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
4 Sentence Story
Players stand in a circle or a line to tell short stories. Each player contributes exactly one sentence. The four sentences follow this m...
5 Sentence Story
Simple storytelling in 5 steps, playable in pairs or small groups: Character and place — introduce a person and where they are Second c...
Advance and Illustrate
Players begin a scene. From outside, the facilitator calls two commands: 'Advance!' — players must move the plot forward with new infor...
AED (Action Emotion Detail)
One player tells a story. Three others give signals when they want more Action, more Emotion, or more Detail. Each is responsible for one...
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...
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...
Fantasy Story with Questions
A quiet exercise for two. Player A lies relaxed with closed eyes and tells a story (no prompt needed). Player B sits nearby and periodica...
Fortunately Unfortunately
Players tell a story sentence by sentence, alternating between fortunately and unfortunately. Player 1: 'Once upon a time there was a pi...
Gibberish Circle
All players form a circle. One of them steps into the center and explains through some gestures something in gibberish. After the player ...
Gibberish Circle
All players form a circle. One steps into the center and explains something using gestures and gibberish (nonsense language). After retur...
I Have a Better Idea
Three players stand in a semicircle. The middle one tells a story. The other two enthusiastically agree with 'Yes yes yes!' to every acti...
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...
Once Upon a Time Model
Players stand in a circle and build a story following this model: Once upon a time... (introduce character and setting) Every day... (e...
Opera Ball
An extension of the one-word story. Players form pairs in waltz position. The pairs begin a dialogue — but word by word, alternating betw...
Overwhelming the Listener
Four players. One stands in the center as the listener. Three others stand in front, left, and right, each telling a different story simu...
Pearl String
All players line up. Player 1 steps forward, goes to the far right, and says a sentence that could start a story. Player 2 steps forward,...
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...
Spit-Fire
One player receives a topic and tells a story. On either side, two other players constantly shout random words. The storyteller must inco...
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...
Tell a Story Together
Two players tell a story together. The first begins: 'Let us go on vacation.' The second starts their sentence with YES: 'Yes, let us go ...
Yes Exactly And Because
Two players sit shoulder to shoulder on chairs, playing one person — an expert or inventor. They are being interviewed about their specia...
Yes Exactly And Then
An exercise for two players. Both experienced something together and tell the story while acting it out. They stand shoulder to shoulder,...