IMPROV your life

You don't have to be an actor or a comedian to try an improv workshop. Yvonne Martin took the plunge and discovered some valuable life lessons

- Tom Young and Emma Hackett

Would you ever (in a million years) put yourself in the position of performing an improvised dramatic or comic scene in front of other people? No preparation, no time to plan, a completely spontaneous creation?

There are plenty of folk who thrive on this kind of thing, and even if you're a bit of an introvert like me, or you think that putting yourself in that situation will bring nothing but unnecessary anxiety, it's worth considering. Counter-intuitively, taking part in an improv workshop could ultimately help you to feel less anxious.

It could also lead you to some interesting and life-affirming revelations, and perhaps make you a little braver in the process.

I had been thinking about doing an improv workshop for some time when I first gave it a go. I'd heard that it was all about saying yes to what's going on, which sounded positive. Plus I thought it might be fun - and I wanted to do something to push myself out of my comfort zone. So I decided to take the plunge.

Even as I drove to the venue, I was thinking about turning around and going straight back home - but I didn't. I turned up for the session and had one of the most fun nights out I'd had in ages.

There were a variety of games and exercises, encouraging such skills as giving full attention and seeing the wider picture, rather than just your place in a scene - both useful perspectives outside of the workshop.

Throughout the evening, I laughed a lot, tickled by people's ingenuity and sense of fun, and I came away feeling rather proud of myself for throwing myself into it. In fact, I liked it so much, I went back the next week.

The week after that, however, it was cancelled, as we were about to go into the first lockdown of the pandemic. And, so, that was the end of that.