred to him as 'Uncle Bill' was because he was infact, Ian's uncle and not his father, resulting in Nathan fufilling the role of the dirty uncle with a disturbing attraction to his nepthew, and also the small details that engage an audience when establishing an environment. It was agreed that we would like to explore both of these areas in more detail as the more awkward and sinister situations hold more realism underneath; we were laughing because the only other alternative way to react is to accept the gruesome possibilities, as well as the awareness that the two actors may have to actually play the parts out which, in retrospect, we felt had been cut short to avoid this. The establishment and use of an environment was engaging as it allowed the audience to engage with our activities, the rinsing of a sponge as someone cleaned a window and the shuffling of a pack of cards were notably effective, as well as changing our previous pace and style. We felt this allowed more time for each character to form and for the story itself to progress from the group collective, instead of the inter-mingling of our individual ideas which seemed somewhat strained at times.



All in all a productive rehearsal with a realisation for the importance of discussing the events of the day at the end of the session in order to allow us to grow as a group. And, perhaps, the importance of being quiet and stealthy Ninjas instead of Karate Kids whilst in someone's house, due to shouts for us to 'shut up' from across the street.

Edinburgh Fringe Photoshoot 2

This last Wednesday we had a small photoshoot. These images are going to be adapted to suit the purpose, obviously. However there was a huge amount of fun with these and some great moments can be seen in them.

And now for some more of the pictures... Thank you Matt Mills, who took these.

Last two now!

Here...

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

Our Edinburgh Fringe Production

After three weekends of rehearsals and a photo shoot for a title image we have...

Weekend One we played with some Portuguese in Bute Park and killed off a middle aged man with a baby wolf whilst the rabbits flooded the village of South America. Also the baboon didn't get his smelly way!

Weekend Two we had a transgender politician who had to come to terms with his or her original desires of playing the piano.

Weekend Three we had more politics when we had a chair law which became rebelled against by a murmuring Scottish rapper. Also, how artist like Gainsborough are nothing to children. Nonetheless they who grow up to the same struggle and unemployment in fits of jealousy and raging pains towards the successful.

Photographer: Stefani Johnson Photography

Aspiration, Imagination, Trepidation

Ways that the work load whirls the wily wind chimes of the brain wit. Whilst the whistle waits to wind up the winter cogs that whip the wet wombats what wanly wander to and fro. Difficult to read? Watch what happens when we add a multitude of metaphorical imagery with onomatopoeic sounds along with the ridiculous level of alliteration. I scream 'No' let alone you.

I class this as aspiration. We want so much, yet really the possibilities at one given time are not so great. Project after project may turn up and keep the insane happy, like what in general it does for myself. (Not that I am insane, but certainly can look or sound that way when I talk to people about what I do). Never enough and then I aim for the next star, recently seen a science programme on BBC2 so I shall reference for those doing exams - it might help (doubt it), like a supernova explosion. 'I see the light' but so do a shed load of others. Lined up like gnomes in a mixed metaphor all aspiring to find a joyful moment that will see them through to actually reeling in the fake fish from the pond.

Sensational streams of light shoot through the cosmos brightening up the sky, brightening up those dullen lives. Ideas. Imagination that is let loose can be a wondrous while which only needs someone, anyone to say 'I do'. Be it mixed and unclear or married into another companion of marginally suitable company. Clarity comes with time and detail and perhaps the lose of some smiles of interpretation. Playful shaping of un-intellectual language forcing more crazed ornamental words that cover the truth. Second the thought and who knows what will happen, aspire to have the time. Yell out for the detail. Panic about what may be and you'll leave the vellum of chance.

Set up for the trepidation of overloading the mirage of tropical flotation devices soon become too much. Stop. Let me think. Hang on. Stay still. Got it? Makes no sense. How can a flotation device be tropical? Quite right. Whilst we weave through the weeds of words that whiffle what we mean, then soon the answer comes. Aha, whilst I was thinking about breakfast I now see that all my aspiration that gave me uncertainty and overloading thought patterns can be less troublesome than thought. Imagine my surprise as I relax into a nice light sleep (after breakfast) and realise that risk a little gain a lot. Waffle a little and you got supper. (What is supper anyway?)

