To make an improvised pancake, you need to be incredibly good at object work, otherwise, you will end up with improvised batter all over your scene-work kitchen.
To start, make sure your space-work surfaces are clean and that you have put all your object-work ingredients in a place you will remember. After all, the last thing you want to do is pick up what you think is your egg, try to crack it into a bowl, and then discover it’s an object-work lemon.
Step One
While you put the flour, eggs and milk into a large object-work bowl (or medium, if you are making a smaller pretend pancake), remember to have a natural on-stage conversation that is unrelated to pancakes. Just because it is Shrove Tuesday, it doesn’t mean your character will be talking about it. They are probably concerned with their partner’s unusual habit, which you established in the first beats of the piece.
Step Two
Set aside the pancake mix for around 30 minutes. You can use a time-dash or pick the recipe back up in a later scene. The latter option will be a great callback to pancake making and may raise a significant laugh. This will take the heat off any moves you made that you didn’t like in your first scene.
Step Three
Use a crepe pan to heat some oil. If you aren’t sure how to mime a crepe pan, just imagine a frying pan without edges and look constantly worried that the oil will spill onto the flame. Use that emotional choice to feed into your natural, non-pancake-related conversation with your scene partner.
Step Four
Pour in the batter mix that got a laugh earlier on. Maybe through in a line like “I’m glad I remembered where that was”. This is a reference to the earlier callback and will probably cause the improvisers in the audience to lose their minds with laughter.
Step Five
Heat the batter for a minute on each side while you talk about something to do with the Welsh inventor we saw in the first scene. While doing this, try not to beat yourself up for making pancakes during a set inspired by the word “pancakes”. Sometimes literal is helpful to the audience. Also, sometimes it isn’t helpful to the piece as a whole. This dichotomy is not your fault.
Have a great Shrove Tuesday and may your improvised pancakes always turn out to save your improv career.
From The Maydays, Lloydie J Lloyd.
See if Lloydie needs to save our improv show with an improvised pancake recipe this Friday 4th March at Komedia Brighton, where we’ll present Confessions and special guests – GAMEZ.
Confessions takes audience stories and secrets written down before the show starts and turns them into songs, sketches and beguiling stories. Expect, secrets, lies and guilt.
GAMEZ play fast and hard, short and snappy short form improv comedy games. With high energy scenes and a sense of camaraderie and family in the group means you’ll have as much fun watching as they do performing!
Doors 7 pm, the show kicks off at 7.30 pm, grab your tickets here
