The Story of Yale-NUS Improv

Ethan Tan, Thomas Bean and Ryan Yeo

Yale-NUS Improv troupe member

Yale-NUS Improv (also known as the Improv Comedy Conglomerate) is one of the oldest performing arts groups in Yale-NUS College. The troupe focuses on unscripted theatre - often comedic - and performs scenes and games based on nothing more than audience prompts.

Yale-NUS Improv (also known as the Improv Comedy Conglomerate) is one of the oldest performing arts groups in Yale-NUS College. The troupe focuses on unscripted theatre - often comedic - and performs scenes and games based on nothing more than audience prompts.

The story of Improv began in 2013, during the inaugural semester of Yale-NUS College. After a school trip to Yale University, three students were inspired by the multitude of improv troupes there. Seeing the diverse range of improv forms, as well as the various tight-knit communities, they sought to foster something similar back in Yale-NUS.

As improvisational comedy is not well-known in Singapore, a series of workshops was conducted to teach students about basic improv skills. The sessions were a success, attracting over 70 students. Soon after, interest grew in the prospect of performing actual shows, and the troupe’s debut show, Opening Act, was performed on 18 February 2014. Nearly ten years on, Improv regularly performs shows twice a semester, with mid-semester shows focusing on new and experimental games, and end-of-semester performances being high-production affairs designed to showcase the skills of the troupe. Furthermore, the troupe has put on one-off performances during events such as Experience Yale-NUS Weekends, Family Days, and Exchange Students Orientations.

What makes Yale-NUS Improv unique is its belief that one can be hilarious while also being inclusive and accessible. All the troupe’s shows are PG-rated, with an emphasis on never punching down with humour and avoiding insensitive content. By doing so, every show creates a comfortable, safe environment for audiences and troupe members. Additionally, the troupe features several tenets that bring together its members - namely, the drive to teach and learn improv, and the welcoming, family-like troupe culture that has persisted over the years.

First, the troupe has always sought to bring improvisational theatre to wider audiences. As such, workshops are a regular occurrence within Yale-NUS, with their central principle being that everyone can do improv. Some of these workshops take the form of jams, where audiences are welcome to join in; others have been educational workshops for potential new members seeking to audition. The troupe has also collaborated with other student organisations. The series of 'Artprov' shows, hosted with the Yale-NUS Visual Arts Society, used audience members’ drawings as scene prompts to humorous effect. In recent years, the troupe has reached out beyond Yale-NUS College. Collaborations with NUS groups have proved fruitful - including joint workshops with the NUS Comedy Club. Additionally, Improv performed at the NUS-wide Here! Arts Carnival 2022, and attracted a full auditorium. This sudden surge in campus-wide interest led to the troupe accepting NUS exchange students as members for the first time.

Another major part of Improv’s identity is its members’ willingness to try new ideas and keep learning. Being a self-taught troupe, members are encouraged to bring new games and forms to the table. The diversity of troupe members’ experiences made this experimentation a success - members would conduct research into new techniques and styles, or join improv troupes on exchange and bring their new knowledge back to Yale-NUS. These endeavours have often led to the creation of successful new games - such as Snark Tank (based off the reality show Shark Tank) - and the adoption of art forms that are outside the troupe's usual repertoire, such as musical improv. Furthermore, the troupe has organised trips to various improv festivals. Yale-NUS Improv is a regular viewer and participant in the Singapore Improv Festival; moreover, overseas trips to the Manila and Vietnam Improv Festivals have proved to be eye-opening experiences, with members learning about improv in different cultures, and being able to teach their original games to other established troupes.

Finally, Yale-NUS Improv features a distinctly wholesome, tight-knit troupe culture, with plenty of traditions having been created over the past decade. Members experience this from day one, with acceptance posters being pasted on their suite doors to welcome them into the troupe. All the Improv dinners, post-show parties, and outings also bring a sense of family to every batch. Furthermore, the troupe has been a place of support for many people. Every session ends with ‘improv wellness’, where the troupe spotlights a particular member and makes sure to let them know that they are cared for and supported.

It is also commonly said within the troupe that once someone joins Yale-NUS Improv, they are always considered as members of the Improv family. Members who leave the troupe are welcome to return (and they often do). Alumni reunite for informal jams hosted by the troupe; they also get shout-outs during shows, where they receive the ‘word jar’ - a make-believe jar containing all the audience prompts received during the performance. It is also common for alumni to form their own troupes. Notably, May Contain Nuts and 7-Star Cendol have taken part in the Singapore Improv Festival, with Yale-NUS students showing up in droves to support them.