Why improvisation theatre?

Improv theatre is theatre without scripts. Nothing is arranged or planned beforehand. That is not to say, however, that it is unprepared. On the contrary: if there is no script, other aspects become particularly important. The parallels with workplace life are most revealing.

The 'rules' underlying improv theatre are these:

Say “Yes, and...” rather than “yes, but...”.

Saying “Yes, but...” means that a scene will never get off the ground. “Yes, but...” smothers suggestions and frustrates potential action. Saying “Yes, and...”, however, turns an improvised story into a shared product. Each player is responsible for their half and contributes to a growing whole.

“Yes, but...” in the workplace yields useless wrangling and bickering. “Yes, and...” in the workplace encourages a positive working attitude and underlines the synergy of real collaboration.

Here and now

You can't improvise the past or the future: you have to be in the here and now.

In the workplace this translates as: no opening old wounds and no insinuations about the future. Change always begins here and it always begins now.

In improvisation you have to be ready to drop your own idea in favour of another, just to provide an appropriate response to someone else's suggestion. The more you try to control everything, the less control you have.

Embrace danger

The audience wants to see the kind of things happening that don't happen to them. If the actors beat around the bush, you get boring babble and no action; if the actors allow themselves to embrace danger, whatever the risks, things happen and the story comes to life.

In the workplace, accepting change means embracing the unknown and being allowed to make mistakes.

Dare to make mistakes

Improvised theatre is created on the spot, out of thin air. Things can go wrong in this process, mistakes are made, and improv actors have to work out ways of dealing with them. The trick is to remove the negativity that normally surrounds making a mistake. Ultimately, the only 'wrong' thing an improv actor can do is to do nothing at all.

By definition, learning something new means making mistakes. In the workplace, we'd rather see people actively trying something out than just resignedly observing.

Make the others look great

In improv theatre, pushing yourself forward is frowned on. Give someone else a good time! When you feel what it's like to put another player in the limelight, you really know what teamwork is.

Use the power of laughter: humour as a power tool!

Laughter makes words redundant and it works a kind of magic. Laughter is universal. Laughter speaks volumes. Working with theatre causes laughter, often unintentionally. Whether this is a laugh of recognition, of poignancy, or the triumphant laugh of victory, it always generates openness, clarity and enthousiasm.
Learning and applying these rules allows people to step outside the boundaries of their daily lives and to look at their surroundings as if for the first time. It shows them that change can be a pleasure, and that the tensions that change can bring can also inspire them to action. The use of improvised theatre means interaction, enjoyment, inspiration and stimulation. It puts everyone more closely in touch with themselves and with others.

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