Today's guest blogger is a long-time Impro Melbourne ensemble member and teacher Rik Brown.

"BLOCK BLOCK"

"Who's there?"

"NO-ONE".

"Wha.."

"AND THERE'S NO DOOR, AND YOU'RE NOT HERE AND THIS CONVERSATION ISNT HAPPENING"

*smoke bomb*

This kind of destructive blocking is incredibly hard to build a workable narrative from, but thankfully it is rarely this extreme. Most improvisers who have had even basic skills training understand the concept of accepting each others ideas and trying to build on them. [A concept I call "I agree, here is something to add to that". If anyone can think of a catchier way to express this I would love to hear it]. As a result most blocking that comes into our work is still grounded in the narrative or relationship, rather than an attempt to destroy it, which usually makes it easier to work with. Don't even think of them as Blocks, think of them as Extreme Offers.

I have been improvising for over 20 years and..

NO YOU HAVEN'T

Well I've certainly read books written by improvisers with combined experience well in excess of 20 years....

YOU CAN'T READ

...and those audiobooks I listened to certainly inspired me to see every block as an offer.

YOU DON'T THINK THAT

True. I don't just think it, I BELIEVE it. And belief is the key. If you believe in the scene, the relationship, the moment, it is very hard to derail. 

THAT'S A TERRIBLE SLOGAN

Never underestimate the momentum of belief?

MOMENTUM'S NOT EVEN A REAL THING

Never underestimate my belief in momentum! Look the point is, offers only become blocks if we are unable to use them. Challenge yourself to find the momentum in every offer that comes your way even if you don't see the clear path forward straight away.

BLOCK BLOCK

Who's there?

NO-ONE

Hi No-one, I'm Dad.

And that was my Ted Talk " Every Dad-Joke is an Offer"

Thank You.