In all the stars that gnomes do see it marries together the thoughts of ancient philosophers and the yet to make sense and says why not! It can be true till otherwise proven. Theories, conspiracies, realities; all the possibilities are endless if you want them to be. Work on the smiling project and let loose the others. Many or few, whatever is for you. Sail through even if its not new.

Although this might be exploration and explanation of an extrapolation it really lacks the sense of mitigation. (Stay sane with the fact we both feel the urge for clarification, but now lets allow for interpretation).

Mouse That Soared

The article was in the Daily Mirror on Friday 12th November 2010. There I was sat in Chapter Arts looking for a interesting article. What I saw from this mouse was delightful. The article explained that the mouse was after food. This 'little fella' is just like an improvisation player, or improviser, as us little fellas are also after our food. Food being something we need and like.

Our little fella in this article was keeping his eye on the food and climbed up an axe handle and soared through the air for the delicious reward. His leap was not based on the possibility that he (or she) may fail. The little fella didn't calculate or hesitate about how he (or she) may get to the other side. Therefore, our little fella risked without pause for what he (or she) desired.

Each time us little fellas climb up our axe handle onto the stage we do so by hurling ourselves into the unknown. If its just for a grain of corn that is enough. We risk failure and we do not hesitate and certainly we cannot calculate. (There has been times were we end up in a mathematical problem and then we quickly work it out and say it, but this is not what I mean). By all means there is no hurry, the little fella didn't rush up the axe and dive dive dive. Alike us we keep our eye on the food and steadily explore and soar. The air is our ground. The heights are the wonder. The sensation is our stimulus. The snapper (photographer) for the little fella that made it all happen for the mouse, he is our watcher too. They snap us every moments we offer. Our snappers make the show.

Our audiences like to see our risk. That's what they snap up. The offer, the building something together, the unknowing and risk. The photo caught a mouse soaring, This is just as delightful as if we saw it in person. This, thus, means that no matter how rapid fire the manoeuvre is there will still be pleasure from it. Same risk, same goodness. The snapper was Scott, 33 year old. He had taken other brilliant photographs too. The main reason he is worthwhile mentioning further is because he said, "it was a challenge." Risk is a challenge, we indulge it.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/11/12/the-mouse-that-soared-115875-22710497/

Young Spontaneity

It is human nature to be spontaneous. When we are young toddlers we are intrigued by a lot. This state of being is useful. We learn we discover and we don't hold any prejudice over what we discover or see. As adults it is remarkably the opposite. However we still have no choice to be spontaneous.

What changes the inquisitive nature of the child as we grow up? Keith Johnstone blames the education system. This could well be true, but what I see is more than that. Its the social implications of being seen as a bit too risky, a bit too wild. A person that can and will do anything at any point is too much to comprehend. In a romantic relationship its a common request that, I want my partner to be more spontaneous. Why is this a request? You play too safe and we get bored. What life can be when we are more spontaneous is therefore not boring.

Even as an audience in watching an improv show, if the players keep doing the safe games in the same roles in a classic format, then it does become more tedious and too safe. (Short-form improvisational comedy shows are classically formatted by various games played which have players in certain roles in the game the scenes that are created are never the same; however the format can be).

We do not like feeling safe: What is a mid-life crisis? Is it someone who has lived their life without risk and change? If this is an agreeable statement, then perhaps our young community needs more spontaneity to allow this to continue through their lives. If its not an agreeable statement, then we can further the connection, but lets leave that to another time.

The reason that this article is written is due to Ludus Ludius Youth having been run for awhile now and the experience of the young improvisational players having sporadic imaginations or the polar opposite. We are in fact aiming for the more difficult task not because of a personal choice, but as its the more suitable option for the players. Tight, restrictive rules are seemingly always too much. Freer scene work is preferable. Personally, every time that we explore something new, be it a new group or age range then we all learn and discover something new.

Young spontaneity in these days is highly interesting. Do you want to watch? Do you want to participate? Do you think we should keep spontaneity flowing through all our life, not just the very young?

Its easy to share your thoughts and get involved with this, email nathan@ludusludius.co.uk and join our mailing list or share thoughts and ask to part-take.