You don't need to be funny: you just need to be present, accepting and open.

Is it all about Comedy then? Do I need to be funny?

It is often utterly hilarious as no one knows what is going to happen until it happens! But whilst laughs are a big (and natural) part of it, there is so much more to Improv than the laughs. For example, participating in Improv provides an opportunity to play without fear of 'getting it wrong' or of 'not being good enough' (what a relief to let those fears go!).

It encourages us to learn how to support other people's ideas without judgement, and to learn to commit to our own ideas with conviction. Its benefits can be felt in the world of work, between friends, strangers, siblings and, of course, between lovers!

It’s widely believed in academic and performance circles that 'Improv can change the world' and we’re on board with this message. We promise, you don't need to be funny: you just need to be present, accepting and open. Happy people laugh and make others laugh too. Being 'funny' is probably an accident in Improv, and often the greatest laughs happen when things go wrong, not when someone tries to land a contrived line which doesn't ring true to the moment.

So is it like Am-Dram?

Nooooo.... Improvisational Comedy is completely unlike Am-Dram, or any kind of scripted, rehearsed performance. In Improv there are no scripts, no revisions and no re-runs. Everything that is created happens in that very moment; whether marvellous or disastrous - it never happens again.

So why should I do this? I don't want to be a performer...

As an art form and a practice, Improv is profoundly uplifting; socially, emotionally and psychologically. At best, you'll be empowered: more confident, more creatively inspired, and more open. At worst, you'll laugh yourself senseless and come away brimming with endorphins. With Woking Improv Theatre, there is no obligation to perform in public, though the opportunities will be made available to those who want to share the love.

Do I need experience in the Performing Arts to participate?

Not at all. Improv is indeed an arm of the Performing Arts, but you need be neither actor nor comic to participate. You do not need any prior experience or any particular skill to become an improviser. You just need to be willing to have a laugh, take risks, and embrace failure with a shrug and a grin. The greatest improvisers are those who leave their egos at the door and are ready to just say 'yes'.