The main types of improv

There are different types of improv from improv games (often called short form), to improv scenes (often called long form) to full length improvised plays, usually with a genre (often called narrative improv).

Short form is the name for the performance of the games developed by Viola Spolin and Keith Johnstone and that many people have contributed to over the years. Improv games like you’d see on TV’s Whose Line Is It Anyway? is considered short form.

Long form as the name suggests is when the improvisers perform longer scenes and stories. There is usually a collage of scenes that end with a punchline and then a new scene starts unrelated to the last scene. There are many formats including Armando, Harold, La Ronde, Living Room and more.

Narrative form is used to describe improvised full-length plays. Narrative form is more of a storytelling art form, where you have more time to develop richer characters and relationships and tell a story. There is one narrative arc over the entire show. They are often performed in a genre such as improvised Shakespeare, film noir or as a musical.