Making Stuff Up in the Company of Others

Directing and Producing Improv
A manifesto for the future of unscripted theatre.

For too long, improvisation has been confined to back-of-a-pub comedy nights; rarely does it take centre stage in our nation's theatres. In Making Stuff Up in the Company of Others, Dr. Mark Smith—a 30-year veteran of the craft and founder of the Liverpool Improvisation Festival argues that through mastery and by organising with the same rigor as traditional theatre, improvisation can offer audiences a spontaneous, living art form that competes with and complements the traditional theatre repertoire.

This isn't just another book on how to be funny; it is a strategic guide for the architects of the show. Smith explores:

The Director: How to curate "play through play" and build the invisible structures that allow spontaneity to flourish.
The Business of Spontaneity: Practical insights into touring, festival curation, and marketing, while actively dismantling the "pay-to-play" culture.
The Human Heart of the Ensemble: Building the trust and shared language necessary for high-stakes, unscripted performance.
A Call to Arms: Smith posits that through organisation and professional vision, improv companies can claim their rightful place alongside scripted masterpieces in the world's great theatres.

Informative, provocative, and deeply practical, this is the essential resource for any producer, director, or performer ready to take their improvisation to the next stage.

Quotes on the book:

Diana Brown

Jonathan Pitts

All monies after costs supports LIF projects