Improv Exercises
Here you can find a collection of exercises for improv theatre. These exercises are intended to train specific aspects and skills in a targeted manner. The transition from exercises to games is fluid. What is still an exercise for one, the other brings as a game on stage. Please do not take over the individual exercises blindly, but think about the goals and intentions of each exercise.
Categories
Experience
Energy
Competences
After the Catastrophe
Two players sit at an angle, visible to each other and the audience. Their task: without speaking, using only facial expressions and gest...
An illustration
In this game, two or three players are involved. So the game begins with a member of the audience go on the stage, and a second or thi...
Assertion Marathon
Two players must pack as many assertions as possible into a scene. Every assertion must drive the scene forward. This trains bold offers...
Being Positive
A normal scene begins. The players must be relentlessly, persistently positive throughout. The moment any player shows a hint of negativi...
Bench takeover
3 players, several chairs on the stage represent the bench. 1 player sits on the bench, the other two try to persuade Player 1 to leave ...
Bench Takeover
Three players and several chairs representing a bench. One sits on the bench while the other two must convince them to leave through a pl...
Betty Plum
Also known as Hologram. A group of players collectively build a fictional person by contributing characteristics one at a time. If a sugg...
Boom Boom Chicago
This exercise trains quickly establishing scene information. Player 1 starts with a physical activity Player 2 enters and establishes t...
Character exercise (character switch)
All go through the room, each with a certain character. Whenever you meet, you speak two sentences together, and the character is slowly ...
Character Walk
Everyone walks through the room embodying a specific character. When two players meet, they exchange a sentence or two in character. Var...
Complement Exercise
Players form two lines on opposite sides of the stage. A player from line A starts a scene by establishing a character (e.g. a burglar). ...
Cross Examination
Groups of three: one criminal, two police officers conducting an interrogation. The criminal must always say 'yes' or agree to everything...
Develop a Person
Players walk through the room. When the facilitator says 'stop', everyone freezes. The facilitator asks individual players: 'Who are you?...
Developing a Character
Players walk through the room and imagine a person — their age, profession, worries, habits. They begin moving as that person would. The...
Different Reaction
An exercise to practice strong reactions and clear characters. A two-person scene is played. Player A initiates with a verbal offer. Pla...
Disrupting
Two players perform a scene. Two others deliberately disrupt it with seemingly inappropriate offers — entering with absurd characters, ma...
Emotional Singing
Everyone sings a simple well-known song without musical accompaniment. The facilitator calls out emotions at random — happy, angry, shy, ...
Emotion Circle
One player passes an emotion (preferably positive) to their neighbor. The neighbor mirrors the emotion. Once both share the same feeling,...
Emotion Circle 2
Players stand in a circle. One says a simple sentence to their neighbor in a specific emotion with matching gestures. The neighbor repeat...
Emotion Circle 3
In the circle, players read aloud from a book — the more emotionless the text, the better (e.g. an instruction manual or textbook). The r...
Emotions by Cards
Three players each receive a card with a different emotion. On a signal, all three simultaneously display their emotion using only facial...
Fake Crying
A technique exercise: do not blink for as long as possible, then blink once and repeat. The eyes naturally begin to water, producing real...
Fast Food Laban
An exercise for developing characters based on movement types, inspired by Rudolf von Laban's movement studies. Players explore combinat...
Fast Food Stanislavski
Two players play a scene with a given title or location. Each player receives a secret subtext for their character — their hidden motivat...
Finding the Child Within
Players form pairs. One tells a story using only questions: 'Shall we go to the park?' 'Shall we feed the ducks?' The other responds onl...
Guess the Expression
Player A kneels behind a chair so only their head is visible. The facilitator whispers emotions to A, who expresses them using only facia...
Guess the Status
Players embody a status level from 0 (lowest) to 10 (highest) and perform a short scene or solo. The audience guesses the number. This e...
Help!
2-4 players improvise a scene. The rest watches and stays ready. Whenever a player feels overwhelmed or stuck, they call 'Help!' and a wa...
He said, she said
Each player describes the action of their partner. Ex: player 1, "I'd like to talk to you, Mabel." Player 2, "He said, standing up and pu...
