Taster
"it is now clear to me that anticipation of pleasure is the key to all learning..'
Candace B Pert Ph.D. 'Molecules of Emotion, Why You Feel The Way You Feel'. NY. Schribner 1977
Welcome to Doctor Theatre!
This work, gathered from very many people and places during 30 years of working in theatre and dance, mainly consists of training exercises that have been developed to encourage a sense of ease and playfulness in performance, combined with generosity, awareness, stamina, discipline and rigour. These are all highly transferable skills that make sense in any group situation not just a Theatre one. They encourage quick, bold and playful responses to stimulus and they also encourage an attitude where one is as responsible for the whole in a group situation as one is to the self. All of the games can be played on many levels. We have done variations on all of this work with many different groups of people from 'hard core' Theatre professionals through to very young children. In this little Taster section are a selection of classic games from the large collection on-site.
(there are well over 100 in the games section alone)
We stress that these are only starting points. Take these games, play them, thrash them out and change them. They are not set in stone. These games and techniques will and should evolve according to the groups of people that play with them. If you like what you read here then remember that it is just a small fraction of what is available to you on the Doctor Theatre website…You are most welcome to join us.
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Circle Games…
There are hundreds of these out there...
Here are some classics.
Change It
The group stand in a circle. One person starts by miming an action. When the action is clear, they pass it on to the next person in the circle. This person copies the action exactly and then gradually changes it into a new one. The name continues round the circle. When it is going well it’s a joy to watch. Sound can be added into this to change the dynamic.
Pass The Clap
This is a brilliant game….. deceptively simple, but a real beauty. The group stand in a circle. One person passes a clear clap to the person next to them, making strong eye contact. The clap gets passed all the way round until there is a good speed and focus. It’s sometimes good to play this game to a strict beat. It’s just as good to let it find its’ own ‘music’. Once the group have got the hang of just sending it around, someone can break out and pass the clap across the circle. The passing then continues, across or around. This is a truly deadly game when it is played without focus and energy. When it is played well it is fab!
Zip, Zap Boing.
This has to be one of the worst offenders for games that are truly deadly when played badly. It is so often played badly that I nearly didn’t include it here! However, when played well by a committed group it is fab, so……..
The group stand in a circle. The sound , ‘ZIP’ is passed around the around the circle. It has an action that goes with it which is a fling of the arm across the body, that goes towards whichever direction the ‘ZIP’ is travelling. (so if the ‘ZIP’ is travelling to the left, the right arm is used, and vice versa). This ‘ZIP’ needs to travel at the speed of light, so that it gets back to the person who started it in a flash. When the group can ‘ZIP’, move on to ‘BOING’. ‘BOING’ stops the ‘ZIP’. The person who uses it has to jump into the path of the ‘ZIP’, facing it, with their arms held up high. The ‘BOING’ sends the ‘ZIP’ back around the other way. When the group have got the hang of ‘ZIP’-‘BOING’, it’s time to introduce the ‘ZAP’. ‘ZAP’ fires the energy across the circle. The ‘ZAP’ action is like classic gun stance. Legs wide, hands together and pointing forward.
You can introduce rules:
You can’t ‘ZIP’ a ‘ZIP’ around the other way.
You can’t ‘ZAP’ a ‘ZAP’ back to the person who sent it .
You can’t ‘BOING’ a ‘BOING’ back to the person who sent it.
Etc. etc. make up your own!
You can also substitute other words:
ZIP – YES - STUFF IT!
BOING – NO – STUFF OFF!
ZAP – YOU - STUFF YOU!
The last version (or variations on it), is very popular with teenagers!
Hey Harry
The group stand in a circle. Everyone is called ‘Harry’. One person turns to the person next to them and says, ‘Hey Harry’. The person replies, ‘What Harry’. The originator says, ‘Go tell Harry’. This continues around the circle. When the group have got it, it is opened up to the circle, so that ‘Go tell Harry’ indicates someone across the circle. If anyone gets it wrong they become ‘Harry one blob’. If they get it wrong again they become Harry two blob blob and so on.
