Improvisation in Rehearsal

"Improvisation can be used as part of the creative process of rehearsing a play. It can be a fabulous tool for exploration and discovery. It can strengthen the actor's commitment to their character. And it can create an environment of confidence and spontaneity"

Packed with useful exercises and improvisation scenarios, and examples from a wide variety of plays, Improvisation in Rehearsal reveals how improvisation enriches and enlivens the creation of characters, back-stories, relationships, shared histories and emotional lives

The book also demonstrates how improvisation can be used as a powerful tool in the foundation of a strong company, and when searching for the hidden depths and dynamics in a scene

Building on his own experience as an actor, director and teacher, Abbott writes with clarity and an infectious enthusiasm which will motivate directors to try the techniques for themselves

As Mark Rylance says in his Foreword, this book "will inspire and delight its readers"

"Essential reading ... full of useful exercises and improvisation scenarios ... Abbott knows what he's talking about and has a gift for expressing himself in straightforward, clutter-free language" ~ The Stage

" ... there is little doubt that Abbott's books will be compulsory reading for many directors and actors long into the future" ~ British Theatre Guide