Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

  • Apple
  • Android
  • Windows Phone
  • Android

To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number.

Sorry, there was a problem.

There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Please try again.

Sorry, there was a problem.

List unavailable.
Have one to sell? Sell on Amazon
Flip to back Flip to front
Listen Playing... Paused   You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more
See all 2 images

Improvise.: Scene from the Inside Out Paperback – March 3, 2004

4.7 out of 5 stars 71 customer reviews

See all 2 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions
Price
New from Used from
Paperback
"Please retry"
$11.78 $8.22

There is a newer edition of this item:


Best Books of the Year So Far
Looking for something great to read? Browse our editors' picks for the Best Books of the Year So Far in fiction, nonfiction, mysteries, children's books, and much more.
click to open popover
NO_CONTENT_IN_FEATURE
New York Times best sellers
Browse the New York Times best sellers in popular categories like Fiction, Nonfiction, Picture Books and more. See more

Product Details

  • Paperback: 144 pages
  • Publisher: Heinemann Drama; unknown edition (March 3, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 032500630X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0325006307
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #233,152 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Top Customer Reviews

Format: Paperback
Improv books tend to fall into three categories:
(1) New ideas poorly articulated (Improvisation for the Theatre for example - the bible of improv that is impossible to read cover to cover)
(2) Books that cover old ground in an easy to read way that is effective for someone trying to learn improv (Keith's second book, my own book: The Ultimate Improv Book [hopefully ;>])
(3) Books with 'improv' in the title that are more collections of games or (worse) exercise-teaching plans without any learning outcomes.
This book does not fall into any of those categories. I'm amazed it was published.
It's a book for people who already know improvisation. But Mick argues that the most accepted ways to teach improvisation are not only ineffective, they are COUNTER effective.
And he makes a great argument.
I had already started on the path he lays out (I've no longer teach 'blocking' off the top, instead concentrating on reducing fear and encouraging failure), but I have not gone nearly as far as he suggests (Not teaching blocking ever). It's a bold step and I am going to try it in the next class I teach.
In short, who should buy this book?
(1) If you are already an improviser. You've been trained (somewhere) and are looking for a challenging new way to look at your crafty
(2) You are an instructor who is looking for a new way to teach (not new games, but new principles)
Who should also buy this book:
(1) If you are buying your first improv book.
Read more ›
1 Comment 63 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
Format: Paperback
This is an awesome new addition to the list of improvisation books currently out there. Mick covers new ground with new ideas and new ways to look at traditional improv thought ie Truth in Comedy. It cleared up so much that I found foggy about my formal training and provided me with so much to move forward with. This book is a must for anyone with a desire for quality work. Well done Mick. My thanks.
Comment 9 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
Format: Paperback
This is a great book that will help you improvise and to understand the process. Other great books are Viola Spolin's Improvisation for the Theater (the bible, still), and Michael Gellman's Process. Other books though are always being written, and I'm always on the look out for the next great book. I mention those books though because you can't just take one perspective on improv. It is a very personal process, like any art. You have to find what works for you and what feels true for you and what doesn't-- and that will change over time. There are great things that I gained from this book that have served me well since I read it. I don't agree with everything, but I don't think any book should. I do wish Elaine May would write a book on improv because she came up with "the Kitchen Rules" and subsequently revised and simplified them-- something no one in improv talks about, that she revised them.

Spolin's book is an amazing work that can open your eyes up to things like what it means to be an individual, what "training" is and its flaws, what theater is, and what makes a society cohesive. There is no book that will ever supercede Spolin's book. But, it is not practical. It is best understood after one works with a "Spolin" teacher. Gellman's book is great for someone who is already and improviser. Michael Chekhov's writing is very useful to improvisers, but it isn't about how to improvise. This book really is the best, so far, for anyone looking to dive right in and play without a lot of bulls*** getting in the way. Even if new books wrestle that status away from this book in my opinion, this book will remain the succinct summary of the approach used by the most innovative school of improv since Elaine May came up with her kitchen rules.
Comment 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
This book starts out slowly for the person who has improv experience, but once you're past the basic portion which is very important for beginners, you'll sink your teeth into the games, ideology, and best of all he has some solid suggestions for those who may not have anyone to play Improv with at home. His solitary exercises are top-notch. If you're a serious Improv actor, you'll want this book in your collection.
Comment Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse
Format: Paperback Verified Purchase
Mick Napier claims to not lay out any rules. Not strictly true, but the point holds: thinking about what to do and what not to do won't help you advance a scene. Napier's new rules and explanations should help anyone who's done some improvising, and knows the feeling of a scene never taking off. If you don't know that feeling, I'm not sure that this book will connect.

I found 'Improvise' much more helpful than 'Truth in Comedy' for actual scene work and, as everyone notes, less preachy and self-congratulatory. That's not to say that 'Truth' isn't worth your time, just that if I had to pick only one it's this one.

Also, Napier includes exercises that one person can do on their own, which I found very helpful. These are mainly oriented toward developing mental muscles that allow you to make bigger, quicker leaps in thought, and get comfortable with first thoughts and going with your gut. So, good exercises for just being a human.
Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Sending feedback...
Thank you for your feedback.
Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again
Report abuse

Most Recent Customer Reviews