‘Improv is almost like yoga for life’: How I dusted off the cobwebs with a dose of exhilarating, quick-thinking theatre

Feeling as though she had begun ‘sleepwalking through life’, one writer decided to shake things up by signing up for improv classes. Not only did an immersion in the quick-thinking theatre world leave her feeling brave and creative, it also gave her new skills for wider life

Etain McGuckian finds fun and creative inspiration after taking part in an improv class run by Flying Turtle Productions in Dublin. Photos: Frank McGrath. Graphic: Eoin Flynn

Etain McGuckian

OK, you’re two wrestlers in a garden picking roses — go,” improv teacher Lisa Walsh directed to me and fellow student, Megan. I took a deep breath and started doing lunges while pretending to pick flowers from the ground. “Have a smell of that,” I said, as I mimed handing Megan a rose. I can’t remember exactly what happened after as the fear kicked in, but I know at one stage I was rolling across the floor showing my ‘new wrestling moves’ before helping Megan embellish her championship costume with flowers.

Was it mad? Totally. Was I out of my comfort zone? Completely. I don’t naturally gravitate towards the spotlight and can fall into a pit of anxiety in unfamiliar surroundings. The last time I had properly acted was when I was six as Snow White in the school play — I still wonder where I got that confidence. So why was I putting myself through the terror of improv? For fun.