Want to get a great discussion going among a group of improvisers? Bring up tag-outs, because oh boy do folks have opinions. Some of those opinions are detailed below, and I’m keen on hearing yours too.
I’ve never been wild about tag-outs, in part because I like my improv a little more theatrical and I have always figured that they can be confusing for audiences. I won’t over elaborate on that as Will Hines has done a great job of that in this post from 2023
However, while tag-outs seem to me like an “improv thing”, I’m also of the mind that it’s ok for improv to have its own things. There are things in other art forms that are mainly / exclusively used by that art form and people catch on. That does, however, mean that tags need to be thought about a little bit more than the average move in improv. The “what”, “why”, “how” and “when” can really benefit from a little extra thought.
Here are various thoughts I’ve had.
What can we do in a tag-out?
I have one question I ask myself if I’m considering a tag-out “where would it be fun to see this person?”. Having an idea where their behaviour might play out in an interesting way is one of the main criteria I give myself. So when a tag-out happens, we get to take the audience somewhere new so they can see that character there. Where would it be fun to see them and their personality traits? At home? With friends? In their workplace? On a plane? In a queue for something? On their birthday?
Make it about the scene, not yourself (Why)
Last week, I heard an improviser say “tag-outs are mainly used by improvisers who want everyone to know how funny they are” (or something similar). I think we have all improvised with the person who over-uses tag-outs. They will cut into a perfectly good scene just to do a bit in the hope that they can go on, be funny, trade off all the good work done on stage by the main players in the scene, and then get tagged back out again. One way of coping with this sort of player is to glue their Converse to the side of the stage, thus making it harder for them to do tag-outs.
If you are thinking about the scene first, your tag-out really needs build on something significant when you come on. If the scene is going well and we are building something great, do we need you? Is the bit you are bringing really going to help? It could do. If there is a great character game that the two players haven’t quite solidified then your move could be a useful “tag-in, solidify game, tag out” scenario. Good for you. Go do it. If you just want to do a funny bit based on something less integral to the scene, maybe glue yourself to the side of the stage.
Play past the whistle (How)
Credit to this goes to Chicago improviser Bill Arnett who coined this in a class I took with him in 2019. In sports, “Play past the whistle" means to continue playing until the referee actually blows the whistle to signal the end of play, rather than stopping early based on a perceived foul or other stoppage. It emphasises the importance of waiting for the official's signal before ceasing play. I think this mentality is really helpful in stopping the sort of tag-outs I mentioned above. If you come in expecting to do your funny line and then get tagged out, don’t come on at all. If you feel like you could play on without someone immediately tagging you out then do your tag-out. Knowing you could do a whole scene after your tag if you really needed to, implies you probably have a strong tag-out. It suggests you get what the whole scene or show is about rather than just having a really cool ‘bit’ to do. This is especially relevant early on in a form. Later in a form you may want to dispense with this rule (as I’ll detail below).
Hold back until the show is established (When)
This works on two levels. Firstly, for audiences who don’t know improv well, tag-outs can seem unfamiliar and jarring sometimes. Bringing in tags early in a show, before the audience are fully invested, can be risky.
The other reason to hold back is to let the characters and scenes solidify what the show is about first. We do this in The Secret Show in Nottingham. In the show we use three personal secrets / confessions that audience members have written anonymously onto pieces of paper. After drawing the first secret we do several scenes that have zero tag-outs. We draw a second secret and do at least two scenes without tag-outs, and a couple where tag-outs are in play. After the third secret is read out, tag-outs can be used at any time.
The Secret Show, like many long-form pieces, starts at a slower pace and speeds up as it goes along. The tag-outs can really help build the show to a crescendo. Generally they heighten games the audience is already familiar with, with characters or scenarios that have been seen earlier, so they are easier to follow for an audience than tags being introduced early.
So there you have it, some thoughts on tags. I’m certain you will have your own too, so please do share them in the comments.
Shows and Workshops
Nottingham:
The Robin Hood International Improv Festival comes to Nottingham for a fourth year in September and several of the workshops are now sold out. Thankfully, there are some great ones you can still grab a place on. If you’re coming to Nottingham in September, it’s worth booking soon. See more HERE
London:
I’m performing “Brand New Musical” an improvised Sondheim show with Katy Schutte, and Sam Marshall on keys - this Saturday. Tickets available HERE.
See me and Liam Webber take to the stage as The Clones to do an improvised two-person play on Wednesday 30th July at Theatre Deli. You may laugh, you may cry, you may experience other emotions too. All I know is, it’s a very fun show. Tickets on sale shortly.
Have a great week,
Lloydie