Follow the Fun

One of the best things I ever learnt in an improv class was to follow the fun. In particular, it was a brilliant lesson for improvising comedy.

Following the fun, to me, is 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, at improv comedy shows that have fallen flat from trying to be too clever or from improvisers focusing on doing the 'right' thing. In those scenarios I would encourage the exploration of following the fun.

There’s no doubt sometimes it can be hard to spot the fun thing and follow it, but there are a few techniques I’ve learnt over the years that have really helped:

1. 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.

   
   

2. Sing the song.

   
   An improv comedy pitfall beginner improvisers can sometimes 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 blocking the fun. Sing the song - get into trouble with the marshmallow king, see what happens!

   
   

3. 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 to listen 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. However, I’ve found scenes actually get 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 is the way forward.