Word at a Time Expert

Word at a Time Expert

Description

Three players stand next to each other shoulder to shoulder to play one entire person (or in this case an expert in something), who speaks one word at at time. Then another player plays the interviewer. All you need from the audience is something for someone to be an expert in (like rollerskating fish, or dancing plants) and you’re away!

The interviewer treats the game as if we’ve just zoned in on a TV channel all about that expertise and proceeds to interview our expert, who given that it’s a word at a time answer, often makes sense in the funniest and weirdest of ways. Getting them to read an extract from their imaginary autobiography always goes down well.

Example

Interviewer: Hello and welcome to “Who knew that was possible?!” Today I have with me someone who is an expert in the field of piano-playing sharks. Would you like to introduce yourself?

Expert voice 1: Hello,

Expert voice 2: my

Expert voice 3: name

Expert voice 1: is

Expert voice 2: Professor

Expert voice 3: Frederick

Expert voice 1: Finn.

Interviewer: Welcome, Professor. How did you first get in to studying sharks that play the piano?

Expert voice 1: When

Expert voice 2: I

Expert voice 3: was

Expert voice 1: 8

Expert voice 2: I

Expert voice 3: saw

Expert voice 1: a

Expert voice 2: shark

Expert voice 3: on

Expert voice 1: holiday

Expert voice 2: busking,

Expert voice 3: and

Expert voice 1: I

Expert voice 2: was

Expert voice 3: fascinated!

Additional Tips for Playing

  • Listen.
  • Be obvious. If you try too hard to be clever or funny in this game it slows down and just makes it hard for each other.
  • Try finding a character for the expert; mimic body language and voice.
  • Make gestures as you speak, be animated.
  • The interviewer can get the expert to read an extract from their biography, or sing the jingle for their new TV show.
  • If the answer doesn’t make sense, the interviewer can repeat what the expert just said and ask them to clarify.

Variations

Show Introduction

“This game is called Word at a Time Expert. For this we are going to interview an expert, who can speak one word at a time. Can I get some suggestions of an unusual expertise?”

 

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