Caged creativity: what happens when you structure play?

One of my favourite comedians once said she hated board games because they felt like 'caged play'. Too many rules, she explained, meant she felt like she wasn’t playing at all. That comment stuck with me. Because if play is about freedom, discovery, and joy - what happens when we add too much structure?

Some clowns rehearse every beat of their routine, while others step on stage with nothing prepared and discover the game in real time. Both are clowning but is the scripted act still playing? Or has the play already happened in rehearsal?

What about when you play chess against a computer, is it playing or just moving through an algorithm? And what about professional athletes? On the surface, they’re playing football or tennis. But at elite levels, every move is drilled, calculated, and performed under pressure. Is that still play - or is it now work? Once play becomes your livelihood, does it stop being play?

Is there playfulness in 'serious' professions? It's not ideal to have surgeons playing mid-operation, but in science and business, experimentation is essential for innovation. Perhaps play is about being willing to take risks regardless of discipline.

Which leads to the final question: can you have creativity without play? Creativity requires doing something unexpected, yet many contexts, demand an outcome that is both guaranteed, but also fresh and exciting. That tension can make true play, and therefore true creativity, almost impossible.