How Did Keith Johnstone Contribute To Theatre

Keith Johnstone

Keith johnstone born in Brixham, Devon England in 1933 is a British pioneer of improvisational theatre, best known for inventing the impro system, part of which are the Theatresport. He is also an educator, playwright, actor and a theatre director. He improved his work and life from a country that did not agree with is type of drama. He changed his ways and went to a country that accepted his methods of drama. The Keith Johnston-profile Ron East, Keith had a “painful” experience with British Public School System, which affected him, a childhood experience of shyness, difficulties with speech, discomfort etc. he was misread by his teacher declared “unsuitable” ,He knew in order to make progress he had to find a way to express
himself.
Keith Johnstone turned the right way and volunteered in a two year course as a replacement teacher, but his positive attitude to change his ways didn’t last long he lost his voice and completely.
He continued to work on himself and studied his student to express themselves his speech therapy didn’t not only benefit him in life but he helped others by making “The shy, uncomfortable students“his passion for theatre was more than writing and directing but to ‘create theatre’ The goal to get a different approach out of his student to show their true colours. The “shy can become confident” to unleash their creativity.
Later on in his life he was easily identified as a skilled teacher and worked for the Greater London Council to train young students and teacher eventually many opportunities came his way and he became a part of the Royal Court, Londons top theatre at the time. He continued to develop and went on to Royal Shakespeare Company.
According to Keith Johnstone –profile by Ron East. Keith focused on improvisation and exploration and to help is actors gain a “fresh approach” Johnstone chose is own unique methodology “My teacher felt obligated to destroy our spontaneity...so why not reverse their methods?” This when he began to use his style of drama a new introduction to theatre,
improvisation.
His passion in theatre and improvisation strengthened, Keith developed a company called Theatre Machine. This idea expanded and a became a public performance. His company was known worldwide. Surprisingly he struggled to get acceptance from home, Futhermore the young audience comedy improvisation performance was popular unfortunately it was not ‘legitimate’ by the British teather establishment .Johnstone decided to leave the British Stage.
In 1967 Keith Johnstone was invited to bring his workshop to British Columbia, and he decided to stay, while his stay he ended up teaching at the University of Calgary, he progressed and became a master teacher. In 1977he co-founded the loose moose theatre company, later on developed that his theatresport improvisitian comedy style. Is as the used worldwide and preformed at London’s national theatre.

Johnstone wrote two books about improvisation one of them being “Many people claim t o have forgotten their entire childhood...but their imagination are not dead, jut frozen”This book includes a guide on improvisation and games, these games being the invisibility and freeze game. These games were used by Keith to engage with all types of student’s worldwide.
By Sheyenne Heinse