What I learned about Improving Improv at Brighton Conference

At the Brighton conference autumn 2014 we were entertained and informed at an amusing workshop presented by the Brighton Improv group 'Maydays'.

 Angela Lansbury (left) with a member of the improv group Maydays, at Toastmasters conference in Brighton, England.

As usual I sat in the front row, hoping to be seen and selected to go on stage. I had with me my latest prop, a talking toy which I had bought the previous day on special offer at Morrisons Supermarket in London.

THE FAKE PANEL OF EXPERTS
One of the Improv sessions involved members of the audience forming a panel of so-called experts who had to comment on a nonsense subject. I think I was supposed to be an expert on trees, talking about tree safety or preservation. You had to be both original and yet not totally absurd, mocking the sort of character you represented, saying the sort of things they would say - but exaggerating more and more.

The rule of three in humour is to say something true, something else true, then something totally untrue which seems to follow from the previous two remarks, or contradict them.

RHYMING ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
Our next task was to reply in rhyming couplets. As a poet, for me this is easy. My dream is to be a rap singer. My problem is not the rhymes, but singing in tune.

Maydays - the group's name in red on their black polo shirts.

Photo by Angela Lansbury.

THE IMPROV MUSICAL
The finale was the professional group asking members of the audience what they thought of the event - then for a couple of volunteers to tell us about themselves. Any romantic or recently married couples? His name. Her name? Where did you meet? What kind of activity do you share together?

The professional group of four then made a mini-musical about the couple in the audience. They told a story. I can't remember exactly how it went, but my half-remembered version will give you the idea.

First verse from a female member of the cast about the couple - mentioning both their names - sitting in the audience. Then another member creates a chorus couplet - the audience asked to repeat it verbally then sing it.

Then a male member takes over and sings a verse about the man's name and his hobbies. Choruse with the audience.

Then a female member sings about the lady and her hobbies. Chorus with the audience.

Then a man sings about where the couple met. Chorus with the audience.

Then the entire group reprise. Finale - end with chorus. Applause for the couple in the audience. Applause for the group on stage.

I spent several weeks thinking about this and how they did it. I imagined that if they did the same sort of thing at every event, and they were good at rap, it would come naturally.

But, if you don't want to leave things to chance, you can set up the scene.

BOOKS ON IMPROV
I searched on the internet for books on improv singing. I just read a book about improv singing, Instant Songwriting (Subtitle Musical Improv from Dunce to Diva) By Nancy Howland Walker. I've only just started. I recommend it to any imrov performer, songwriter or poet.

It suggests you practise rhymes every day, first thing. I do this anyway. You look around at breakfast. Table, able, Chair, hair. Glass, pass. Spoon, moon. Mat, hat. Fridge, ridge, bridge, midge. Oven, coven. Hob, knob. Clock, dock, rock, sock, lock, block. Door, bore, boar, roar, war, more, oar.

Now we've practised rhyming, some couplets.

I sit down at the table
As soon as I am able,
And pick the highest chair,
and comb my long blonde hair,

Then I pick up my glass,
but don't let this first chance pass,
draw circles with my spoon,
an imaginary moon etc etc

AUDIENCE NAMES
Now let's go back to I m p r o v with the audience. You can plan your questions. You are doing to ask a man and woman their names. If their names are hard to pronounce, change the name to a nickname of your choosing.

Ask their names.
His name is Patel, just as well. If the name is too long, or you can't think of a rhyme, you make a joke, we called him Patrick/Pete.

NAMES & AGES
You can pick English names or nicknames. One for each letter of the alphabet. Write out a rhyme.

Andy - he was handy (played the piano, was a builder, DIY enthusiast, an accountant, banker)
Adele - she looked swell
Barry wanted to marry, A cute little girl called Carrie, but she was in love with Harry, so she would not tarry ...
Brian, Brian/ John/Jon, is a man you can rely on.
Dave always wanted to be brave, he did not want to be a slave, he looked for someone he could save, , went to a rave but ended in a grave
Joan was always on the phone, she liked to have a good old moan, and did not want to be alone, and twenty cats filled up her home
Jim / Tim always looks so grim, you wonder what's wrong with him
Mary is scary, and often contrary, you'd better be wary, her brother is a fairy ...
Patrick - that was his hat trick.
Pete - gives a smile when we meet.
Petula - was his junior (if she is younger)
Suzie is a floozie, gets boozy and then woozy. She won the lottery, went on a cruise ee. I thought how lovely that would be, and I wished she'd taken me to sea, that would be fun you must agree, to see the world with Suzie.
Yves - you won't believe, keeps three aces up his sleeve, don't play cards or you will grieve
Zoe - hair/skirt/poems long and flowy

AGES
Find a rhyme for each decade
teenage - early stage
over twenty one - their married life has hardly begun
over thirty - he looked shirty
Forty plus - one of us
He's fifty - did you say fifty?  yes I said fifty - that's why he's so thrifty, that's why he's so nifty, it's great to be fifty!
Fifty two - just like you
Fifty three - just like me
Fifty four - still on the dance floor
fifty five - we'll survive
fifty six - and knows some tricks
fifty seven - half way to heaven
fifty eight - never late/always late
fifty nine - she's on time - will you be mine - no she's Patrick's
sixty - drinks coffee not tea, drinks decaff tea
Retired - came here to get inspired
age uncertain - draw the curtain
She won't say - anything but 'go away'

If you practise this two or three times with a group of three or four of you, taking names drawn from a hat, you can soon develop a routine. You would soon improve if you did this on a regular basis for a living. Imagine doing three shows a week, or, like the magician who performed for our Writers' group at Christmas, in season three a day.  You'd find you soon improve your improv, with foresight, hindsight, heckling incorporated, and inspiration of the moment - remembered and repeated.


Angela Lansbury is a speaker, comic poet, tutor, trainer, and aspiring songwriter, on blogger.com, YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook; author of ten books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts; Etiquette For Every Occasion (from libraries); Quick Quotations; Who Said What When; (Quotations Calendar in preparation; sold by Lulu.com - or direct from the author to get a signed copy.