It’s no secret that the art of improvisation is an excellent skill for actors of all disciplines. It’s a chance to loosen up the body while sharpening the mind – and having fun in the process. Here are 10 brilliant improv games to get the ball of creativity rolling, and help you become a more present, truthful, spontaneous, and versatile actor.
1. Zip Zap Zop
Many actors will be familiar with some variation of Zip Zap Zop, a classic improvisation theatre game that is often used as a warm-up. It requires your full attention and commitment – two crucial skills for acting.
Stand in a circle. One person begins by clapping their hands in the direction of someone else (you can turn either left or right, or pass it across the circle) and saying “zip.” At the same time, the person who has just been clapped at claps (eye contact is key here!). Then they pass the motion on, clapping at someone else and saying “zap.” That person then passes the motion on to another person, saying “zop.” It then starts over with “zip,” and so on.
The game is all about speed, energy, and group focus. In his book How to be the Greatest Improviser on Earth, actor, improviser, and teacher Will Hines recommends you “bend your knees ever so slightly and lean forward” to ensure you’re truly present and ready to respond.
2. 8 Things
Form a circle. One player jumps into the middle, and another player gives them a category, such as types of pudding. The player in the middle lists eight things that fall into that category. Each time they add something, the rest of the group enthusiastically counts. It’s important to note that the items the player lists don’t need to be correct; they could be unrelated or imaginary. The key is to quickly shout eight things, and for the group to provide enthusiastic verbal support. For example:
Player 1: Sticky toffee!
Everyone: One!
Player 1: Apple crumble!
Everyone: Two!
Player 1: Cheesecake!
Everyone: Three!
Player 1: Jam roly-poly!
Everyone: Four!
Player 1: Marzipan!
Everyone: Five!
Player 1: Eton mess!
Everyone: Six!
Player 1: Ice cream!
Everyone: Seven!
Player 1: Rainbow sprinkle unicorn cake!
Everyone: Eight! Those were eight things! (Everyone cheers.)
Once the first person has finished, another person should jump into the circle for their turn, and so on until everyone has had a go. Practise following your impulses with this simple improvisation game and notice how it improves your ability to trust your authentic instincts in a scene.
3. Whisky Mixer
This is another classic improvisation game – and one that improviser and teaching artist Katy Schutte recommends as a warmup for actors.
Stand in a circle and pass the phrase “whisky mixer” around in one direction. When someone inevitably gets the tongue-twister wrong, the aim is to style it out rather than apologise or repeat the phrase correctly. (Yes, you did mean to say “whisky misters,” thank you very much!) Once you have “whisky mixer” going in one direction, you can start “viscous mixture” in the other direction. Finally, add “mister whiskers” to pass across the circle, being sure to make clear, direct eye contact with the person you are passing to.
Schutte says this is a brilliant game for actors, because “so many of them are terrified of failure!” Don’t we know it! “Improv trains you to be so comfortable with failure that you see it as a gift,” she says. “This game is all about getting actors into a space where they feel comfortable embracing failure, helping to make them more playful.” Use this game to loosen yourself up and get out of your head.
4. Pass the Face
In a circle, Player 1 turns to their right and makes a face at Player 2. Player 2 then turns to their right and copies the face to Player 3. Continue to pass the face around the circle multiple times.
The aim of the game is to replicate, as accurately as possible, what the person before you did. As the face passes through the circle, however, it will naturally shift and evolve. Allow that to happen without forcing anything.
Acting coach Jim Rastall uses the game to help actors “get out of [their] heads, be more expressive, and tap into what can happen when you don’t try to make something happen.” It’s all about trusting your authentic self, a skill actors can also use in auditions.
5. Repetition Scenes
Improvisation games that focus solely on listening can be extremely beneficial to actors. After all, your best bet for staying present in a scene is to listen to your scene partner.
In this exercise, two people perform a scene in which each actor repeats the last line their scene partner said before adding something new. For example:
Player 1: Hey, honey, I have to tell you something. I want a divorce.
