Flip between channels as you search for something to watch.
Setup and Format
- 4-6 players, standing in a square formation (2 front, rest at the back)
- 1 host
Two players near front of stage. Remaining players are lined up along back of stage. Whichever two players are at front is the scene are 'in scene' whilst the rest are out. Before playing each pair of actors is given a different suggestion by the audience. These may include genres of TV or Film, actual TV shows and films, made up names of plays, emotions or titles of stories and more.
When the host says “Switch Left” all the actors move around one space so that we have different combinations of actors at the front for different scenes. We can thus change channels on our TV by saying “Switch Left” whenever we want. We can go around multiple times to see each scene/channel progress.
Examples
A and B are front stage, C and D are at the back.
- (A) Jack: I love you Rose!
- (B) Rose: I love you too Jack!
- (A) Jack: Oh fuck an ice berg!!!
- (B) Rose: Paint me naked quick before we die!
Host: Switch Left
- (B) Newsreader 1: Hello and welcome to the news at ten.
- (C) Newsreader 2: That’s right, we are bang on time, 10pm exactly.
- (B) Newsreader 1: You could set your watch by us!
- (C) Newsreader 2: At the third stroke, the time sponsored by us will be 10pm exactly.
- (B) Newsreader 1: Now on with the news. People writing online improv exercise examples are beginning to run out of inspiration.
Host: Switch Left
- (C) Delilah: Oh Percival, fetch me a drink will you?
- (D) Percival: Certainly, my lady. Will that be from the river or a puddle, my lady?
- (C) Delilah: Hmm. I'm feeling like some puddlewater today. Chop chop!
Host: Switch Left
- (D) Bacteria Bob: Ooh, Vernon look! Unwashed children's hands!
- (A) Virus Vernon: Nice spottin' Bob! Lets gum up them works right quick!
- (D) Bacteria Bob: You know, when you love your job, it just don't feel like work.
- (A) Virus Vernon: It's the easy life, it is Bob.
Host: Switch Left
Back to A and B as Jack and Rose, perhaps moving the scene forward an hour or so. Perhaps meeting in heaven? Perhaps calling out to each other in separate lifeboats, etc.
Purpose
A fun way to get people used to playing scenes. We use it in courses as it helps people play two person scenes in front of an audience without really thinking about it and without getting worried about the audience too much, as they feel like they are in a larger group and have something else to focus on instead of just feeling anxious.
We also use it to teach playing suggestions even if you don’t know much about the suggestion, that it’s ok to do your own spin on a suggestion and make mistakes and have fun with it. This is good for spontaneity too, as there is a part of the improviser that wants to stop and plan what to do with the suggestion but we override that and just jump straight into it.
It also teaches listening and escalating, as you have to hear the scenes around you and escalate your own scenes on the next round.
Tips
- Escalate something from your scene in the next round, for example an emotion or character behaviour.
- It doesn’t matter if you don’t know the suggestion. It’s not a test and instead of playing like an adult play like a playful child and have fun with it. Never seen Gone with the Wind? Do your version of it and play with the other person and find it together. Also support the other person. You don’t have to have an idea to improvise if you are in the mindset of support comes first.
- Be quick! This applies for both the scene players, and the host. Short snappy scenes play best, so play bold and clear.
- Similarly, don't hesitate to get onstage when you are switched in.
Variations
- It can be played with more people, you just have 2 at the front at any time and a longer line of people at the front.
- You can also say “PAN RIGHT” to move in the opposite direction.
- You can vary the type of audience suggestions you want. For instance genres, types of play, names of plays, TV shows, films, emotions, characters etc.
Origin
No idea! It’s a very popular game so it seems to be played everywhere but we aren’t sure where it originally comes from. If you know please let us know and we’ll add it here.