Theatre Machine

Origins at the Royal Court Theatre

Keith Johnstone spent a decade at the Royal Court Theatre in London from 1956 to 1966 as Associate Artistic Director, during which he ran improvisation workshops in the studio and developed the performers who would form Theatre Machine. The Royal Court's experimental atmosphere gave Johnstone space to explore and invent the improvisation exercises the company would take on stage.

Founding (1967)

Johnstone founded Theatre Machine in 1967 with original members Ben Benison, Roddy Maude-Roxby, Richard Morgan, and Anthony Trent. Johnstone served as onstage director and emcee, guiding the ensemble through performances of improvisation exercises in real time.

European Tours and Censorship (1968-1971)

The company toured across Europe from 1968 to 1971, performing improvisation in an era when unscripted public theatre was essentially illegal in Britain under the Lord Chamberlain's censorship powers. Johnstone avoided the censor's attention by labelling performances as 'classes,' 'lectures,' or 'demonstrations of improvised comedy.' The Theatres Act of 1968, which ended the Lord Chamberlain's power to censor theatre, arrived during the early years of Theatre Machine's touring life. Audiences followed the company from venue to venue across Europe.

Legacy

Johnstone departed for Canada after 1971, where he developed Theatresports at the University of Calgary. Theatre Machine stands as the direct precursor to the Theatresports format and to the entire Johnstone tradition of competitive and pedagogical improvisation.

Theatre Machine was Britain's first dedicated improvisation troupe, created by Keith Johnstone from his Royal Court Theatre work and touring Europe from 1968 to 1971 as the direct precursor to Theatresports.

Theatre Machine established improvisation as a viable theatrical form in Britain and laid the groundwork for Keith Johnstone's development of Theatresports, influencing competitive and educational improv practice worldwide.