The Improvisation Game: Discovering the Secrets of Spontaneous Performance

A fascinating investigation into the wellsprings of improvisation in theatre, dance and music, from the author of the influential House of Games.

Packed with exercises and practical techniques, The Improvisation Game explores how improvisation can be used both to create performance and as an end in itself.

It reveals the techniques, structures and methods used by key practitioners in the field of improvised drama, music and dance - amongst them Keith Johnstone (author of Impro), Max Stafford-Clark (Out of Joint), Phelim McDermott (Improbable Theatre), Tim Etchells (Forced Entertainment), John Wright (Trestle, Told by an Idiot) and Robert Lepage.

The book also looks at many famous traditions, events and performances with improvisation at their core, ranging from the Living Theatre to the Scratch Orchestra, from John Cage to Lenny Bruce, and seeks to draw out their significance in the always evolving world of improvisation.

‘essential reading… a source of inspiration and a great toolbook for budding devised theatre makers’
- Total Theatre Magazine

‘a vital book for everyone who wishes to engage seriously with drama improvisation - it’s changed my way of thinking’
- ReviewsGate.com

‘offers a wealth of possibilities and pieces of good advice… valuable for beginners and experienced improvisers, as well as for teachers’
- Contemporary Theatre Review