The Improvised Play: Saturday, 26 Sept 2020: AUCKLAND

I’m excited to be returning to Auckland, and for the opportunity to work with you in a full-day workshop on the Improvised Play. This workshop is fun and engaging. Just like a scripted play, the work we produce can cover any theme and style. We can improvise comedic plays and dramatic plays. We can also use these skills to create a sci-fi, period drama, western, horror, or even a musical.

About the Workshop

The improvisation process is very different from writing a play, so how can we hope to create something that looks like a well-written work?

While some improvisers are bothered if the audience doesn’t believe it’s improvised, I think there’s nothing more satisfying than having the audience believe that what they just saw couldn’t possibly have been created on the spot.

This workshop looks at the differences between a pre-written piece of theatre and one created in the moment. It focuses on how we can use tension to affect the audience, how we can give meaning to what is happening on stage, and how to “trick” the audience into believing “it must be scripted”.

What You Will Learn

Stage picture

One of the hallmarks of scripted theatre is that the use of space is pre-planned and well thought out. We’ll look at how we can create a stage picture that has impact and meaning in an improvised piece.

Meaning

A well written play is economical in its use of dialogue and movement. A skillful playwright includes nothing unless it has meaning. We can emulate this by being attentive to what we say and do, being thrifty in our words and actions, and applying meaning retrospectively.

Tension and release

Learn how tension impacts the audience. This will help you elicit emotional responses from the audience (including laughter).

Production techniques

We’ll look at how we can make our production feel more like a scripted piece, to fully immerse our audience in a theatrical experience.

Experience Level

This workshop is generally best for intermediate and experienced improvisers or those with a background in theatre. I.e. An experienced actor who is new to improv, will get a lot from this workshop.

Workshop Details and Booking Form

Questions?

If you have any questions about this workshop, including applying for a cost reduction, please send a message using the contact form.