Keith Johnstone's competitive improv format. Two teams perform improvised scenes head-to-head, judged by the audience. The format that turned improvisation into a spectator sport. Originated at Loose Moose Theatre, Calgary, 1977.
How it works:
Two teams (typically 4-5 players each) compete in a series of improvised challenges over roughly 90 minutes. A referee (the "Theatresports judge") runs the match, calling challenges, managing time, and enforcing rules. The audience scores each scene, usually on a 1-5 scale via cards, applause, or other voting mechanisms.
The challenge structure: Each round, the referee selects a challenge — a specific game, constraint, or scene type (e.g., "scene in verse," "genre replay," "expert scene"). Teams either compete directly on the same challenge or alternate. Some challenges are head-to-head (same prompt, different teams); others are solo showcases with the opponent team watching.
The foul system: Johnstone built in deliberate self-correction mechanisms. Fouls include:
- Blocking — refusing another player's offer
- Gagging — going for cheap laughs at the expense of the scene
- Wimping — being boring, refusing to commit, hedging
- Groaning — audience groaning triggers a foul; the scene has offended or been gratuitously crude
- Being boring — the ultimate sin in Johnstone's system
The referee can award fouls, and repeat offenders can be penalized. This is not decoration — the foul system is Johnstone's pedagogy in action, enforcing the values he considers essential to good improv directly through game mechanics.
Johnstone's philosophy behind the format: Johnstone believed competition freed performers. His insight: audiences care more when there are stakes. Performers commit harder when something is on the line. The competitive frame gives the audience permission to engage vocally, which creates the energy that feeds the performers. He was explicit that the goal was not to find the "best" improviser but to create an event that the audience would enjoy as much as a sporting match.
From Impro for Storytellers: "Theatresports was intended as a way of getting the audience to come back. Improvisation bored audiences because the performers weren't really trying." The competition is the engine of effort.
What it demands: Versatility — performers must handle many different game types and constraints within a single show. Audience awareness — reading and riding audience energy is the core skill, more than in any longform format. Showmanship — the competitive frame rewards performers who are entertaining, not just "good at improv." Speed — most challenges run 3-7 minutes; you must establish, play, and finish quickly.
When to use it: When the priority is audience entertainment and energy over artistic exploration. When you want to attract audiences who don't self-identify as "improv people." When training performers in versatility and audience responsiveness. Theatresports is the gateway drug — more people worldwide have seen Theatresports than any other improv format.