So, we get this…….. ‘
‘Hey Harry one blob’
‘What Harry three blob blob blob’,
‘Go tell Harry trwo blob blob’. Etc. etc.
Pass the squeeze
The group stand in a circle. One person 'A' starts by squeezing the hand of the person next to them 'B'. That person 'B' then squeezes the hand of the person next to them 'C', and the squeeze gets passed on and on, and around until it reaches the originator 'A'. Simple? yes, until you try it.
What often happens is that when a persons hand is squeezed, they will impulsively squeeze back and the squeeze will get sent back around the other way! Confusing? Yes, and funny. After the hilarity has died down, this one is a great one to time with a stopwatch. Good for reluctant groups!
A focused group of ten people will easily do this in 2 seconds.
We have done this with BIG groups 100 people or so..... it's lovely.
Ball Games…
tried and tested strategies........
You need a selection of balls for these games...
You need a ball that is not too hard and heavy otherwise it can be painful,
which may not be what you want! This ball also needs to be of a reasonable size,
just smaller than a football - easy to catch.
You will also need several smaller tennis ball sized balls.
Encourage the group to be generous when they
pass the ball to each other!
Keepy Uppy.
The object of the game is to keep the ball in the air. You can only hit it once in the count – once you have touched it someone else has to take it next. You can use any part of the body to keep the ball going. You can specify – no hands for example. It’s best for the whole group to count out loud.
This game is brilliant for focus, energy and really getting that sense of a group working together - they have to work together or the game doesn’t work! (like all of these games!). The game also encourages the individual to take responsibility for the whole.
Name ball
The group stand in a circle.
One person says the name of another person and then passes the ball to them. It’s important to do only one thing at a time. Identify person…..
Say name…..
Pass ball.
This clarity seems simple but it is often surprisingly hard! There can be a tendency to lump all of these moments together into a blur, which we don't want!
Booo Da
the group stand in a circle with one person in the middle holding a football sized ball.
the middle person, 'A', throws the ball to someone in the circle and says 'Boo'.
That person then catches the ball, throws it back to 'A', and says 'Da'. This carries on with 'A' throwing the ball to someone/anyone in the circle, and it coming back to 'A', until the group has established an easy rhythm...
Boo
Da!
Boo
Da!
Boo
Da!
etc etc.
Once this has become easy, you raise the stakes.....
Anyone, at any time, can come in to the centre of the circle and take 'A's place. 'A' then joins the circle and we have a new 'A'.
The game carries on seamlessly - in theory!
Energisers…
Hesitating about using this title because when these games
are played badly the last thing they are is energising!!!
Any game can be an energiser according to how it’s presented!
Name Tag
One person is ‘it’. That person has to tag someone. The tagged person becomes ‘it’. The way to escape being tagged is to shout someone else’s name. The named person then becomes ‘it’. This is one of my favourite games of all time. It should eventually be played fast and hard with no mercy! When it is played well it looks impossible. When a group has really got it, it’s good to introduce tactical play. You can make alliances with other group members to get people ‘out’. You can also introduce lives…….. 3 strikes and you’re out. Another game that is tough going after a heavy night!
Cat and Mouse 1
The group stand in a circle holding hands. One person is inside the circle – the mouse. Another person is outside the circle – the cat. The cat has to get the mouse. The circle can choose whether to let the cat in, or the mouse out by letting go hands. If the cat gets the mouse they swap over. This is a lovely game for group awareness and complicity. Neither the cat nor the mouse can ‘break through’ the circle of hands.
Anyone Who....
The group make a circle and one person stands in the middle. You can play this with chairs or without but if it is played without you need to keep a good discipline in terms of spaces in the circle.
The person in the middle makes a statement
that is true about themselves starting with
'Anyone who.......
for example
'Anyone who... likes marmite (or whatever).
If there is anyone in the group for which the statement is true, they must cross the circle and find a new place. The person who made the statement also tries to find a place in the circle, and one person will be last to get there.
This person comes up with a new statement that is true about them and the game continues.
We hope that you have enjoyed these lovely games. Remember, this is just a tiny fraction of what is available to you on the Doctor Theatre website…You are most welcome to join us here...
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Nicola Rosewarne and Benjamin Dunks
