As well as An Actor Prepares, I recently read Keith Johnstone's collection of essays/memoirs Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre. This book is perfect for finding rehearsal games to attack a text and explore character relationships. Even if you aren't a budding actor, it's a pretty fun read.
Keith Johnstone (1933-2023) was a British-Canadian playwright, director, and teacher, best known for revolutionising improvisational theatre and developing techniques that have shaped modern improv. Born in Devon, England, Johnstone initially disliked theatre, finding traditional acting methods stifling and artificial. However, after joining the Royal Court Theatre in London as a playwright and director in the 1950s, he began experimenting with ways to make performances more spontaneous and engaging.
During his time at the Royal Court, Johnstone created new exercises to help actors break free from self-consciousness and overthinking, laying the groundwork for his book, Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre (1979). In this influential work, he introduced concepts like “status games,” the “magic of saying yes,” and improvisation as a tool to unlock creativity and authenticity. These ideas resonated widely and formed the basis of many improv practices today.
In the late 1970s, Johnstone moved to Calgary, Canada, where he joined the University of Calgary’s drama department and founded the Loose Moose Theatre Company. There, he developed the popular improv format Theatresports, a competitive style of improv that has become a global phenomenon. Through his innovative teaching, Johnstone inspired generations of performers, and his work continues to influence theatre, film, education, and creative industries worldwide.
Johnstone’s legacy is that of a true pioneer who transformed improvisational theatre, making it accessible, fun, and fearless. His work reminds actors to embrace spontaneity, trust their instincts, and create authentic connections on stage.
The Book
Keith Johnstone’s Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre is a classic work in theatre and improvisation, exploring the techniques and principles that help actors create spontaneous, engaging performances. Johnstone’s approach is rooted in breaking down the inhibitions and self-consciousness that often stifle creativity, encouraging actors to reconnect with their natural, playful instincts.
A summary of 'Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre' Keith Johnstone divides the book into four main sections:
Status – Johnstone examines the concept of status dynamics, or the subtle ways we communicate power and hierarchy in interactions. He argues that every social interaction involves status shifts, which actors can use to create more believable and compelling characters. By becoming aware of how they convey status through body language, tone, and movement, actors can enrich their performances and respond more dynamically to others on stage.
Spontaneity – Here, Johnstone emphasizes the importance of letting go of self-censorship and embracing spontaneity. He believes that fear of judgment and failure often keeps actors from taking risks, so he introduces exercises to cultivate openness and quick thinking. Techniques like “Yes, and…” (accepting and building on others’ ideas) help actors generate creativity in the moment, making their performances more lively and responsive.
Narrative Skills – Johnstone explores storytelling, focusing on how actors can build cohesive and entertaining scenes without pre-planning. He encourages actors to trust their instincts, follow their impulses, and allow narratives to unfold organically. Rather than striving for logical outcomes, actors should prioritize emotional truth and surprise, which makes stories more engaging.
Masks and Trance – This section covers the use of masks to access primal emotions and physicality. Johnstone sees masks as a tool for actors to temporarily shed their personal identities and inhabit new ones more fully. He discusses how wearing masks can help actors lose self-consciousness, entering a kind of trance that allows for deeper emotional and physical expression.
Throughout Impro, Johnstone presents numerous exercises and examples, drawing from his own experiences as a director and teacher. His focus on play, creativity, and risk-taking has made Impro a seminal text for actors, comedians, and teachers, and his ideas continue to influence improvisational theatre worldwide. By challenging actors to let go of rigid thinking and embrace vulnerability, Impro offers a refreshing, often humorous, approach to the art of performance.
Key Quotes
“There are people who prefer to say ‘Yes,’ and there are people who prefer to say ‘No.’ Those who say ‘Yes’ are rewarded by the adventures they have. Those who say ‘No’ are rewarded by the safety they attain.”
Johnstone encourages openness and the spirit of adventure in creativity, as saying “Yes” leads to new possibilities and unexpected experiences.
“The improviser has to understand that his first skill lies in releasing his partner's imagination.”
He emphasises collaboration in improvisation, noting that an improviser’s role is to inspire and uplift others on stage, not just focus on their own performance.
“People with dull lives often think improvisation is ‘escape’ from reality. But in fact, it’s a way of confronting it.”
Johnstone argues that improvisation is not about escapism; it’s a way to engage with reality in an unfiltered, honest way that brings out new perspectives.
“If you lower your status, people won’t hit you, and if you raise it, they’ll defer to you. Status is a key to understanding all communication.”
His exploration of status is foundational, suggesting that understanding social dynamics can help actors create more nuanced, truthful interactions.
“People try to use what they know. They want to be ‘right.’ But I prefer to see people who don’t know what they’re doing and take strange paths.”
Johnstone celebrates the power of embracing the unknown and making bold choices, which keeps improvisation fresh and exciting.
“In life, most of us are highly skilled at suppressing action. Action is a handicap. In the theatre, we do the opposite.”
This insight highlights the contrast between everyday social conditioning (where we hold back) and theatre, where actors must learn to act on impulse and instinct.
“The more people there are in a scene, the fewer ideas are generated. If only two people meet, there are limitless possibilities.”
Johnstone points out the creative freedom that smaller, simpler interactions bring, which can lead to richer and more imaginative scenes.
“You must learn to play seriously.”
One of his most famous lines, Johnstone emphasises the importance of a playful but focused approach to improvisation, combining joy with commitment.
“Improvisation is not about winning; it’s about being creative and surprising and open.”
This quote captures the core philosophy of improvisation as Johnstone sees it: a process of exploration rather than competition.
“As you get more experienced, you’ll learn to trust your spontaneity, to take risks.”
He encourages actors to embrace risk as a pathway to growth, reinforcing that confidence in spontaneity is something actors build over time.
The book is a great read for physical actors who like to work from the outside-in.
You can read more about improvisational theatre in my Viola Spolin article here.
Comments