There have been times in my life when I’ve drunk far too much wine, smoked far too many cigarettes and munched through far too many giant bags of Revels. I can proudly say I’m now over these habits. I can also proudly say I’ve whittled my addictions down to a number I can count on the fingers of just one hand, and only half of these – lattes and Facebook – are ones I need to kick into touch. The other two, I have no intention of ever giving up, ever – and they are yoga and improv.
Given the blog we’re on, you won’t be hearing about the benefits of the downward dog, the tree and the plough from me. Although, let’s say that for a reformed hedonist seeking more natural highs, both yoga and improv fill the gap my previous less-than-healthy pursuits have left behind.
Until volunteering to write this blog, I’d never actually sat down and pondered why I get my kicks from improv. But now I have, and I’m ready to propound a thorough, evidence-based, peer-reviewed hypothesis. Well, I’ve just done a bit of googling about laughing. And, according to a random website I’ve found, “laughter can help release endorphins and may also reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol.” So that’s the science bit, which I’m sure any boffin reading this will corroborate. But who needs a dork in a lab coat to prove that laughing makes you feel good?
Although cracking up at the buffoonery of fellow improvisers can be habit forming, it’s not just the passive act of laughter that’s got me hooked. If it was just laughter I was after, I could plonk myself down in front of an episode of Mrs Brown’s Boys – although it’s open to debate whether I’d find it there. So, what is it then if it isn’t laughter alone? It’s stepping into the unknown, standing before an audience but having no clue what happens next. It’s like bungee jumping or sky diving – an extreme sport without the risk of actual death. And the thrill, the exhilaration, comes in the moment you and your fellow players start ‘freefalling’ into the scene – characters pop out of nowhere, a situation, a story, a game emerges – and when it all comes together and gives the audience pleasure, it’s the best feeling in the world – it’s the kind of buzz you’ll never get from chocolate confectionery with assorted centres.
Being around improv people is pretty addictive too. The fun, the laughter and the supportive mind set inevitably spill over into the social stuff. So two hours of workshops is often followed by more hilarity socialising after. You get asked questions like, “If you had a magic wand, what one thing would you wish for?” My response was the ability to eat, drink and consume anything I wanted and never have any ill health effects. Once a hedonist, always a hedonist, I guess. So thank god I’ve found a healthy way to get my kicks – improv might just be keeping me alive!
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