Celebrating the Art of Improv Theatre
I wrote a feature article for The Esplanade’s publication Offstage, in conjunction with Flipside 2025 - a playful festival of circus, comedy, physical theatre and puppetry.
Role
Writer
Project Type
Editorial Feature
Client
The Esplanade
Project Period
June 2025
The Brief
Over the years, improv theatre has gained more recognition in Singapore. However, not many know about the intricacies of this art form. My job was to introduce improv theatre to Singapore audiences, and feature two groups who rely heavily on spontaneity and audience participation to create art. The first group was Improvper Conduct, a local improv troupe; the second was So Drama, a local theatre group.
The Approach
Process
To write this article, I did desktop research about the history of improv, read articles, and watched interviews about famous improvisers talking about what improv is all about. I also drew on my personal experience as someone learning improv in Singapore to explain the mechanics and forms of improv.
Although this was an explainer article about improv, the two groups featured
Tone & Voice
As a self-authored article, I was able to bring my unique voice as a contributing writer to The Esplanade’s publication.
At the same time, it was important to maintain The Esplanade’s editorial standards: thoughtful, respectful, and culturally attuned.
I kept the language accessible without oversimplifying the form, and made sure to let the performers’ voices shine through, whether they were sharing technical insights or joyful anecdotes from the stage.
Collaboration
This piece involved working closely with The Esplanade’s editorial team and featured two groups - Improvper Conduct and How Drama. I sought the help of The Esplanade team to conduct written interviews with both groups, crafting questions that would help me gain deeper insights into their craft and artistic voice.
Once the responses were in, I wrote the draft and then worked collaboratively with The Esplanade’s editorial team to refine the storytelling and ensure that the final article resonated with The Esplanade’s broader storytelling goals.
The Article
Results & Reflections
The piece was featured on The Esplanade’s official channels as an editorial piece, and as content marketing for Flipside 2025 and the two performing groups that performed during the festival.
Personally, this article allowed me to marry my love for improv with my skillset as a writer. It was a very fun project for me to work on and I hope that more people will gain a better understanding and appreciation for this art form.
What I like to do is to draw a wireframe of my article before I write it, so I know exactly what I’m going to talk about in each section.
I wanted to ensure there was a link between the theme for Flipside 2025 and what the performers were presenting.
Most of the time, I do lots of research but not all research makes it into the piece. As a writer, I would rather over-research a topic and leave no stone unturned. Fortunately, research for this piece also involved watching alot of improv shows online, which was a highly enjoyable process!
