Society Spotlight: Warwick Improvised Theatre Society

The rules for Warwick Improvised Theatre Society (WITS) are simple: just say yes.

“It’s a great mindset for life”, Adam Smith, this year’s workshop coordinator, says. “Nothing can go wrong with looking at life this way.”

The society is built on this instruction, to always say yes to what prompts are suggested by the audience.

During their workshops, members of WITS take part in short-form games and long-form games. These activities range from a two minute skit where they have to speak in questions only, to an entire theatre performance where the actors are making the scene up as they go along.

Everyone in the society knows that the best way to succeed in Improv is not trying to make yourself stand out, but instead, to make your partner look good. The best improvisers are the most generous ones.

Safia Lamrani, the social secretary, is very happy about that. “In acting, if someone messes up their line on stage, everybody backs away. In improv, we embrace failure, so you can never go wrong.”

She compares her experiences with Mr Bean, saying that he is constantly failing, so the stakes become higher. When he finally succeeds, everybody is on his side. “It’s the same with us. When you do get it right, everyone is cheering with you.”

Apart from their weekly practice sessions, WITS also has their own radio show at RaW fortnightly on Saturdays.

They also perform a couple of times at term, sometimes at the Piazza and sometimes in Leamington.
The WITS family – composed of students from very different academic backgrounds – recently participated in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for the third time this summer.

WITS on their fortnightly radio show. Image: Warwick Improvised Theatre Society

They have also been invited to participate in the first ever Birmingham Improv Festival taking place in October. A group Warwick students will be taking part of a charity show with many other Midlands troops and performing next to headline acts, such as Josie Lawrence from Eastnders.

But are they nervous? Safia doesn’t think so, “because the dea of improvisation is to be nice and say yes, it doesn’t matter that you don’t know anyone.”

Adam agrees. “You can do any show with anyone as long as you are all familiar with improv.”

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