Playback Theatre

Someone retell an incident that happened to them.
In pairs try to show it in a simple repetitive action.
Make it as visual/Physical as possible and only use a few words
The adjudicator asks the person who originally shared the experience if the feeling was encapsulated
If not they can suggest how it might be changed to be more accurate
Experiment with performing the piece in different positions/direction to one another.

Progression
Use more actors to create the playback piece
Use props, percussion etc

Grandma's footsteps

Some one is selected to be Grandma and they position themselves at one end of room facing the wall.
Everyone else lines up at the other end of the room with the aim of creeping up on Grandma and touching her on the back without her realising.
Grandma can turn around at any time and if she sees anyone moving then she can send people back to the beginning.
The game is over once someone has managed to creep up and touch Grandma. That person then takes over as the Grandma.

Variations/Progressions
The game can be made more complex by the following additions:

Introduce clothing: For example a hat, so that a person can only win if they touch Grandma wearing the hat. (This can create extreme competition between people or have the other affect of them working as a team)

Introducing an assault course: For example put a chair in the room and items of clothing laid out on the floor. The aim now is to get to Grandma but everyone must sit in the chair and put on a piece of clothing before getting to her.

Introduce the aim of touching Grandma in pairs or even threes. (This creates a lot more team work and cooperation as a group)

As a character: Choose a character or style that every body must get to Grandma in. E.g. as a cowboy, a Policemen, a sniper etc

Distraction: You can give people (Or Grandma) the task of reciting a poem or nursery rhyme throughout which tests peoples ability to multi-task.

Observe:
Whilst the group is playing the game it is good to observe them and see how they respond to the rules and conditions you put on.
Focus
Team work
Strategies
Body Tension

Also many interesting shapes and group tableau's can be thrown up. This can be used as a starting point to explore themes for stories and creating scenes.

Static Composition and status

Set out in an empty room or space 6 chairs evenly spaced, a table and position a bottle of water somewhere in close proximately to it.
Ask individuals from the group to reposition the objects to create one dominant chair in the picture.
Experiment with placing the bottle in different places

Progression -
Add a person to the picture whose aim is to take the focus
Add another person who tries to take the focus off the first. Ask the rest of the group observing if they think he/she has succeeded in doing this
Add a third person who then tries to take the focus and so on.
Build up a picture which shows lots of different stories. Get the group to observe them and this could be a good stimulus to start a scene.
This exercise could also be done with the aim of taking the lowest status. It is a good exercise to find spatial power and the idea of a relational stage.

Marionettes with objects

Pick an object to work with
1. Stand in a space alone with your object for 5 minutes.
Really look at it and imagine it is you
What does it smell like?
How does it move?
Is it rough or smooth?
What Colour is it?
Does it make a sound?

2. Explain your object to a partner

3. In your own space try to move as your object might move and manipulate it at the same time.

4. With a partner give you objects to one another. You partner now manipulates your object and you have to react accordingly. Try doing it while having a conversation on the phone.

5. In fours sit with two of you facing each other. Your partner has your object and manipulates it as you have a conversation with the person from the other pair. Their partner is also holding and manipulating their object.

You can help the conversation to focus by giving them a task to accomplish like asking the other out to dinner, borrowing money off them or challenging them about an annoying habit. It is interesting to See how much the Puppeteers are able to influence the conversation.

Story Telling with objects

In a group of 5 put objects on the floor in the middle that you may have got from home.
Stand in a circle around the objects and nominate someone to go into the middle to start the story.
Give them an object to start with that they must use in the story.
As they are telling the story anyone can take the object off them and give to them another object to continue the story about.
This can be done again at any time by anyone. To make it even harder 2 or even 3 objects can be given to them at a time and they have to try and incorporate them into the story.
Allow every one in the group to have ago.

Variation 1
This could be done with 2 people in the middle who are having a conversation either on the phone or face to face with one another. As objects are given to one person or the other they have to find ways to bring them into the conversation in a natural way

Variation 2
This could be done with two people back to back and each is given 4 items. The idea is to be the first person to include all their items in the conversation in a natural way. To make it even more challenging you can vary it again by saying you have to get the other person to say all your items.

This is not a bottle

Description
Group stand in circle. One object is placed in middle (e.g. bottle, coat hanger, piece of material) People take turns to use the object as something else (e.g. bat, phone, baby, toothpick) then return it to centre. When everyone’s had a go introduce a new object.

Rationale
It is a simple, fun, dramatic exercise. It does not need any language. People enjoy observing/guessing what the object is “made into”. Therefore there are opportunities for recognition of shared experience across the whole group and within the group amongst smaller numbers – therefore helping to build and develop group dynamics. Having a prop stimulates and focuses people’s creativity and extends it.

Development
Uses of sound, bits of language, gromolot (nonsense language), can be added to extend it.
Small scenes can develop where the person with the object makes an offer that calls for someone else to participate (e.g. holding the object as a bat so someone can “throw a ball”. This can be modelled by the workshop leader and others will follow.
Introducing two objects would encourage extending exercise towards small scenes.
Give 3 objects to group of 3-5 people and give them 5 minutes to create a scene.

Guidance
People can take random goes or if you want to encourage everyone/ensure equal access then make it taking turns around the circle.
You can model non-naturalistic, absurd uses of object to extend range.