Secret Missions

How a secret mission in improv can help elevate what you do

Hello, and welcome to the new subscribers who signed up this week. I hope you find these random thoughts useful.

Today I’m thinking about two different types of secret missions you can go on in improv. One is big picture and one is more scene-specific.

I’ll start with the scene-based secret mission.

I’ve been in classes where teachers have done this, and it almost always leads to interesting scenes. Similarly, when I’ve done this next exercise in classes, people have really enjoyed it. There’s something about having a secret that people really like. Here’s how it works…

Write down a number of secret missions for players to have in the scenes they are about to do. I prefer to keep these broad human things that you might want from another human. Three examples:

1. You want them to like you

2. You don’t like them but don’t want them to know

3. You want the conversation to be about you and will find subtle ways to steer it back to you

Before the scene starts, show one of the players a secret mission, but do not show it to anyone else. You then take a suggestion as usual and start the scene. The mission is treated as a bit of character information. This is something that informs the character and bleeds into the scene. The trick is not to play it heavy handed or obvious, but to let it be part of that character.

If you want, you can have both players have a secret mission. The key thing is that this mission doesn’t have to be completed and that this isn’t a game that needs to be ‘won’. This is simply a shortcut to a character trait. You can start is fairly subtle and then ramp it up if you want to. Just let it inform your choices in the scene. Ask yourself what would this character do if, for example, they didn’t like the other person but didn’t want them to know (would they over-compensate? Would there be fake smiles?).

After the scenes, the rest of the group in a class enjoys guessing what these missions are. I don’t regard this as part of the exercise as such. It’s a fun extra, but it doesn’t matter whether they guess this correctly or not. The point of the exercise is to give a player a motivating factor in the scene.

In shows I’ll often use this exercise on myself. As I look at my scene partner at the beginning of a scene, I’ll wonder what my character wants to achieve from that interaction. I’ll keep that bubbling away as I play. When I remember / choose to do this, I have a lot of fun - and no one ever knows my mission.

A bigger mission

I’ll often give myself one thing to work on in my improv more generally. One secret mission that I’d like to ‘complete’ over a period of at least a month (often longer). That might be “be more present with your scene partner” or “spend more time on your object work” - anything that I’d like to be better at. I might also take a workshop or read something that helps me with that one thing.

I regularly look outside of improv for help with these missions. While there are incredible improv-specific books, I regularly find anything that analyses film, tv or literature really helpful as well as psychology and body language books depending on what I’d like to be better at on stage.

These missions are also ones I keep secret. I rarely share them unless it might be relevant or useful to a show. These are bigger goals that go beyond a single scene or single show. These missions are also hard to stick to. I sometimes set myself reminders to keep me on track. It’s a bit like going to the gym, it’s hard to be consistent but when you are, you get results.

Do you have missions like these? Let me know if the comments if you do or if this has provoked any particular thoughts.

Photo by David Iskander on Unsplash

Robin Hood International Improv Festival

The joy and fun of Nottingham’s own Robin Hood International Improv Festival returns in September for a fourth year. Over 100 improvisers from all over the world come every year and we want to know what you’d like to see and do at the festival. Fill out our survey and tell us! As artistic directors, me and Liam Webber will read all the responses and use that to help shape this September’s fest.

Shows and Workshops

The new term of improv classes at Nottingham Playhouse starts this week. There are just three spots left on the Core Skills programme for this term. It’s a ten week grounding in improv, and I’ll be teaching the final six weeks of it. You can book on here: https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/project/making-it-up-core-skills/

There are just a couple of spots on the Advanced Skills programme this term, and that is by application only. If you have significant improv experience, you can apply here: https://nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk/project/making-it-up/

I’ve teamed up with improv legend Katy Schutte and improv musician extraordinaire Sam Marshall to teach a Musical Improv Weekender in March - and there are ONLY TWO SPOTS LEFT. Day one is a Skills Camp that will go over some of the foundations of musical improv. Day two delves into specific areas and forms you can use as a musical improviser. You can book for one of the days or for the whole weekender. Interested? Step this way: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/katyschutte/1523636

Have a great week

Lloydie