New Short Form Games
Sizzling Arthur show last night at the improv theatre, we put loads of new games in and it turned out really fun. It looks like the group is going the way of putting on a totally new batch of games every month. There’s quite a large repeat audience at The Miller so it’s important to keep it fresh, and it’s exciting coming up with new stuff.
Many thanks to Simon Veal, Richard Verrill and Rob Grundel for coming up with some of these, really appreciate it.
Comic Book – Get a made up name of a comic book from the audience. 3 actors immediately take a pose as if they are picture in the comic book. Another actor at the side says the narration (text at the top of comic picture). Another actor at other side provides the speech bubbles. Go through doing lots of pictures in the comic book, with actors in the middle taking a different pose each time. Also a good game for teaching justification, as the actors at the side have to justify all the different poses. Thanks again Rob for coming up with this one.
Deleted Scenes – Actors stand in a row across back of the stage. Host gets a suggestion for a movie from the audience. Actors jump forwards and do lots of mini-scenes that are ‘deleted scenes’ from that movie. Sometimes it’s one actor by themselves, sometimes more. It’s lots of different scenes, quite fast paced. Get a few new suggestions too. When playing it’s good to think what’s the essence of the movie, and then play with it and flip it on its head.
New Choice Each Other – Already quite a common short-form game but we’ve adapted it so the actors new choice each other. For instance:
Arthur: “Hello and welcome to my pub, would you like a pint of ale?”
Martha: “New choice.”
Arthur: “Would you like a pint of lager?”
Martha: “New choice.”
Arthur: “Would you like a pint of brandy?”
Martha: “Yes please, that would be great.”
Arthur: “New choice.”
Martha: “Yes please, pour it into my mouth!”
You can New Choice lines, actions, emotions, anything really. It’s important they stay cheerful and upbeat when shouting New Choice.
Quantum Leap – We’re currently working on this one, based on the TV series where Scott Bakula/Sam Beckett leaped into a different person’s life at the start of each episode. There must be something in it!
The Shard – We’re currently working on this one too. Multiple scenes take place on different floors of The Shard, with characters connecting by going up and down in lifts.
Relationship Time Jump – Simon got this from doing Spontaneity Shop courses, just so you know we didn’t invent it, it’s awesome. Two people start a scene with a relationship from the audience and with a starting age. Eg. two brothers with the youngest one being 8. The host then moves them upwards through multiple scenes at different ages, so we see them grow up together. It’s great for practicing the game of relationship and status, as whatever relationship and status is established in the first scene can be played with for future situations in other scenes.
1 Minute Scene Challenge – Two pairs and one solo actor improvise a 1 minute scene each, based on a genre from the audience. Encourage them to play multiple characters and locations.
Deaf Replay – Two actors improvise a scene while two others look on with their fingers in their ears or with headphones on so they can’t hear anything. The previously deaf improvisers then repeat the scenes with the exact same movements, but with their own lines.
Next Arthur show is on Tuesday 6th March at The Miller, alongside new group Fluffers.
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