Character Course with Susan Harrison - What to expect and her favourite exercises.

Caught up with Susan Harrison to find out about her Character Course at Hoopla.

Hi Susan, what can people expect to be doing on your course? 

The character course is a fun and energetic opportunity to improvise numerous characters and to explore the various routes in to characterisation. Students will be on their feet a lot, improvising, having fun with different characters and being pushed as far away from being themselves as possible! 

What are your favourite character exercises? 

1) Royal Status Game. This is a Keith Johnstone classic in which a high-status king/queen is alone on stage and servants come and tend to him/her. If they annoy the Royal person in any way, he/she clicks their fingers and the servant dies. I love this exercise because it forces people to play boldly. Often people think they are playing low status but you can always go lower! And the same can be said of a high-status character. Also, this game encourages making a choice rather than being polite and importantly it’s very, very funny to watch. 

2) Hot-seating. I love hot-seating characters. Whatever the inspiration of the character, it’s fun to try and draw them out of the improviser through an interview. It’s great practice for the performer to stay in character for a sustained amount of time and it’s a great one for spontaneity. 

3) Peas in a Pod. There are numerous variations of this but essentially the improvisers are all playing versions of the same person. I LOVE this exercise because when it goes well it proves the power of agreement. It’s especially great for beginners who may be tempted to go for conflict as a default, as it demonstrates how funny a scene can be when there is no conflict present. Also, it’s great for observing each other. Often on stage, we think we’re listening or we think we are observing but you can always listen and look more closely. 

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Susan's next courses at Hoopla are starting in September.   Susan performs regularly on the Hoopla stage with BEINGS, The Playground, The Actor's Nightmare and her EdFringe show 'Susan Harrison Is A Bit Weepy'.   She is also part of the Olivier award-winning Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, performing on the West End and their international tours. www.hooplaimpro.com 

Hoopla Teacher Susan Harrison shares her improv story.

What got you into improv in the first place?

I originally trained as an Actor and the improvisation part of our training was the best 10 weeks of my three years at Drama School. Maybe not for everyone in the year, but certainly for me! So I'd always loved improvising but had no idea that the Improv scene existed or that Improv was an art form in its own right. Some time after leaving drama school I was doing a course in "Improvisation for the Solo performer" run by Improv hip hop legend Rob Broderick. At that time I was doing it to help me improve my audience interaction, for the purposes of doing character comedy at stand up nights. But while doing that course, Rob recommended Monkeytoast Improv classes, all of which I took and I've been obsessed ever since. I was thrilled to accidentally discover that there was a thriving improv scene right here in the UK, under my nose and that there was so much variety within it.

What makes a good improviser?

Someone who listens and is interested in other people. It's not about being the quickest, the loudest or the funniest. Kind people make good improvisers. Dickheads need not apply! Great improvisers tend to be open, playful, responsive and un-controlling.

What’s your favourite exercise and why?

I'm a fan of the game "I'm a Whisk" because it's a lighthearted, low pressure way of freeing up the locks on your brain. It encourages you to support each other, to make offers and also to make connections and associations but not in intellectual, stressful way. Also it's funny.

Who are your favourite improv acts?

There are so many brilliant players that I enjoy watching. Specific Individuals like Alex Fradera, Amy Cooke-Hodgson, Heather Urquhart (to name but a few) are all rather dreamy to watch and play with! In terms of improv Acts, again there are loads, but I particularly enjoy Breaking and Entering, The RH Experience and Abandoman. Oh and can I say The Pioneers?! They're a team I coach so I am 100% biased...but they are genuinely excellent. They support each other so well and continue to make me laugh no matter how often I watch them. As for international groups I really rate TJ and Dave, The Sufferettes and Parallelogramophonograph, all of whom have their own unique style and improv "voice". Also, when I was in Canada with Showstoppers this year I had the pleasure of watching Adam and Rob (Adam Cawley and Rob Norman) who are another great improv duo. Their character work is committed and fun, they embody the space really well and the night I saw them they improvised such a joyful plot twist that the audience audibly gasped! It's great to see acts from outside the UK, otherwise you can get too stuck in the idea that there's only one way of doing things.

What does improv training help you with in the real world?

Everything! It helps you to listen, to connect with people and to know how to be chatty when it seems as if all chat has gone. It helps you to relax, to take a break from the stresses of life, to have fun, to worry less about yourself and to care about other people, even if, at first, that's only for the duration of a scene.

What advice would you give to people wanting to get into improv?

Do it! Book a course and see what happens. You do not have to be clever or funny. I repeat, you do not have to be clever or funny. Give it a go! You won't regret it.

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Susan teaches the Beginners and Performance courses as well as Character workshops. www.hooplaimpro.com

If you would like to see her perform check out Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, BEINGS, The Actor's Nightmare and her solo show Susan Harrison Is A Bit Weepy. 

Meet Hoopla Teacher Andrew Gentilli

Hi Andrew, what got you into improv in the first place?

I trained as an actor and always found the improvised scenes to be more alive, and improv exercises left more room for creative play and silliness - which is closer to my sensibilities. So once I finished the course I went hunting for improv meet-ups online and the breadcrumb trail led me to Hoopla.

What do you think makes a good improviser?

Someone who listens intently and is always ready to yield, but strong and committed when making offers. Above all, they make sure they're having fun - which is what it feels like when you're creatively free.

What’s your favourite exercise and why?

'You Look, You Seem'. It crystallises the notion that The Scene Is In The Eyes Of Your Partner. You are constantly making endowments based on close observation of your scene partner, they in turn run with your endowments to generate more content for you, do this for a few minutes then switch. It's very simple and very easy but becomes a two-person treadmill of incredible creativity and energy which seemingly takes off on its own. Afterwards, you're a bit 'what just happened?' while the class has just witnessed a wonderfully bizarre but emotionally truthful rollercoaster.

Who are your favourite improv acts?

Parallelogramophonograph, Dummy, The Improvised Shakespeare Company.

What does improv training help you within the real world?

It builds muscles of trusting your intuition, confidence on the fly, and never getting too precious. It frees you from your own head!

What advice would you give to people wanting to get into improv?

Trust that intuition. Jump in. It taps into a deep need we have to live in the moment and create, free from judgement. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't massively benefit from improv.


Thanks Andrew!  See you at Hoopla @ The Miller soon :D 

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Andrew can be seen performing in Music Box & Beings. He teaches the Beginners and Performance courses at Hoopla.  www.hooplaimpro.com