Impro

Theatre educator Keith Johnstone sets out the improvisation methods he developed over years of teaching and directing. In 1956 London's Royal Court Theatre, then run by artistic directors George Devine and Tony Richardson, asked him to write a play; he later became an associate artistic director there, reading plays, directing and helping to run the Writers' Group. Exercises meant to foster spontaneity and storytelling grew out of that work and were developed further in an actors' studio, in demonstrations at schools and colleges, and finally with a company of performers. Its four sections deal with spontaneity, status, masks and trance, and narrative skills. Johnstone wrote it in 1979.

James Clear put it on his list of the 10 books with the most page-for-page wisdom.