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.
Improvisation is a powerful tool for both exploring and creating a script. To improvise is to simply invent or make it up as you go along. Itâs an excellent way to generate content in the rehearsal room. See where your own imagination and creativity can take you. Improvisation can be divided into two types:
Spontaneous improvisation
All improvisation is spontaneous to a degree, in that itâs not scripted. But this style of improvisation means that there has been no discussion or planning about what that scene may contain. The actors act and react to one another in role and âsee what happensâ. Often really interesting work arises, particularly in rehearsal. Not all of it may be useful or relevant but working in this way can generate ideas and dialogue worth keeping. It forces the actor to think on their feet and often throws up some surprises.
Rehearsed improvisation
This is the next step. Actors have experimented with creating spontaneous work and the best bits have been kept and tidied up to create a piece of work which, although improvised, is planned and polished.