|
The Improvisation Book
By John Abbott
Nick Hern Books £10 99
185 pages plus 96 improvisation cards
Dateline: 9th November, 2007
These days, the word improvisation has been hijacked by comedians such
as the stars of Whose Line Is It Anyway? but John Abbott has
a purer, truer concept in mind that is far closer to the way in which
we behave in real life when confronted with unexpected situations. It
is thus the improvisation of jazz or Mike Leigh that he seeks to emulate.
For Mr Abbott, improvisation represents an opportunity for actors to
build a structure that they can use to free up their creativity and,
at its best, share emotional experiences with an audience. As he says,
"It can be exciting; it can be moving; it can be shocking; but
whatever emotion it inspires, it is alive. It is life itself".
His book is intended to be a manual for teachers conducting sessions
on improvisation. It could also have a far wider market.
Indeed, the actor turned teacher appears to have two goals in mind
throughout. First, he realises that everybody has fears and phobias
that they need to overcome in order to improvise effectively. Secondly,
he wants students to enjoy the experience as they learn how to free
themselves from the limitations that might prevent them from becoming
effective improvisers and actors.
The book is divided into sixteen short chapters which go into such
subjects as "Trusting Yourself", "Being There" "Releasing
the Imagination" and "Incidents". These are then supplemented
by an appendix on Warm-up Games and Exercises and 96 improvisation cards
that are designed to facilitate more complex role plays.
Each chapter is set out using a fixed format. It opens with a chatty
introduction relating the relevant technique to real life, most commonly
that of Mr Abbott. The author then explains how the experience can be
converted into a useful learning tool. From there, he introduces a series
of exercises that lead into more detailed improvisations and, to conclude,
offers a debriefing and a rationale. Each chapter then ends with a session
debriefing.
The improvisation cards are seemingly Mr Abbott's own invention. They
are divided into scenario cards that are further split into simple,
complex and extreme; and character cards. Between them,
these should generate hours of fun but always with a serious underlying
purpose. How would you like to be part of a group that observes a meeting
between a superhero and an evil villain who are respectively a servile
person and a sycophant - or even worse, the servile superhero himself?
The book distils a lifetime of experience and is set out logically
and practically so that would-be actors can build skills from the very
simple to the remarkably complex. By the end, it should stand its readers
and particularly their pupils in good stead whenever the latter are
confronted by an awkward situation or asked to improvise on stage or
set.
With a different title, it is possible that The Improvisation Book
might also find a much wider and more lucrative market. These days,
acting techniques bleed into the world of business and those who train
stolid businessman using role play would do well to consider investing
in this valuable volume.
Philip Fisher
Articles from 2007
Articles from 2006
Articles from 2005
Articles from 2004
Articles from 2003
Articles from 2002
Articles from 2001
Articles from 2000
Articles from 1999
Articles from 1998
Articles from 1997
|