Hologram
Players stand in a circle. Together they build a plausible picture of a fictional person by contributing traits one at a time: name, age,...
It Is Tuesday
Two players meet. One says something mundane like 'It is Tuesday.' This simple statement becomes the foundation — both players build on i...
King
One player is King, sitting on a throne. The King commands what emotions the other players must display. Players step forward one at a ti...
La Ronde
The Round Dance follows the model of the same name from Arthur Schnitzler. In this play, different characters appear on the stage one aft...
Leading Body Part
Players walk through the room. The facilitator names a body part — pelvis, left shoulder, forehead, right knee, belly. Players let that b...
Loud-Silent Game
Emotions are often accompanied by sounds. A surprised person says 'Ooh!' A disgusted person says 'Eww!' Players practice these basic voc...
Mantra
Two players sit facing each other and have a conversation about a mundane topic. Then repeat the same conversation, but this time each p...
Mismatched Assertion
Two players establish a normal scene. A third player, who has been facing away with ears covered, enters and says a completely random sen...
Name Dialogue
Two players each receive a name from the audience. In the following scene, each player may only say the other's name — no other words all...
New Choice - Basic Information
This exercise trains quickly establishing basic scene information: Who are the characters? Where are they? What is their relationship? Wh...
One Too Many
3-5 players on stage. As the name says, one player is too many. That player must be excluded by the group — but everyone wants to belong....
Peculiar neighbor
The players stand in a circle. In turn, each one respectively turns to his neighbor and says anything unusual/absurd /incredible that wil...
Peculiar Neighbor
Players stand in a circle. Each person turns to their neighbor and points out something unusual, absurd, or impossible about them. The ne...
Problem Injection
Two players establish a positive routine. After a while, a third player enters from offstage and introduces a problem. Then they leave (w...
Scene Mix 10x20
10 different scenes with 2 players each, played in rapid succession. Each scene lasts exactly 20 seconds. The goal is to make the essenc...
Scene Starters
Players form two rows facing each other. In quick succession, each pair starts a scene. The goal is to establish basic information throug...
Statue Scene Start
A preparatory exercise for freeze tag. Players form pairs. One sculpts the other into a random statue. The statue then starts a scene fro...
Status Chain
A situation is given (e.g. restaurant). One player has absolute high status (the guest). The guest's wishes are passed down a chain of de...
Status Group
Four players draw cards numbered 1 (high status) to 4 (low status). They play a scene, each embodying their assigned status level. After...
Status Topping
A playing area is defined. The facilitator should monitor solvability. Players enter one at a time, each establishing a higher status tha...
Step by Step
Nine cards are laid out in a 3x3 grid on the floor. Two players each stand on a card. The rule: you may only speak AFTER moving to a diff...
Telephone Monologue
The facilitator and 2 players stay in the room. Player A receives a prompt and delivers a monologue in a developed character. Player B wa...
The Holy Grail
All players stand in a wide circle. One person enters the center with a specific character (voice, accent, posture) and approaches someon...
The Inner Animal
The facilitator writes different animal species on slips of paper. Players draw one secretly. Their task is to imagine the essence of thi...
The Strict Boss
Three players sit on chairs. The boss sits in the middle, subordinates on either side. The boss tries to instruct both employees, but can...
Thought Game
Two players come on stage and meet coincidentally at a location given by the audience. They have not seen each other in a long time and c...
Using Objects and Space
Two players participate. Five slips of paper are distributed around the room, each naming a typical object found in a room. The players p...
Waiting Room
Four players sit side by side — they are in a doctor's waiting room. Each secretly picks one person they love, one they hate, and one who...
Yes - No
Players form pairs. One can only say 'Yes', the other only 'No'. Despite this limitation, they have a full conversation using tone, volum...
Your Excellency
Played by two people: the Excellency and their advisor who acts as teacher. The advisor asks the Excellency questions. The Excellency alw...
Zoom and Emotion
Player A acts on stage while Player B sits at the side. After a prompt, A narrates a typical daily routine (e.g. morning after waking up)...