Blah Blah Blah Improv is abetting adults living near the Queensland-New South Wales border to be in the moment and have fun, just as when they were kids with no inhibitions.
The comedy improvisation group are re-teaching adults important life skills they may have forgotten—such as how to have fun while embracing failure, running with the first instinct, connecting with others—through a niche style of performance art.
According to founder and teacher Mandy Plumb, people often lose their sense of fun when they grow up.
“Something happens when you become a ‘responsible’ adult: you forget how to have fun, you stop being in the moment, you get in your head and overthink everything, and these things steal your joy and enhance stress levels.
“Our teachers have been helping Brisbane adults for years to have fun, and make themselves and others laugh through improv.
“Our participants have fun learning how to make up short comedy sketches on the spot and they also get to play some of the hilarious theatresports-style games made famous by the hit improv show Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Plumb said.
“The improv techniques we teach help increase communication, self-awareness, and skills, which can enhance other areas of your life.
“For example, learning and performing improv has helped me to be better at accepting and working with other people’s ideas at work,” Plumb added.
Plumb believes where there is a supportive and inclusive community, people feel safe to play like children.
“It doesn’t matter if participants have previously performed or not, because we create an environment in our classroom that feels safe and is loads of fun!" Plumb said.
“Some students learn improv to become better at auditions or stand-up comedy, while most wanted to learn improv to apply the techniques socially or at work, or just to experience the joy of performing through a fun new hobby.
“The best thing about improv is there is no pre-planning or scripts, so you have to get out of your head, be in the moment, and have fun.
Blah Blah Blah Improv’s courses occur on Sunday afternoon in Coolangatta and Tuesday night in Helensvale on the Gold Coast.
