One of the best things I ever learnt in an improv class was to follow the fun. In particular, it's a brilliant lesson for improvising comedy.
Following the fun, to me, is simply being led in a scene by whatever the ‘fun’ thing is - that could be what my scene partner is enjoying, what the audience are laughing at, or the silly imp in your head that says “do it.”
Sure, it could be the game of the scene - but it could also be a flashback edit, a gift, or even bringing back the talking cow from earlier in the show to sing a song about milk.
We’ve all been in scenes, or watched scenes, that have fallen flat from trying to be too clever or from improvisers focusing on doing the 'right' thing. Often, they could be improved by choosing the fun option instead.
There’s no doubt sometimes it can be hard to spot the fun thing and follow it, but there are some techniques that I’ve found over the years to really help:
Put all your attention on your scene partner.
This comes back to one of the fundamentals of improv, listening. If I put all my attention on my scene partner, I take the pressure off myself to be clever or funny and I can start to see what is delighting them. If you’re delighting your scene partner and making them laugh, I can almost guarantee the audience will be delighted too.Sing the song.
A common improv pitfall beginner improvisers make is that they will stand in the way of the ‘fun thing’ happening.
Improviser A: ‘Let’s all sing the song about marshmallows’
Improviser B: ‘No we mustn’t sing we’ll all get in trouble’
Improviser A: ‘Oh it’ll be ok, let’s give it a go’
Improviser B: ‘But I don’t want to, the marshmallow king will banish me’
Now sure, it may be that it goes against improviser B’s character’s morals to sing the song. Improviser B isn’t wrong - but they are standing in the way of the fun. Sing the song - get into trouble with the marshmallow king, see what happens!Listen to the audience.
The audience is enjoying a character? Great! Give them more. The audience is falling to sleep? Edit that scene! It takes just as much practice and skill to listen to one's scene partner as it does listening to an audience, and in my opinion, it is just as important for improv comedy. Think of the audience as another person in your scene, and give them the same attention. Listening to the audience really helps when trying to follow the fun.
Following the fun playing a duck at the 2019 London 50-hour Improvathon. Photo Credit: Claire Billyard
Sometimes following the fun feels risky. There’s a real fear of derailing a scene, being indulgent or letting go of the plan. I would argue that following the fun doesn’t mean ignoring your partner - it often means listening more intently. I’ve found scenes get actually clearer, games emerge without force, and the laughter becomes much more communal, when I follow the fun.
Following the fun is about trusting that the most alive part of the scene already knows where to take you. And more often than not, if you follow it, the whole room will come with you. That’s why it’s still one of the best lessons I’ve ever learnt.
The fun isn’t a distraction; it’s the way forward.