Script and improvisationUsing themes from the play
Spontaneous and rehearsed improvisation can be used to generate new content. Exploring themes in a play and experimenting with styles and status are useful when creating new scripts and characters.
They suddenly decided to ask for more money. They were averaging about twenty-two and six, which was neither more or less than is paid generally in our industry. They wanted the rates raised so that they could average about twenty-five shillings a week. I refused, of course.
The themes in the above extract are obviously money, greed and inequality. You could create the following improvisations around these themes:
characters talking together about the poor rates they’re paid and deciding to act
a scene with a worker and Mr Birling showing the argument from both sides
a modern-day scene exploring the issue of fair pay
Improvisational methods to use in rehearsal
Even if you’re using a script, improvisation can be a wonderful way of discovering things about it you had not realised before. It’s also a superb way of freeing up actors or breathing new life into a scene that has become stale. Try these exercises:
Taking characters out of context
What happens if you pick up the characters and put them in a different place or time? Improvise in a strange setting like a spaceship or a submarine! Look at Explorative strategies to find out more.
Using verse
Try to improvise while speaking in a rhythm or using rhyme. This can be helped by actors throwing a ball from one to another to change the pace. You might use rhyming couplets or lines that rhyme with each other. This forces the actor to think in a different way and use words that they might not usually consider.
