One of the best things about improv is that it’s full of variety. There’s something in it for lots of different kinds of people, whether it’s a skill they’ll excel at, a particular type of game that they find fun and rewarding, a way of connecting with people, or something else. Because of that variety, … Read more
Following on from my blog post about how to spot someone problematic, this blog is about what to do when someone messes up. Of course, in lots of cases forgiveness is key, but that needs to be balanced with looking out for the safety of our communities. As someone who cares a lot about … Read more
Viewpoints is a vocabulary for co-creation originally invented by Mary Overlie as a way of reinventing dance improvisation and choreography. The six original viewpoints were Space, Shape, Time, Emotion, Movement, and Story. Viewpoints was later expanded and repurposed for theatre by Anne Bogart and Tina Landau, and split into two categories: Physical Viewpoints (Spatial relationship, … Read more
I heard the term ‘community improv’ recently and had a strong emotional reaction to it, and I’ve been pondering why it brought up such strong feelings. For me, I instantly read the expression as derogatory, though I’m not sure that was the tone intended. But why? In the UK we have a tradition of community … Read more
The world is currently reeling because a police officer, Derek Chauvin, killed a black man, George Floyd, while fellow officers passively watched and civilians filming begged him to stop. Of course, we’re horrified. It’s even more horrifying to think that Chauvin had at least 10 official complaints about police brutality and had been involved in … Read more
There’s a difference between a safe space and a held space. When I imagine safe space I imagine a document outlining the rules about how I should behave. When I imagine a held space I imagine a person. For me, that’s a crucial difference. The very phrase, “Safe Space” can be problematic because it implies … Read more
Constructive criticism is something that I find a lot of improvisers struggle with, both giving and receiving. In a way it can feel contrary to the spirit of our art; it’s our job to make our scene partner look good, to accept and build on their choices, to make classes and rehearsals feel safe. … Read more
Something I love about Grindr is the huge variety of people I get to meet. I’ve met people from all over the world, from different social classes, of different ages… I’ve met builders, gym bunnies, students, IT people, people with very little English, waiters, businessmen, and all sorts more. Grindr is diverse in a … Read more
Welcome to part 2 of my series of blog posts about my 2019 new year’s resolution to meet men from Grindr. An odd thing to put on a professional improv website, perhaps, but it’s turned into more of an eye-opening journey than I’d anticipated. I think that a big part of learning to improvise is … Read more
I feel I should begin this post by explaining why I’m posting about a gay sex app on my improv blog. It might seem salacious, or completely irrelevant, but I’ve actually learned quite a lot about myself as a person and as an artist by using this app. I’ve also learned a lot about communities … Read more