So your friend is an improviser?
So your friend, family member or new partner is an improviser. It’s okay, more people than ever are doing it.
It can be a confusing time: hard to know what to say or how best to support them. That’s fine. We’re all learning (For example, they just finished Level 3 Scenework and Intro to the Harold). You finding out is a sign that they trust you and feel they can be their full selves. Well done on being a great pal.
Try not to ask them how their stand-up is going. You’ve basically just asked a Scottish person how it feels to be English. They’ll grimace, while a little piece of them dies inside. They probably won’t correct you immediately, as it’s too awkward. They’ll speak around what they do for a bit until it becomes clear that they don’t prepare jokes, they’re never on stage on their own, and it’s really fun.
Take an actual interest in what they do. Ask them questions about improv and how it’s different to stand-up and sketch comedy. Ask them what they like about it, and how it’s improved their life. You probably wonder how a contortionist, singer or magician trains? Wonder how your improviser friend trains too. They’ll love to tell you.
You’ve heard of Whose Line Is It Anyway and you liked it. Great! That’s what they do. Kind of. It’s a bit more complicated than that. You are totally free to check-out of the conversation if they get into the nuanced differences between long-form and short-form improv comedy.
It’s kind of you to think that they’re so brave to step out there not knowing what to say, and that you could never do that. They do get nervous. But nervous feels the same as excited, and besides, it’s really not that brave. You’re a paramedic. You don’t have a script for that and it’s actually brave. They really respect and love you for it.
Also, you could do improv. Take a taster class! Even if you hate it, you’re supporting the artform and you’ll forever understand it better than all their other friends. Loads of places offer supportive drop-in classes and you’ll either never have to see your classmates again, or you’ll meet a bunch of new people. Win-win.
It isn’t actually a cult, but it is cult-like. They can laugh about this too, once they’ve paid off their course fees. Since it’s so cult-like, they’re going to make new best friends and they’re going to spend a lot of time with them. It’s quite an intense bonding experience to be constantly put in a flight or fight place with people on stage. Try not to feel replaced. They still need relationships with people outside improv (Otherwise what will they improvise about?!).
On that note, work colleagues: No, this isn’t ‘something they can use in their skits’. They don’t ‘get loads of material here’. This is the strategy department of a large insurance firm. With apologies to whoever organises the AGM, this year’s policy document update is not really something you can put in front of an audience. It’s harder to remember a script to just react in the moment, so they won’t be repeating what you said in that email to Will in Compliance.
They are really, really sorry they missed your child’s christening / the first part of your birthday party / your BBQ last Sunday. But they had a once in a lifetime chance to learn game of the scene with esteemed teacher Len Lee from the Illinois Laughter Loft. You’ll never understand. That’s alright. But know that they do feel bad about it. They’ll make an extra effort for your wedding. They can get the class notes off their teammate anyway.
They probably do want to be famous a little bit. Encourage them that they’re talented and being passionate about something is its own reward.
Show up to shows even when they don’t invite you. Surprise them that you’ve been thoughtful and found out when they’re doing one (don’t make them beg!). They’ll feel a bit embarrassed that they didn’t know you were coming, but they didn’t know in advance so they couldn’t get nervous. They’ll genuinely really appreciate it. You’ll get so many friend points.
You already came to their class graduation show? Great, you’re a fantastic, supportive person. They were really bad at improv then, and surrounded by newbies at the same level. Now your friend is really good. They’re one of the professionals and surrounded by the best humans in the world at this skill. You don’t have to pretend to be impressed and entertained for this one, you actually will be.
Tell your other friends the show is good. Building a following starts with friends, then friends of friends, then the friends of those friends of friends count as actual people. Like any comedy show, it’ll probably sound really naff to explain to others exactly what happened. So just relay that you had the best time and it’s nowhere near as cringe as they think.
That’s all there is to it. Because you’re a good person, you’re keen to know more about this thing your friend has discovered. You like them and they like improv, so it’s probably a pretty cool thing despite its reputation for being a wacky student hobby. You don’t have to love it as much as they do (unhealthily). The best way to be supportive is just to be curious.
