Learn Improv Comedy From These 4 Books
I’m going to say something that won’t surprise you: the best way to learn improv is to take a class.
Recapture this feeling with an improv class.
But if a class isn’t available to you right now, or you are taking classes and want to supplement your learning, books are a relatively inexpensive, low-stress way to learn more about the most exciting form of comedy (I’ve been doing improv since I was 13… I’m very biased).
Pick up any of these four improv books and watch your comedy improve.
Who should read improv books?
I think everybody should read improv books and take improv classes, but like I said, I’m brainwashed at this point.
You will benefit from reading improv comedy books the most if you are:
If I saw someone doing this irl, I might cry. But it’s a cute metaphor.
Brand new to improv, and you prefer to have some background in a thing before jumping into it.
Trying to teach or lead your own improv troupe.
An experienced improviser who is stuck in a rut or not sure how to improve.
If any of these three situations match yours, you should definitely pick up an improv comedy book.
The Best Improv Comedy Books
These are, in my humble opinion and over a decade of experience, the best books to learn improv comedy from.
I have sorted them here by level of expertise. If you’re more of a beginner, you should start with one of the books at the top of the list. Lower down, you’ll find books that are perfect for the experienced improviser.
All of these books are potentially life-changing, so crack them open and get ready to help your audience crack a smile!
The Improv Handbook: The Ultimate Guide to Improvising in Comedy, Theatre, and Beyond
By Deborah Frances-White and Tom Salinsky.
This is the book I started with, and it changed my life. For the better, in case that wasn’t clear.
I’m using the Amazon link so you can read the description, but I recommend shopping around for a less expensive, used copy.
The Improv Handbook delivers on its promise to be an “ultimate” guide. It comes with well-organized lessons and exercises that make you feel as if the authors are in the room with you, helping you along.
You can grab this book and teach from it. It’s already organized in a way that makes sense as a class. This makes things incredibly simple if you’re trying to teach your own class, or if you’re trying to teach yourself a bit before you jump into an intro improv class.
This book also includes helpful sections on the history of improv and how to run your own improv theater.
Another reason why this book is so awesome
One thing I like about this book is that the authors are not American. They teach and perform improv in the UK, along with doing a number of other fantastic projects.
They currently run The Spontaneity Shop, which provides courses in Personal Impact, Storytelling, and Presentation to corporate teams and individuals.
This means they have an improv philosophy that is not tied to the USA’s Big Three comedy schools (UCB, Groundlings, and Second City). Expanding your improv philosophy by learning outside of any particular dogma can only help you improve. I believe that starting with a non-US book gave me an open mind when I did encounter these other programs.
This means this book is also valuable for more experienced improvisers. While you may have come across the concepts in the book, it’s likely you haven’t heard them explained exactly this way, and the new explanations may unlock things for you that you didn’t understand before.
Who should read The Improv Handbook?
Besides the unhelpful but true answer (everyone), the following people would really benefit from The Improv Handbook.
Beginners who are nervous and learn better if they can read about the topic.
Improvisers who want to start teaching.
Experienced US improvisers who need a different perspective.
If any of this applies to you, pick this book up today. It’ll make your improv journey much smoother.
Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual
By Matt Walsh, Ian Roberts, and Matt Besser.
Here is the Amazon link so you can read the description and reviews, but I recommend shopping around for a less expensive, used copy.
This book is another great place to start your improv journey. It is essentially Improv 101 and 102 as taught by UCB.
The book is organized sensibly, starting with the basics of a scene and getting more complicated as the book goes on.
I once participated in a college improv troupe that took turns teaching lessons from the book. Even those with little improv experience could effectively lead a class thanks to the clarity and specificity of the UCB manual.
Great for Sketch Writing
One of the reasons I loved this book is that it also doubles as an intro to sketch comedy writing.
The way UCB teaches improv will also help you come up with sketch ideas and structure your sketches in a way that is most satisfying for your audience.
Because of this, UCB’s improv comedy manual is also a must-read for sketch comedy writers.
What is the Upright Citizen’s Brigade?
UCB is one of the “Big Three” comedy schools in the US. They offer in-person (NYC and LA) and online classes in improv, sketch comedy, and standup. They sometimes also offer clown or more experimental styles of comedy.
UCB has a pretty big reputation in the comedy world. Amy Poehler was one of the founders, along with the authors of the book. Tina Fey, Aubrey Plaza, Kate McKinnon, and many more famous comedians all trained at UCB.
They’re considered a path to Saturday Night Live. If your goal is to perform on SNL, it’s generally advised that you take classes at UCB, The Groundlings, or Second City. A lot of people will try all three.
UCB has this comedy cred for a reason. They have a clear comedy philosophy that works.
The honest reason this book isn’t my favorite
UCB has a fairly strict theory of comedy that focuses heavily on one concept: Game.
The “game” of a sketch is the pattern that makes it funny. For example, in Monty Python’s “The Cheese Shop,” the game is that there is no cheese. No matter what kind of cheese the customer asks for, the shop doesn’t have it.
Absolutely none of this, unfortunately. I love the Cheese Shop sketch.
UCB does a great job of explaining game, and it is a very important improv and comedy writing concept, but it’s not the only way to do comedy, and UCB acts like it is.
If you’ve worked with game before and already knew what I was talking about before I defined it, this book won’t be as helpful for you.
Who should read the Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual?
