Drama Games for Those Who Like to Say No

Chris Johnston

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781780012377
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Acting & Auditioning

A dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book in the Nick Hern Books Drama Games series, this title is for teachers and workshop leaders working with difficult or reluctant students, youth groups, young offenders, and all those who seem intent on saying 'no' to whatever is offered them. 

'This book offers invaluable ways for artists, teachers, workshop leaders and activists to better use the arts to empower young people' Ken Livingstone, from his Foreword.

For these groups, drama games and activities need to be robust and engaging, and the dozens that appear in this book have been devised with this in mind - and then tested by their target players. Each page features clear instructions on How to Play, notes on the Benefits of the Game, and advice on age range, number of players and timing.

Following the ninety games and exercises aimed at developing core skills, the book offers scenarios for a series of improvisational challenges that test participants' abilities in mediation, communication, negotiation, assertiveness and managing emotions. Also included is a collection of games aimed at preparing teachers and workshop leaders for facilitating challenging sessions.

The ultimate aim is to encourage reluctant participants to engage, collaborate and develop not just skills for drama but skills for life.

PART ONE

ENGAGEMENT

These games and exercises are about making the transition from social interaction to game-based interaction, while bringing as many as possible of the participants along.

1. Name Three Times

Moving from chat to game, no one even has to leave their seat.

How to Play

The group sit in a circle, on chairs.

The facilitator stands in the middle. There are no spare chairs.

He or she is trying to sit down. The way to do this is to say the first name of someone in the group as quickly as possible three times, before that person can say his or her own name once. If this is achieved, the facilitator or player in the centre sits in the chair of the person whose name was just called.

Now the player who has been deposed has to try and sit down, using the same technique.

If the person whose name was called does manage to say their name before it’s been called three times, then the player in the centre has to try with someone else.

Benefits of the Game

Wakes everybody up.

Helps to bring everyone into a shared focus, a shared activity.

It also encourages players to accept a very simple, competitive set of rules, hopefully meaning that more elaborate game structures can be introduced later.

Players	Age	Time
Any number	10+	10

2. Football Teams

The mention of football can trigger a somewhat heated exchange; I’ve known participants simply refuse to play the game unless they can play under the colours of the team they support.

How to Play

Three football teams are chosen and everyone is assigned to one of the three teams.

The group sits in a circle, on chairs, all except for one player who remains in the middle. There needs to be good-sized spaces between the chairs.

The centre player wants to sit down but there are no more chairs. He or she calls out a name of one of the three teams. All the members of that team then have to change places.

As this is happening, the centre player tries to sit down. Whoever fails to get a chair after all are seated needs to stand in the middle and call a new team.

It’s also possible for the centre player, instead of calling a team, may call ‘Football League’, in which case everyone has to move.

Benefits of the Game

Encourages attentiveness, speed of movement, sharpness of mind.

Variations and Extensions

Instead of using football teams, any category of people from sport or elsewhere might be used. The game might lead on to ‘Anyone Who…’. In this, the person in the centre defines a personal characteristic, which must apply to him or herself. For example, ‘Anyone who has red hair/two legs/plays football/has been in a plane.’ Any player in the circle for whom this is true needs to get up and find a new chair. Once again, the centre player needs to sit down. It’s vital that in ‘Anyone Who…’ the characteristic is true of the person in the middle – otherwise the game is open to abuse or bullying.

Players	Age	Time
Any number	10+	10

3. Identifying Objects

Simple, hard to resist playing.

How to Play

Lay some small objects out on a table. Make sure that the majority of the objects are hard to identify, or a little unusual. Make sure that the players don’t see the objects being laid out.

Ask for a volunteer and apply a blindfold.

The blindfolded player has to identify as many objects on the table as possible, through touch alone.

A new set of objects will be needed for the next player.

Benefits of the Game

Heightened sensitivity through touch, concentration, use of imagination.

Variations and Extensions

Use a black bag like photographers use for loading a film – or they used to, before digital kicked all that into touch. Put the objects in the black bag (it needs to have a closed neck so the objects can’t be seen). Then ask each player, after he or she has ‘felt’ in the bag, to write down their object definitions.

Now it’s clearly a competition as to who can identify the most objects. This variation means you don’t have to change the objects for every new player.

+ Assorted small objects

Players	Age	Time
Any number	10+	10

4. Passing the Object

The individual versus the team.

How to Play

Ask all the players apart from one to stand in a line, facing the same way. They need to stand close together.

The final player stands in front of the line.

An object is given to the players in the line.

These players pass the object between them by using their hands behind th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Contents
• Dedication
• Foreword by Ken Livingstone
• Introduction: Shaking Hands with Difficulty
• Acknowledgements
• Part One – Engagement
• Part Two – Play
• Part Three – Collaboration
• Part Four – Skills
• Part Five – Challenges
• Part Six – Training
• Index of Games
• Keywords
• Alphabetical List
• About the Author
• Other Titles in the Series
• Copyright Information