Improv Games
Here you can find a collection of improv games. This collection consists of games that can be performed in a show in front of an audience. Each of them can be announced in advance, or they can be played unannounced from a normal scene. Too much focus on performing games can negatively affect the ability to improvise freely. Many games also have a strong character in comedy. Many games are created from exercises that should help to train certain aspects of improvisation. Freeze, Hitchhiker or the abc letter game are some well known plays, but you can find many more. Have a nice time.
Categories
Experience
Energy
Competences
Drop A Line
Actors 2-4 Suggestions squibs with lines of dialogue, quotes, phrases, etc. Also location, setting, characters, etc., as necessary Pr...
Emotional Workplace
Three actors are playing at working places given by the audience. Each player gets a related feeling. Example: Player A has sadness as ...
F.I.S.H.
Players 2+ Description Ask for a short word. Players act a scene in which each line of dialogue starts with successive letters of the ...
Hat off
This game is particularly suitable for theater sports matches as there is a winning and losing team. Prerequisite is a hat from the props...
Job Center
A player leaves the room. The public is asked to name an extraordinary profession. The player is invited back in, sits behind his desk an...
Last word - first word
Two players can participate in this game A random rule is added. The tricky part is, that in the dialogue between the two, the last w...
Marriage Guidance
A game for three players. One player is the therapist, the other players are the couple for treatment. The first couple is sent out and t...
Multi-headed Expert
At least three players form a character, the multi-headed expert. To achieve this they stand next to each other and put their arms around...
Pan Right - Pan Left
Pan Right / Pan Left Players: 4 – 8 (Can be played with any number of players, but should be played with two evenly sized teams in shows)...
Pecking Order
An exercise i.e. a game for three players. The players form a hierarchy (A has the highest status, B the middle, C the lowest). It's gove...
People Watching
This is best explained by an example involving players A, B, and C. A waits for B and C to leave before asking for a suggestion. A ask...
Stage Directions
Players 3+ Rules Players perform an ordinary scene based on an audience suggestion. A player outside of the scene will occasionally in...
Terrorist
One player leaves. Ask for a mode of transportation, an object, and a desire. The returning player is a terrorist who must be manipulated...
The Excuse
One of the Improv-players must leave the room for a short time. In the meantime, the audience decides on a reason why the player wa...
The Prophet
One player leaves the room. This will later be the prophet, who must guess the prophecy which is made up by the audience. There will be t...
Three Rules
The moderator asks for three personal rules for the players in the scene to observe. For example, that they have only one arm, may not...
Improv games are often played as part of theatre sports. Here, two teams usually play a series of improvisations against each other. This kind of format has a strong connection to comedy. This does not have to be the case and was not intended by Johnstone, the inventor of theatre sports. According to his idea, this format should include both serious and comic performances. The games are often played by one to four players and take only a short time, maybe up to 10 minutes. It is important to make sure that, despite the comedy character, the story is not forgotten in the game.
Improv games are a good way to relax during the theatre practice or break the ice at a party or at the beginning of a workshop. Improvisational acting teaches you to think quickly and to read other people while you are performing. And best of all, you don't need any special props or equipment, just your imagination and the courage to surpass yourself.
If you know a good game, that is not in our list, please add it here. You just need to register and then you can add new improv stuff. Thank you for your time and for your work.