Most of the improv comedy in the world is practised without an audience. Workshops outnumber rehearsals which outnumber shows.
Your audience is very important in an improv comedy show. The audience is what defines an the show, and audience participation is what defines the improv. Pretty obvious.
Things to remember about your audience:
- the audience is brave
- they don’t know what they are going to get
- they are going to be part of the show
- the audience is another improviser
- the audience must be listened to
- the audience must be accepted
- there are NO BAD OFFERS
- there are NO BAD AUDIENCES
- the audience must be committed to
- you will make them look good
- the audience needs respect and support
- the audience deserves to be entertained
- you are there for the audience
- they paid money or time to be there
Keeping the above list in mind will help you put your audience first. Audience first improv is the only kind of improv comedy. Improv comedy is still a young and struggling form (as of 2019) and when you step on stage you are representing it.
Audience Warm-Ups
- Introductions
- Host introduces self and then asks entire audience to introduce themselves simultaneously.
- Name your date
- Everyone call out who they are here with
- Everyone call out who they would rather be her with
- Finger Clapping
- Move from gentle index finger clapping, add more fingers to the clapping until both hands are raucously clapping.
- Shared Low Five
- audience members share a clap with their neighbour. the left hand of one audience member gently slaps into the right hand of their neighbour
- audience members on the end of the aisle can slap themselves in the face
- Linguistic evolution
- Start with a grunt and evolve to a complete sentence.
- The wave
- Coordinate your audience for a flow of raised arms that spreads from one side of the audience to the other.
- The Stomp
- Sometimes clapping isn’t loud enough
- Left vs Right
- Volume challenge between audience right and left.
- Sing loud and proud
- Practise ask fors