easylaughs Improv Exercises

Disclaimer: These are improv exercises gleaned from all over, books, websites and classes. We do not claim to have invented any of them! Some of these books can be found on the easylaughs Books or easylinks page.

Hi, I’m (all players in circle)

Everyone, one by one, steps in and says their name and then steps out. All others must step in and say hello “so-and-so”. Ask players to introduce themselves with an emotion and everyone else has to take on the same emotion

Name Toss

throw an imaginary ball around the circle, saying the player’s name to whom you are throwing the ball.

ABC Names

Person A calls out Person B’s name and walks to Person B’s place. Person B must be out of their place before Person A gets there- to do that, Person B then must call out Person C’s name and walk to Person C’s place and so on.

Mirror

two people stand opposite each other and mirror the others actions. Taking turns at leading and finally doing it with no leader. Good for trust, concentration.

Object Transformation

miming an object and when it is clear what is it passing it on to the next person, who plays with the object until it transforms into a new object and then passing it on. Basic object work, practice at miming.

Listening argument

two people agree to argue a topic. They talk at the same time, listening to the other as they are talking and using the other’s argument to continue arguing. Must keep talking and listening at the same time. Good for listening, concentration.

Twins

3 players, one interviewer and one “twin”. Two players must answer all questions as one person, speaking together at the same time. Good for listening, playing with your partner, trust.

Ooh-Aah

group game, player “throws” a sound and action at another player who “catches” it and then throws another sound and action to another player. Warm-up, energizes without having to think.

Group Where

player comes in and establishers an environment, uses one object in environment and leaves. Following player comes in and uses same object and uses a new object. Next player comes in and uses both objects and a new object and so on until first player comes on and uses all objects. Good for beginning to show environment, the “where” of a scene and object work.

What are you Doing

Two players, one begins miming an activity. Second player calls “what are you doing” and first player calls out a DIFFERENT activity than the one they are doing. Second player then must mime the activity called out and continues. Good demonstration of the millions of things that can be improvised on stage.

Presents

two players, one player gives the other a present. Second player names the present. First player agrees with offer and adds something special about the present. Good for agreement, understanding of offers and naming objects.

Chocolate Game

players sit in circle. Lots of stuff like sunglasses, hats- clothes easy to take on and off, preferably funny stuff. A bar of chocolate and a knife and fork. Players roll dice one by one around the circle. When someone rolls a 6 he/she has to put on 3 pieces of clothing and eat chocolate until someone else rolls a 6 and then that person has to put on 3 pieces of clothing, etc. Good for just playing the game, not worrying about doing it “right”.

One Minute scenes

two players do a one-minute scene with no suggestions from the audience. Good for understanding what is needed in a scene.

Who/What/Where Lines

two players. 3 lines to a scene and the w/w/w must be established in those 3 lines

10 second scenes

scenes in only 10 sec. Shows players the value of the beginning of a scene, offers and w/w/w. Good for strong, instant initiations.

One and Only One

one player makes a motion and a sound, gives focus to next player who makes a different movement and sound- only one player at a time may move.

Who Are You

player comes in and shows us what they do or who they are by their actions

Where Are You Going

player comes in and establishes where they are and show where they are going.

When Are You

Player comes in and establishes when they are- what time of day.

Agreement Scenes

every sentence begins with yes and.

Yes Lets

every sentence begins with yes lets.

What Now?

1 player. Player establishes scene alone. Audience gives suggestions for what he does- after each action actor says “what’s next” and can agree or not agree to do next action.

Set the Mood

2 players establish mood of the scene without speaking.

Group Mime

players do activities that require more than one person: folding sheets, tug of war, flipping a giant tortilla, raising a barn.

Group Machine

players create a “machine” by adding one sound and motion at a time.

Music Scene

players build a scene in the same way as machine, but this time creating a location where such movement and sounds are heard.

Who/What/Where Scenes with Activity

first player begins with activity, other with first line of dialogue- can also be done blind so 2nd player doesn’t see activity before saying line.

Scenes with 3 words each

each player can only speak 3 words at a time.

Beg/Middle/End

6 players- 2 people set up the begin of the scene, next 2 people play the middle and last 2 people play the end of the same scene.

Warm Up Styles

walk around and move in the emotion or style of…

Pattern Circle

players create a pattern of pointing at each other and saying names, and then with word associations, try to keep 3 patterns going at the same time.

Who/What/Where Firing Squad

one person receives all first lines from other players and has to come up with good yes, and or supporting second lines.

Expert

player is given a topic and must give a speech as expert of that topic

Storyteller

one person is narrating the story, other players play the story out.

Advance and Explore

players work in pairs, one tells a story the other asks them to either explore details or advance to the next plot point. Can also then be done in scenes.

Animal Cocktail Party

walk the players thru 10 stages from human to a chosen animal. Bring them back to human-like animals and have them interact as if at a party.

Age Walk

A caller walks players thru different ages of life, starting as babies and on to old age.

Character Interview

have players create a character and put on the clothes of that character. Then interview them one by one and ask lots of questions about them and their life.

Hitchhiker

4 people in car. As a hitchhiker approaches with a strong characteristic or emotion, comes into the car (someone leaves) and everyone in car takes on characteristic or emotion of hitchhiker.

FUGUE

3 players, get suggestion of occupation. Three people who don’t know each other all died on the same day in the same place, and tell the story in turns how it happened.

Emotion Jump

each player gets an emotion to play in the begin of a scene. By end of the scene the players have transformed their emotion into the other player’s begin emotion

Second Emotion

Each player gets 2 emotions, has to begin the scene with one emotion and end with the other.

Emotional Bus

same as hitchhiker but now a bus

3 Object Scenes

each player needs to discover and use 3 improvised objects in the environment during the scene.

Restaurant Scene

6 players, 3 pairs. Each pair is at a restaurant. They are all in the same restaurant but are in 3 different scenes. The coach controls the focus on each scene and all 3 should get 3 rounds- the beginning, middle and end of each scene. After this has been played a couple of times, let the actors give and take the focus themselves.