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...
Best Side Story
Two teams face each other. Team 1 begins a story. Each player steps forward and advances the narrative. When the other team notices hesit...
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...
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...
Gossip Sisters
Two groups (A and B) of equal size. Group A forms a tight circle in the center and whispers as quietly as possible about a topic. Group B...
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...
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,...
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...