Player 2: “I want a divorce.” That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard in all my life! We’ve only been married 24 hours.
Player 1: We’ve only been married 24 hours, and in that time I’ve come to realise my true calling is to become a Buddhist monk.
By having to repeat the last thing the person said, you not only have to listen, but also truly hear what the other person said and react as if you’ve been affected by it. This exercise can also be used while rehearsing a scripted scene to find new, potentially more organic and authentic reactions to the text.
6. Only Numbers
This drama improv game pushes actors to stay present and focused on their scene partner’s tone and emotional state.
Two people do a scene in which they can say only numbers. Since the numbers have no actual meaning, they must use tone, body language, and facial expressions to communicate with their partner. For example, Player 1 may say, “One, two, three,” in a disapproving tone. Player 2 may respond, “Four?” in a questioning tone, to which Player 1 responds, exasperatedly, “Five! Six, seven, eight!” You should say numbers in order and you should not repeat them. (When Player 1 says “four,” for example, Player 2 cannot respond with “four.” They must move on to “five.”)
“At first, people will try to communicate very specific, literal things,” Hines says, such as, I’m so annoyed with my boyfriend. But because there’s no way to make the numbers mean anything, the only thing the other person can tune in to is your tone. They can hear that you’re angry, so perhaps they use a soothing tone to reply. Maybe you then calm down and use a more resigned tone in response. The exercise forces you to get out of your critical-thinking left brain and into your more intuitive, creative right brain – a place actors want to be!
Hines offers a variation in which “each person can only say one number, which forces you to use silence and tone to get feeling out of just one word.”
7. I’m Watching You Watching Me
In the words of improviser and teacher Susan Messing, “If you’re in your head, you’re not here with me.” This game is great for encouraging players to be present and in flow with their scene partner, which should help them produce better work.
Sit or stand opposite your scene partner. Looking at each other, one of you says, “I’m watching you watching me.” The other person says back, “You’re watching me watching you.” Maintain eye contact, and don’t do anything. Just watch every tiny detail and micro signal from them. If you notice your scene partner doing anything – even the smallest thing, such as licking their lips – it becomes your new observation, prompting you to say, “You just licked your lips.” They say back: “I just licked my lips.”
“The idea with this improv game is to really tune in to the other person, and to tune in to what they are noticing about you,” says Schutte, another advocate for the game. Like the Meisner technique, this exercise helps you trust your instincts and practice responding truthfully in the moment.
8. Curveball
This game is played in pairs. One person begins to make up a story. As they speak, their scene partner throws in random words, such as “turtle,” which they then need to work into their story. The storyteller should incorporate the words in a logical way, and their scene partner should wait for each word to be used before adding another.
This game “makes you alive to the possibility of change,” Schutte says, which is another useful skill for actors to hone, allowing you to be more adaptable and instinctual in your scripted work.
9. Character Matching
This improv theatre game is about fully committing to something and then practising being adaptable.
In a circle, Player 1 turns to the person next to them. They adopt the physicality and voice of a character, such as a wizened old woman, as they say a line. The person they are facing, Player 2, adopts the same physicality and voice to respond. Once they have exchanged three lines, Player 2 turns to the person on their other side and adopts a new character. Player 3 matches the character, thus beginning a new three-line scene. Continue around the circle until everyone has both initiated and copied a character.
To get the most out of the exercise, focus on fully and quickly committing to whatever character is being offered and then morphing with the same commitment into whatever character you choose to adopt.
10. Emotional Family
This improv acting game is all about committing to a specific emotion.
Three or four players enact a scene from a traditional family get-together, such as a birthday or Sunday lunch. Each player should pick an emotion for their character, such as sad, happy, scared, or angry, which they keep to themselves until the scene starts. Everything you say and do in the scene offers a chance to express that emotion. As the scene goes on, however, you should allow yourself to be organically impacted by the emotions of your scene partners, which may be the same as yours or different.
The aim is to practise being led by your emotions and to allow yourself to be impacted by the emotional states of your scene partners.