Even if you’re not sure how the Harold improv format works, you’ve probably heard it mentioned around the improv scene. Improv curriculums often feature the Harold as the focus of their capstone class, and improv theaters frequently showcase talent and develop experienced players through Harold teams.
While the Harold, like most formats, has endless variations, I’ve put together a general outline of how it works.
The Harold structure
A Harold typically consists of an opening followed by three beats. (Note: Some teams eschew an opening and launch directly into the first beat from an audience suggestion.)
The first two beats contain three scenes apiece, and each beat is followed by a group game. The third beat can get pretty wild, but generally speaking, it consists of scenes corresponding to the first two beats and/or scenes in which elements from earlier in the set collide.
Different improvisers have different ways of labeling a Harold’s parts. This article will use the numbers 1, 2, and 3 to signify beats and the letters A, B, and C to signify scenes within those beats. For instance, scene 2C corresponds to the second beat’s third scene. Here are the parts in order:
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The Harold opening
Assuming a team does one, openings for Harolds can range from low levels of structure (a team might do an interpretive dance to a song picked at random) to highly structured (i.e., pattern game). Regardless of its form, the opening’s purpose is to engage the team and audience and to generate ideas for first-beat scenes and group games.
The first beat and first group game: laying the groundwork
In the first beat, players perform three scenes. No two teams or Harolds are the same, but this beat is often the calmest, most grounded of the three beats. While performing or on the back line, players should pay close attention to scenes in order to generate ideas for later scenes.
After the first beat comes the first group game. Group games involve most or all of the team. Often described as palate cleansers, they can take many forms. This is not an exhaustive list, but some examples of common group games include:
- All-versus-one: All the players but one have a specific viewpoint. This can also involve multiple players on each side.
- Organic group games: Something like a repeated sound or chant leads to a fun pattern or discovery.
- Premise-based group games: A player frontloads a comedic idea, and the rest of the team jumps on board.
As a side note, many players dread group games. One way to get over this is to view each group game as another scene worth doing well instead of as a separate burden. They can—and should—be fun.
The second beat: pulling ideas
After the first beat and group game, it’s time to evolve the Harold’s ideas in the second beat. This beat’s scenes often start at a higher energy level than the first beat’s. They’re typically shorter as well. That’s because much of the groundwork for discovering and delivering ideas has already been done.
In the second beat, players bring back comedic ideas from the first beat and explore them in new, and ideally heightened, ways. This is known as pulling ideas or pulling premises. Below are two common ways to do it—and one less-common, but still fun—way:
Analogous pulls occur when the players explore the comedic premise from an earlier beat in a new way with a new set of characters. For instance, if scene 1A features an overbearing parent micromanaging their child during a piano recital, scene 2A could feature an overbearing pilot micromanaging their copilot while landing a plane. The scene dynamic is the same (micromanagement and resulting frustration), but the stakes are raised (nailing a recital versus landing a plane safely). Analogous pulls are often used when a scene has a clear comedic premise.
Time-dash pulls explore one or more characters from an earlier scene in a new situation. For instance, if we return to the overbearing parent/child combo from scene 1A’s recital, a scene 2A time dash could show the parent micromanaging their child during an international negotiation, marriage proposal, or other higher-stakes scene. Time dashes are often used when a character or set of characters is very strong.
Tangential pulls, sometimes called “in this world” pulls, are less practiced and covered than the other two. They explore a side concept, character, or idea. For instance, if the overbearing parent in scene 1A mentions that they brought their child a piano from a magical land, a tangential pull might show that magical land of pianos. Tangential pulls can be particularly useful for group games, for when a clear idea doesn’t present itself for replication in later beats, or for when a character or concept revealed in a scene is irresistibly fun.
The second group game and third beat: making connections
After the second beat comes a second group game. All of the possible approaches to the first group game are options for the second, or it can be a mutated version of the first group game. For example, if Group Game 1 was about sensitive crab fishermen, Group Game 2 could be about insensitive crabs.
The third beat draws the show to a close, hopefully on a high note. Again, players pull ideas from earlier in the set. Teams can do scenes 3A/3B/3C in that order if the show falls that way, though the structure often becomes looser here.
One prominent third-beat tactic is making connections—for instance, the time-dashed overbearing parent from scenes 1A and 2A could begin micromanaging the insensitive crabs from the second group game. At the extreme end of this, a third beat may consist of a single scene in which several worlds and characters collide.
See the Harold for yourself
To see the Harold in action in DC, you can visit WIT’s Harold Night, check out Dojo team Twin Turbo, or seek out indie teams that perform the format. And if you’re visiting another city, look up their improv theaters to see if they have a Harold Night going on.
Want to more tips from the improv scene?
- Cut your team down to two people and get tips on how to do duoprov.
- Don’t care what your format is and just need to know how to start an improv group? We’ve got tips for that.
- Not performing and needs tips on how to host an improv show? We’ve got you for that, too!
