Improvisational comedy involves unscripted performances that are created spontaneously by performers in response to each other and audience suggestions. It cultivates creativity and supports learning by removing barriers between participants and stimulating open communication, memorable experiences, and self-expression. Workshops use improv games and activities to impart skills and concepts through active participation, with learning taking place both consciously and unconsciously. Participants develop empowerment, teamwork, and enhanced thinking in a fun, safe environment.

1. (ve)
The Basics

2. Contents
1. Defining Improvisational Comedy
2. Why Improvisational Comedy Supports Effective Learning & Development
3. How Improvisational Comedy Is Utilised In Learning & Development
4. Summary

3. 1. Defining Improvisational Comedy
Improvisational comedy, also termed in an abbreviated format as Impro or Improv, is
comedy that is performed with a little to no predetermination of subject matter and
structure. The performers discover their lines and actions spontaneously, typically
following a general theme and format, often in response to audience suggestions.
Improvisational comedy is a form of Improvisational Theater and is inherently similar
in its basic method of performance to that of Improvisational Music, or ‘Jazz.’
A mixture of what psychologists refer to as ‘Logical Left Brain’ and ‘Relaxed Right
Brian’ thinking, this ‘Theatre Sport’ as it is known in North America, requires the
participants to generate something from nothing; pure and unadulterated creativity!
This is because Impro is:
Unplanned
Unscripted
Unrehearsed
Also, there is:
No scenery
No props
No costumes
Therefore the participants have to
mime and provide specific
dialogue to provide an impression
of ‘who, where and what’ is going
on.
Impro generates a vibrant ‘Edge of Chaos’ environment; just a basic framework of
a few rules and etiquette is what retains a sense of order and direction.
Participants create ‘reality’ through their highly individual imaginative thought, speech
and action, yet still retain and develop ‘a shared vision’ with their fellow participants
through activity that is:
Visual
Verbal
Physical
“I have to say I had no idea what we were letting ourselves in for before you
arrived, but any doubts were immediately forgotten when you got into your stride
and we started 'cutting our shapes’. It was great couple of days and well done
for pulling it off!”
Tom Galvin, Commercial Director, Glanbia Nutritionals

4. 2. Why Improvisational Comedy Supports Effective Learning & Development
Keith Johnstone, a professor emeritus at the University of Calgary, is the person
regarded as the initiator of Impro within learning and development programmes
during the early 1960’s. Broadly, he saw the huge value Impro injected into the
training and education process through its inherent ability to naturally:
Generate Humorous, memorable ‘Action Learning’
Remove cultural and hierarchical ‘Barriers’ Between Participants
Stimulate creativity
Invoke positive interpersonal communication
Absorb people in child-like fascination
Provide thought for Reflection
Promote Self-expression
Inspire and energise participants
Appeal to all the various learning styles
In short, Keith Johnstone appreciated that an ‘Improvised induced learning
environment’ is ideal because it nurtures thought, speech and action that is:
Open
Trusting
Supportive
On another, and probably more significant
level, the key value of using Improvisation in
Learning and Development is that it enables
Generative Learning; the process of
constructing links between new and old
knowledge, or a personal understanding how
new ideas fit into an individual's web of known
concepts.
Generative Learning is renowned for its
powerful ability to make the process of
acquiring new skills and knowledge a highly
individual, memorable and satisfying
experience.

