Biography

Keith Johnstone was born in Devon, England in 1933. In 1962 Keith directed the original production of "The Knack" written by Ann Jellicoe first performed at the Camden Arts Theatre, but soon moving to the Royal Court Theatre. Some references credit Jellicoe with a "co-director" role, but Keith is rarely given any credit for co-writing even though he made substantial contributions to both dialogue and stage directions now incorporated into published versions of the play. Johnstone himself was, at least in part, the inspiration for the character Tom, the character who rents the room and paints it in weird colours and hangs the chairs on the wall in the play. His imposingly tall and husky stature, though often disheveled and shambling, added to his charisma and winning smile always served him well with female admirers.

His work with Royal Court Theatre actors developed the seeds of his theories and teachings about improvisation, but also to some improvisation performances on television in the UK that eventually appeared in North America as "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" starring Drew Carey and a small core of extremely talented improvisational actors and guest stars.

In the beginning of the 1970's, Keith accepted a teaching position in Canada at the University of Calgary. He co-founded a theatre company that based its work in Impro, with Mel Tonken that is now world famous, the Loose Moose Theatre Company that began performances in a renovated building which formerly housed huge municipal water system equipment. In 1979 Keith Johnstone published a book entitled "IMPRO", which is now considered a seminal work on the subject of improvisation, and especially "TheatreSports" which has grown to a worldwide genre of competitive style improv performance companies.

Keith retired as professor emeritus from the University of Calgary (as of 1996) and has been succeeded as Artistic Director of Loose Moose Theatre by one of the original cast of Loose Moose, Dennis Cahill.
- IMDb mini biography by: Stafford "Doc" Williamson

Co-founded, with Mel Tonken, The Loose Moose Theatre Company.

Improv master.

Keith Johnstone was the internationally renowned pioneer of improvisation theatre,.

The Calgary-based instructor, playwright and director died on Saturday. He is known as the creator of Theatresports and as the co-founder of Loose Moose Theatre Company, a troupe that was a springboard to a number of Calgary-based actors, writers and comedians including Kids in the Hall members Bruce McCulloch and Mark McKinney, FUBAR's Dave Lawrence, comedian and actor Andrew Phung, Working Mom's star Ryan Belleville, Parks and Recreation writer and producer Norm Hiscock and actor-comedian Peter Oldring, among others.

Johnstone also wrote the 1979's Impro: Improvisation and the Theatre , considered one of the most influential books on improvisation.

There are people who prefer to say 'yes' and there are people who prefer to say 'no'. Those who say 'yes' are rewarded by the adventures they have. Those who say 'no' are rewarded by the safety they attain.