'The Impro Experiment' at Science Oxford

Got what it takes?

Oxford Impro are always on the look out for enthusiastic and dedicated people in whatever capacity. If you have a special skill, whether on or off-stage, and would like to bring it to the group then we would love to hear from you.

If you would like to become an improviser, you do not need experience as we will train you in the techniques (however one should never really 'know' how to improvise as we do for the risk and if you take the danger away where's the pleasure?), but you do need to be open-minded, fun, committed and passionate. Improvisation requires a great deal of letting go of many of the qualities that have been bred into us from an early age, which many people find very difficult. Impro can often be frustrating and a great deal of hard work when you feel you're not 'doing it right'. There are many key points to good improvisation, which include getting rid of this fear (which instantly makes you a better improviser) and going onstage to have interactions and give the other actors a good time, rather than trying to be funny.

We meet regularly in the evening on the last Tuesday of every month in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. These sessions are held in a workshop style so that everyone can get together and practise the techniques, which range from the basics such as, being positive onstage, not planning ahead and thinking inside the circle, to larger concepts like status, storytelling and mask work.

Sydney losing at 'The Hat Game'!

All of these aspects are discovered and played with using games. For example the Hat Game, which requiries you to take someones hat before they take yours during an ordinary scene. The point being that you do not plan to take the hat, you observe for the moment of distraction in the other person and let your arm take it. If you stop to think, "shall I take the hat now?", you've probably already lost yours. Improvisers need to understand that the intellect needs to be distracted and that the body will know what to do.

Many of these games are enjoyable for audiences to watch so we also use them in a performance situation; it is fun for audiences to see us learning and struggling onstage. As long as you are happy to fail and do it with a good-nature, the audience will love to watch you do it. For example in a game like No 'S' where you are not allowed to use the letter S in a scene, all the enjoyment comes out of watching people accidently use S. If everyone was brilliant at it and never used the letter, it would be a very dull scene to watch.

As a group, we particularly follow the methods of Keith Johnstone, so if you think you'd like to become involved, we reccommend you read his book "Impro", Methuen, £9.99, ISBN 0-413-46430 (click here to be taken straight to Amazon where you can look inside the book).

If you are interested, you must be happy to commit to the regular practises as well as being available for shows, as building trust with each other onstage and bonding as a group is very important. To express your interest, please send us your details so that we can arrange a meeting.

For the latest info on when the group are next getting together, please check our ONLINE CALENDAR

enquiries@oxfordimpro.co.uk