Improv, the stage theatre of ensemble improvisation, is sometimes seen but is rarely dissected. Pippa Evans, a longtime master at improv, and more recently a passionate teacher of improvisation, both as a stage discipline, but also for life training purposes, has fashioned a fascinating mix of technical advice and all-purpose life advice. “Improv Your Life: An Improviser’s Guide to Embracing Whatever Life Throws at You” melds her own story and stagecraft lessons and, most relevant of all for me, notions of thinking and acting on your feet in everyday life. As an introvert, I was spellbound by her suggestions on “small steps to practise taking up space” and noticing “whenever you say YES, YES AND or YES BUT,” and the subtle role of status in every human interchange. I’ll never join a stand-up crew riffing off each other on a stage, but I’m enriched by reading about the craft, and enriched by the practical lessons of Improv Your Life.
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