Once again, I’d say everybody should read as many improv comedy books as they possibly can, but I will allow that some people will get more out of this book than others.
Brand new improvisers.
Improvisers who need to get better at the concept of “game,” or who are entirely unfamiliar with it.
Improvisers who also want to write sketch comedy.
Those who want to teach UCB-style improv to their own group.
Anyone interested in taking classes at UCB.
I recommend reading the book before taking UCB classes because improv classes are more expensive than books. If you read the book and decide the style isn’t for you, then you definitely won’t like taking classes at UCB.
Improvisation for the Theater
By Viola Spolin.
In 1963, a brilliant lady named Viola Spolin decided that actors needed exercises that encouraged exploration and play, rather than heavy background preparation and internal thought. Building off exercises she had been taught, she created an entire theatrical philosophy around the idea of spontaneity and immediacy for actors.
She did not imagine the exercises and games she created and refined would spawn an entirely new form, but she is generally credited as the “godmother” of improv comedy, because the pioneers of improv in the sixties and seventies used her exercises and philosophy as a starting point. They just took it to the next step and made improv the performance, rather than a means to perform better.
If it’s old, why should I read it?
There is a reason Spolin’s book birthed an entire new art form. It’s revolutionary.
Because of her style, which rejects dogma and encourages exploration, no matter how experienced you are, you will learn something new from this book. I’ve even read through it multiple times and done the exercises many different times with different groups, and I always learn something new.
While it is intended for actors, it is a great resource as an improv teacher or troupe leader.
You can take any of the topics in the book and use the exercises described therein for a deep dive that will improve your team’s skill and understanding.
Who should read Improvisation for the Theater?
In a suprising turn of events, I don’t recommend this book for everyone! If you don’t have any improv or acting experience at all, a lot of this book might go over your head.
These are the people who will benefit the most from this book:
Experienced or intermediate improvisers.
Improv teachers who want to become better teachers or learn new exercises.
It’s a bit of a woo-woo style as well, as in the descriptions and theories are not necessarily concrete. She doesn’t walk you through the ideas with a 1-2-3 level of precision. You are invited to explore.
If that kind of thing doesn’t work for you, then this definitely isn’t the book to start with. But I recommend grabbing it at some point in your improv career.
How to Be the Greatest Improviser on Earth
By Will Hines.
Will Hines has been teaching improv since 2000. Over two decades of experience is a pretty impressive resume, especially when you consider that he was one of the top teachers at UCB, and has trained or worked with most of the funniest people in Hollywood.
He wrote this book because, after years of reading as many improv books as he could find, he realized that pretty much all of the books were geared toward teaching beginners. He decided to take the more advanced insights he’d discovered over the years and share them.
He calls these “epiphanies,” and offers them not as strict rules to follow, but concepts to explore and figure out how they may fit you best.
This is not a “lesson plan” kind of book like the others. It’s more about personal improvement than teaching a class, although he does offer some exercises to work out the skills he talks about.
A cool thing about this book’s author
Hines admits he’s not the usual improv “type” that you might expect. When he started taking improv, he had an office job and a fear of public speaking. He didn’t consider himself a free spirit or wacky by any means.
He even talks about how he’s more of a logical thinker. He likes to think things through and consider them.
This initially makes improv a challenge for him. But once he finds his groove, it helps him become a renowned teacher and performer, completely transforming his life.
Hines has great insight about improv not only due to his experience, but because of how his analytical mind helped him become a better improviser. His experience speaks to a lot of us who overthink.
Being shy, introverted, or stuck in your head won’t keep you from being good at improv. You just have to figure out how to use it.
Hines helps with that.
Who should read How to Be the Greatest Improviser On Earth?
Once again, I think everyone should read this book… just not right away. Because he’s talking about more advanced topics with a lot of nuance, you should have at least a few classes of improv under your belt before tackling this one.
I recommend this improv book for:
Improvisers with some experience who want to reach their next level.
People who have read all the other books I recommended.
So basically, everyone should eventually read this, because everyone should try improv!
Why read books about improv?
I don’t know about you, but I’m stuck in a fleshly body bound by time and space. That means if you’re not in an area where you have access to many different high-quality improv schools, it can be hard to take classes and get better.
Alas, I cannot be in Chicago for Second City classes the same time as LA for Groundlings classes.
Plus, classes are expensive. For many of us, doing improv regularly means getting involved in a team or troupe. Paying hundreds of dollars a month for classes just isn’t feasible.
Books are time and space machines: you can step right into a UCB 101 class with its famous founders, or travel back to the sixties to take an advanced-level class from the godmother of improv. These are opportunities most of us could never have, except through these books.
Reading improv comedy books will help you:
Be a funnier writer and performer.
Get past whatever is blocking you from being your best improviser.
Teach improv more effectively and enjoyably.
Maybe I’m biased, because my two favorite things are improv and books (well, my favorite thing is dogs, but I haven’t found an improv book written by a dog yet, so we’ll just have to settle for two out of three for now).
But these books changed my life. And I hope they can help you, too.
Learn How to Audition
Considering comedy or acting as a career? Finding your first auditions is often the hardest step.
Not to mention, actually auditioning is often terrifying.
In our “How to Nail Your First Audition” guide, we break down exactly what you need to do to find auditions, prepare, and perform with confidence. It even helps you move on after an audition in the most healthy, happy way possible.
Grab the Audition guide and benefit from our Network’s knowledge and experience as professional actors.
