Scripted Improv - an activity

[Paul Levy]

For a group of 5-8.

This can be done seated or walking around.

It can be done with one copy of a script shared, or one copy each.

Find a piece of writing - from a play, a story or even an article.

Someone starts reading aloud (can also be sight-performed). At any time someone else takes over, even in mid-sentence and carries on until the script has been fully read together. Whole sentences might be read by one person, or just one word before someone takes over.

The idea is to play with the delivery, the voice, the tone, whilst maintaining the integrity of the piece.

Variations:
- the facilitator calls out a character and the next person has to continue reading as that character ( can be hilarious doing a Hamlet soliloquy like that or a politician's speech!)

The exercises explores:
- flow
- the moment of decision to let go
- working as a team

The script acts as a good anchor into improv. What we then improvise is the interaction and moments of handover and flow, freed of the need to improvise content.

[Leif Hansen]

Cool, I look forward to trying this some time. Thanks for sharing.

[Paul Levy]

Several times - it pitches the performer into a edge-of-their-seat ride through a script, requiring a lot of self-trust in the moment, as well as faith in others (if the script is several actors).

[Leif Hansen]

I like it, very cool mix of scripted and improv. The script, in a sense, gives the player a chance to get out of his/her head by not worrying about what to say --and the pace and switching helps it stay playful and experimental as well. Did you try this, how did it go?