5. 3. How Improvisational Comedy Is Utilised In Learning & Development
The Room
The backdrop to a session utilising Improvisation workshop games and activities is
hall marked by its informal and welcoming ambience. The workspace will have been
set up in with three key aspects in mind:
1) Maximise clear, physical space, with furniture and fittings moved to the boundary
of the room
2) Seating arranged in an arc
3) On entering it feels bright, airy with an even temperature
‘Break out space’, separate rooms or communal areas, are ideal for the participants
to move into when given session related tasks, either in couples or groups.
With the addition of background music, an energetic and dynamic ambience that is
conducive to exploring and understanding a subject or skill being studied, in both
practical and educational terms, is created.
The Participants
Optimal workshop numbers are a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 30
Age, role and level of seniority are of no significance
National and cultural differences are to be encouraged
An even mix of Gender is preferred
Any form of diversity will have a positive effect
Basically if any person wishes to actively engage in the workshop they can.
The Games and Activities
There are some 50+ games and activities that are in common use across the USA,
the UK and parts of northern Europe; there are hundreds more that have been
devised by practitioners on the back of those through their own individual adaptation.
The Workshop Facilitator plans a pre-determined and specific sequence, choice
and enactment of the activities within a session, thus ensuring the participants are
appropriately:
a) Physically and mentally ‘warmed up’
b) Comfortable and confident to ‘perform’ to one another
c) Attain the level of expertise required
Primarily the games and activities can be directly related to the skill, knowledge or
concept the Facilitator is trying to impart to the participants. However, predominantly
they are used as a representation, or as a metaphor.

6. Academically the games and activities are a Reperception. Subsequently the
majority of the learning is taken in unconsciously.
On another level, the use of such games and activities support and assist the
development of empowerment specifically and modern day ‘Best Practise’
management in general. This is because it is the desired ‘Outcome’ that is highly
detailed and specified, not the route taken to get there, i.e. “I’ll tell you what is
needed, you decide how it will be achieved.”
Impro is highly flexible and adaptable, in that the
games and activities can be used holistically for the
3 key phases of workshop Tasks and Exercises:
1) Preparation
2) Undertaking
3) Reflecting upon
Impro is the very embodiment of teamwork, as it
requires rapport building for it to be initiated.
Hence the activities and games are enacted as:
A Circle
In pairs
In small groups
The games and activities, like Impro itself, revolve around the Visual, verbal and
physical. Hence within an Improvised Learning and Development Workshop
participants enjoy the acquisition of knowledge and skills through:
Acting
Dancing
Drawing
Mime
Singing
Writing
In essence, participants get to experience the subject under scrutiny and reflect upon
it afterwards. This is when the highly effective Generative Learning process kicks in
and participants have Eureka moments as they happily exclaim, “Oh yeah! That's
just like..."
Their minds will have actively constructed their own individual interpretations of the
information relayed through Improvisation and happily drawn memorable inferences
from them, so that they can easily relate to them.
All in all, a most efficient and enjoyable way to learn.
“I found the workshop of great value, learning much in a safe,
comfortable and fun environment.”
Lorna-Ann Vernon, Bank of Scotland

7. 4. Summary
As can be seen from the images and ‘Quotes’
featured within this brief document that recount some
of the work and action produced at Improvised
Learning and Development Workshops, they are a
highly energised and interactive learning
experience.
Regardless of the subject or skill that is the focal
point of the workshop, participants will reflect upon
the following positive outcomes:
A fun and extremely enjoyable way to learn
Stimulated free, and more imaginative, thinking
Provoked curiosity to continue developing the
skill / knowledge
Enhanced their mental agility
Unleashed confidence in their creative ability
Reengaged them with playful endeavor
Attendees are drawn out of their individual comfort zones to reach a new and
higher level of personal and organisational confidence and maturity. They will also
have been inspired, motivated and entertained throughout the workshop.
Facilitators who use Improvisation are passionate about their craft and firmly believe
that humour should not just be tolerated, but more importantly encouraged within
learning and development. Hence, the significance of the quote from the great writer
and raconteur, Peter Ustinov:
“Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious…”
“Your support, passion, inspiration helped breathe life into the course and
it was one of the most positive learning experiences I have ever had.”
Bláithín Keating, Pepsico

8. For information on the Mace Group in General and Elvin Box in particular:
Elvin Box MBA (Open) MCIOB FFB
Associate Director, Mace Ltd.
155 Moorgate
London
EC2M 6XB
England
T +44 (0) 20 3522 3000
M +44(0) 7717 857107
E Elvin.Box@macegroup.com
W www.macegroup.com
Twitter @MaceGroup @ElvinBox