If there is one thing that I have learnt about improv over the time that I have been doing it is that sometimes actions speak a lot louder then words. It can be really difficult to try and be part of a scene were you do not speak and you allow your actions to do the talking – especially if you are on a set with limited time. We have spoken on here a number of times about different ways that you can incorporate rehearsals into your shows, well today we are going to look at an exercise that can really help make actions speak louder then words and it is so easy to do.

Today we are going to look at an exercise that is all about watching a fake television – no really that is what the game is! In the rehearsal, choose two players to sit on chairs facing the audience – make the chairs sort of link together like it was a sofa. The two characters on stage just sit there in silence and pretend they are watching television – they can sit how they want, they can react how they want but they cannot speak at all.

This is a really interesting rehearsal exercise to do because so much can be read from someone doing something as simple as sitting on a sofa. Just look at the television show Gogglebox and how well that has done- it is a simple concept but it works and you can tell so much from the reactions of the way they sit, look at the television, put that show on silent and you will get a similar result to what this game can do.

You could even bring this onto a show, you could fake a tv light and someone doing Sims like speak for the television to give it a bit of theatre but it will still bring humour or drama to the stage.