The Show May Just Go [February 2011]

Past Articles were written for Ludus Ludius Improv.

#3: Improvisation (youth)

The Show May Just Go [February 2011]

Certain change is in the air. Ludus Ludius has an update. What is the news to tell? Theatre funding cuts are forcing many long-time survivors to now struggle. The air is thin and so will peoples hair line. Soon enough the high rocking musical, Hair will have to be called Bald. Still nonetheless after the cast causing audiences lung cancer from smoking onstage I think baldness is the least of the issues there.

Really now, change is most certainly about. We are focusing on less community or theatrical endeavours (if we can let some projects go) and more on youth and applied improvisation. However this means gathering improvisers together for a tighter network and community for performers. Ludus Ludius looks at what we can really do to overcome the depressive period of financial struggle to achieve the most. What I think is to combine minds and utilise everyones skill. If someone can juggle, can we improvise with it? If someone tap dances, of course we can improvise with it. If someone can milk a cow, we can definitely improvise with it. Any route into improvisation is said, a lot, to work better when you are not just a performer. I have once heard a group of scientists that started a group and there was a magnificent quality to the production that occurred. Ludus Ludius are on the search for more youngsters between the ages of eleven and eighteen years of age. In order to make this possible what the youth groups need is appropriate workshopping spaces for training young improvisers. Anyone who is able to help or wants to learn to improvise can get in touch in the usual manner, nathan@ludusludius.co.uk.
However, the show may just go. For most in the industry of culture or entertainment it has been and doubtlessly will be the show must go on. However, with cuts this is mighty troublesome and I think we should change the statement. For sure we can when it comes to the lovely art form of improvisation. We start a show and who knows what can happen. The format may alter as we go along, such as freeing the format that I have workshopped last year with some experienced players. For example, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWBA-AsgNYI. In this clip we see the freedom of the players to improvise with whatever happens. Every poster I try to design for a new show turns out as this at the moment. (But that is the whole reason I began improvising). The show may just go also, because we may have one show, or it could take flight and we have struck the lucky bell of Tokyo and here we come. Either way after funding cuts and sad looks of vast amount of faces we turn to our youth society to seek the improvements. Get the opportunity for spontaneous workings to work and the future can look bright.

To see the bright light of the future that is on display ask your local youth centre to get Ludus Ludius Youth to perform their TV-style improvised comedy production, Shock The Geek. (We are yet to pilot it and test out the games that the humorous blighters play).

Thank you for your attention and don't forget to email anything to nathan@ludusludius.co.uk.