Our Philosophy of Improvised Theatre

Two actors in Holly Jolly Improv (2023) get close to the final moment - the kiss

At the Collective, improvised theatre moves us. We’ve seen many companies use it to make us laugh, cringe, and feel raw emotion. We value the use of improv as a format to explore and discover story, character, and theme. It is exciting and challenging to watch and to perform. But what we call “improv” and what other companies do might differ - both in the ground rules we set for our productions and the style of performances we produce.

At the heart of everything we do is a desire to make, play, and share interactive games. Sometimes those games are played together with our guests and clients. Sometimes it’s in products we sell. And sometimes those games are played out onstage with an audience. In all cases, we use characters, plots, and themes to make a story come alive. Actors are called players for a reason - and we love our seriously playful improv actors.

Our staged performances are long-form improv. We make pieces that tell a complete story in just under an hour. It’s not always comedic - though it might be if the moment is right. We value story above the search for comedy. Characters come before cracking jokes. Finding the thematic moment trumps exploring the current situation to the bitter end. Unearthing the emotion and stakes behind the actions of the players is our main goal, not just to leave audiences with a laugh.

The stage is set….

Constraints feed Creativity

We want our audience to understand our creative constraints so they can get invested in both the story and watching us build it live. So as we create, direct, and produce a show, we think about the rules of the game we want our actors to play. They don’t have a script, but there are guidelines; some of which are built organically as the show goes through rehearsal. And some of which we have a clear view of at the start.

Our aim is to create shows with a strong beginning, an interesting middle, and - most importantly - a satisfying finale. The ending is the make or break moment. We focus on this end state throughout the rehearsal process, and probably spend more time concentrating on what the end condition is than anything else during the show itself. The most valuable thing to leave audiences with is catharsis. The tension is built and then resolved.

Knowing the end is knowing the direction, and the game played by the actors is how to get there - as a group, all at the same time - without a script! For our Christmas Show “Holly Jolly Improv”, which is based around cheesy Christmas movies, the ending is the kiss between the protagonists. Everyone knows that’s where we are going. The audience knows it, the actors know it. The fun part is discovering the path as you go!

Our four improvisors for a Fringe show, in a publicity shot from 2018.

Backstage Plans, Frontstage Action

But that does mean being consistently mindful of the journey to get there. While some improv groups would never do this, we talk about the ending offstage in order to get all our performers on the same page for that perfect Hallmark ending. One actor might tell another “we need to do a quick scene where we resolve our issues, I’ll apologize and give you the bakery” or “I think asking the parents about your favourite Holiday movie would heighten the romantic stakes” - and the audience will see that played out. Each scene might contain surprises, but we are all moving to the end state - that kiss; that big cathartic moment.

The backstage manager will make sure everyone knows how much time is left. We encourage our team to resolve scenes quickly - to not add extra twists unless absolutely necessary. We utilize strong offers to create tension and then resolve those issues in the very next scene. A trope of classic holiday films is their simple plots, and we only have about 45 minutes! Sometimes the early game being played is the team working out what exactly the ending will be; then agreeing to it and making it happen.

Will we have the baker and the banker kiss under the mistletoe - or is it the aging parents who have recently divorced who need to be brought back together by a Holiday miracle? That tightrope walk of making it up as we go along - but knowing the destination - is the fun challenge.

We hope we mostly succeed - or at least entertain when we fail.