Questions Only - First Timers Edition

Troupe member Ryan Patterson answers some FAQs for first-timers at The Big HOO-HAA!

For the uninitiated, improv shows can seem very alien. I had a friend at uni who was studying music, and whenever he walked past one of the drama classes, he'd remark that it sounded like some strange cult meeting inside: lots of circles and people making strange sounds.

I get it.

What we do is weird.

So let's demystify some of it. Hopefully, by the end of this series, rather than seeming like we're from a death cult, we'll seem more like one of those friendly cults that gives out oranges.

Is improv comedy really made up on the spot?

Almost entirely.

Our introductions usually have a structure, and the games we play have rules. But the scenes, dialogue, characters, and story twists are all created in the moment.

Honestly, it would be far more work to pre-plan and rehearse everything we say, and a lot less fun.

The unpredictability is the whole point. The performers and the audience are discovering the show together in real time.

So while there's a framework underneath the show, the comedy itself is genuinely improvised.

Do you really not have a script?

Really.

Well, except for the game Lines from a Play, where one performer can only use lines from a script. But even then, they won't know what play they're reading from, or which page they'll be handed.

Having a script sounds suspiciously like homework, and pre-prepared bits are never as satisfying as making something up on the spot.

Is every show completely different?

In terms of content, absolutely.

The structure of the show remains largely the same, but everything that happens within that structure is unique to that performance.

The Big HOO-HAA! is a great option for first-time improv audiences because we introduce different styles of improv gradually throughout the night. We typically begin with an elimination rhyming game, followed by two short-form games (one for each team), an improvised musical, a round of one-liners, and we finish with our elimination story game, Cliffhanger.

The short-form games themselves change from week to week because we like to keep things fresh for both the performers and the audience.

Most importantly, the content of the show is fuelled by audience suggestions. The characters, stories, songs, and unexpected twists are all created live in response to the ideas the audience gives us.

We also have a large cast, and every performer brings their own style, strengths, and energy to the stage. Even if we played exactly the same games two weeks in a row, the show would still feel completely different.

We're pretty proud of the variety we bring to the show.

What happens if nobody can think of anything?

It can happen, but it's rare.

Partly because there are usually six players on stage looking out for each other, and partly because we've trained ourselves to think quickly and make associations.

One of the biggest misconceptions about improv is that performers are constantly coming up with brilliant ideas. In reality, we're mostly listening carefully and building on whatever has already been established.

If someone gets stuck, someone else will usually jump in with an offer.

And sometimes the moments where we struggle end up being the funniest parts of the show.

Is it scary stepping onto stage without a script?

For some people, absolutely. For others, a little. And for some, not at all.

It can vary for all sorts of reasons: experience, personality, confidence, and sometimes just what kind of day you're having.

When I first started performing improv, I made plenty of nervous trips to the bathroom before a show. These days, not so much. That's partly because experience has taught me that whatever happens on stage, I'll be okay. (Though if I'm being honest, it may also be because of a digestive issue I should probably get checked out.)

The nerves never disappear completely, but they do change. What once felt like fear now feels more like excitement.

There's an adrenaline rush that comes from stepping onto a stage with no idea what's about to happen and trusting yourself and your teammates to figure it out together.

How do you rehearse improv?

The Big HOO-HAA! trains every week.

We tend to say "training" rather than "rehearsal" because we're building skills rather than practising what we'll do on Friday night.

Every training session looks a little different. Sometimes we focus on creating stronger characters. Sometimes we work on scene work, storytelling, or making songs up on the spot. Sometimes we're learning a new game, and sometimes we're trying to break an old habit.

We play lots of games and exercises designed to help us listen better, respond more quickly, support our teammates, and take bigger creative risks.

It's also where we spend a lot of time laughing with each other.

So while the show itself is improvised, a lot of work goes into developing the skills that make improvisation possible.

What if the Audience Suggestions Are Terrible?

Good one.

It's true that not all suggestions are created equal, but we can usually make almost anything work by making associations.

Take "pineapple", for example. It's a suggestion that comes up a bunch (despite pineapples not being a bunched fruit). On the surface, it might not seem particularly inspiring to players hearing it each week.

A useful improvisation technique is to move beyond the suggestion itself and think about what it connects to.

Where do pineapples exist? How do they make us feel? What memories do they evoke? What strong opinions do people have about them? (Some people would happily go to war rather than accept pineapple on a pizza.)

Maybe the scene takes place on a family holiday. Maybe it's about a guy learning how to play a ukulele. Maybe the character is the physical embodiment of a pineapple: hard and spiky on the outside, sweet on the inside, and completely at home sitting on top of a pizza.

The suggestion is really just the starting point.

That said, there are some suggestions I'll politely decline. If a suggestion is hateful, discriminatory, deliberately offensive, or likely to make the audience uncomfortable for the wrong reasons, it'll usually go into the "Let's get another one" pile.

Fortunately, most audiences want the show to succeed just as much as we do, and they're usually very good at giving us something we can play with.