SPINSPIRATION

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SPINSPIRATION

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The Rehearsal Explorations Game

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CHARACTERS

Spin the wheel to select your element

DIALOGUE

THEME & CONTENT

PLOT & STRUCTURE

MOVEMENT

SPACE & STAGING

SPINSPIRATION: The Rehearsal Explorations Game

CHARACTERS

SPINSPIRATION: The Rehearsal Explorations Game

DIALOGUE

SPINSPIRATION: The Rehearsal Explorations Game

THEME & CONTENT

SPINSPIRATION: The Rehearsal Explorations Game

PLOT & STRUCTURE

SPINSPIRATION: The Rehearsal Explorations Game

MOVEMENT

SPINSPIRATION: The Rehearsal Explorations Game

SPACE & STAGING

SPINSPIRATION: The Rehearsal Explorations Game

Change the order of the scenes

Rearrange the sequence of scenes to explore a non-linear narrative or create a different emotional journey. Changing the order allows you to experiment with how the story unfolds and how the audience receives information. Tips: Try starting in the middle or at the end of the story to create intrigue or tension. Reflect on how the new order impacts the pacing, character arcs, and themes. Use transitions (lighting, sound, or movement) to clearly indicate time shifts..

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Change the target audience

Reworking a scene for a different audience (e.g., children, teenagers, adults) will alter the tone, dialogue, and style of the performance. Consider what themes or aspects of the character would resonate most with the new audience. Tip: Experiment with simplifying or complicating the language, adjusting the humour, or modifying body language to suit the audience’s perspective.

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Divide a character between 2 to 3 performers

Splitting a character allows you to explore its complexity by having multiple performers embody different aspects of its personality, emotions, or internal conflicts. Tip: Decide how you’ll communicate the division—will one performer represent speech, another physicality, and the third inner thoughts? Experiment with synchronisation or contrasts in delivery.

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Replace the character with a puppet

Using a puppet can create distance between the actor and the character, allowing for exaggerated physicality and unique vocal experimentation. Focus on how the puppet moves, its size, and its personality. Think about how its existence changes the scene’s tone—does it bring comedy, surrealism, or symbolism? Tip: Assign one person to control the puppet while the rest of the group observes and offers feedback on how its presence influences the story.

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Multi-role a range of characters

Multi-roling requires performers to switch between characters quickly, often using minimal costume or prop changes. This technique challenges performers to create stark contrasts in physicality, voice, and energy for each character. Tip: Use clear gestures, postures, or distinguishing features (e.g., accents or catchphrases) to help differentiate the characters quickly.

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Create a new character to add to a scene

Introduce a new character who adds tension, provides solutions, or shifts the scene’s focus. Think about how their presence changes the dynamics and motivations of the existing characters. Tip: Ensure the new character has a clear purpose or backstory that enhances the plot rather than distracting from it.

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Create a new character to add to a scene

Introduce a new character who adds tension, provides solutions, or shifts the scene’s focus. Think about how their presence changes the dynamics and motivations of the existing characters. Tip: Ensure the new character has a clear purpose or backstory that enhances the plot rather than distracting from it.

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Change the character’s perspective

Reframe the scene from the character's point of view. How do they feel about what’s happening? What are they hiding, or how are they interpreting the actions of others? Tip: Use inner monologues, diary entries, or asides to explore the character’s emotions and thoughts. This can help deepen their motivations and relationships.

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Mute one character in a scene

Silencing a character forces performers to communicate through body language, facial expressions, and gestures. This can reveal power dynamics or hidden emotions in a scene. Tip: The muted character should remain active and reactive, using physicality to express what they cannot say. The other characters should adapt to this silence and respond accordingly.

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ALTER EGO

One performer does the voice, the other does the movement. This technique separates vocal and physical expression, encouraging teamwork and creativity. The performer providing the voice should focus on clear articulation and emotion, while the one performing the movement should emphasise precision and alignment with the voice. Tip: Rehearse timing and synchronisation to ensure the character feels cohesive. Experiment with moments where voice and movement intentionally contradict for comedic or dramatic effect.

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Repeat the dialogue in a scene

Repetition can emphasise important ideas, create tension, or heighten emotions. It can also add a rhythmic or poetic quality to the dialogue. Tip: Experiment with varying the tone, pace, and volume of the repeated lines to explore how repetition changes the meaning or impact of the scene.

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Write and add in a piece of choral speaking

Choral speaking allows a group to deliver dialogue together, creating a sense of unity, power, or otherworldliness. It’s especially effective for abstract or ensemble-based performances. Tip: Play with layering voices, overlapping lines, or using different rhythms to enhance the atmosphere or emotion of the scene.

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Say the lines using direct address

Breaking the fourth wall by addressing the audience directly can create intimacy, urgency, or even discomfort. It allows the audience to feel personally involved in the story. Tip: Make eye contact with the audience and experiment with your tone. Are you accusing, pleading, or confiding? Adjust your delivery to suit the desired effect.

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Slow the pace of speech down

Slowing speech can make dialogue more deliberate and allow the audience to absorb every word. It’s also effective for creating suspense or portraying emotional weight. Tip: Experiment with stretching out key words or phrases. Stay mindful of the overall rhythm to ensure the scene doesn’t lose energy.

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write a monologue

Create a monologue for a character to reveal their inner thoughts, backstory, or emotions. Monologues build character depth and allow the audience to connect with their perspective. Tip: Focus on what the character wants to express but might not share with others in the scene. Experiment with tone—should it be heartfelt, angry, or reflective?

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Write a Thought Track

Write lines that represent what a character is thinking but not saying aloud, delivered as an aside or voiceover. Thought tracks reveal the subtext of a scene and offer insight into hidden motivations. Tip: Compare the thought track with the spoken dialogue—do they align or contradict? Use this contrast to add tension or humour.

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Rewrite a Scene as a Series of Short Monologues

Instead of characters speaking to each other directly, have them deliver their lines as individual monologues, breaking the dialogue into reflective pieces. This creates a fragmented, introspective style and allows you to explore how characters react internally. Tip: Ensure the monologues build on each other to maintain narrative flow.

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Write a Rhythmic or Poetic Scene

Write dialogue that follows a specific rhythm, rhyme scheme, or poetic structure, such as iambic pentameter, free verse, or a chant-like cadence. This could include rhyming couplets, repetitive refrains, or a lyrical, sing-song delivery. Characters might speak in a way that mirrors the emotion, theme, or tension of the scene, using the musicality of language as a storytelling tool. Tip: Experiment with different poetic devices such as repetition, alliteration, onomatopoeia, or assonance to enhance the auditory impact of the dialogue. Use imagery and metaphor to add depth and layers of meaning to the words.

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Write a song to include in the scene

Songs can highlight emotions, emphasise key moments, or provide a lyrical reflection on the scene’s themes. Tips: Decide whether the song will be performed by a character, an ensemble, or as background music. Brainstorm lyrics that reflect the characters’ emotions or the scene’s message. Experiment with different musical styles to find one that enhances the tone or setting of the piece.

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Add a piece of music to enhance the mood

Music can evoke emotions, set the tone, or create a sense of time and place. Tips: Choose music that aligns with the scene’s atmosphere or contrasts with it to create tension. Decide whether the music will play in the background, be performed live, or be integrated into the action. Experiment with volume, tempo, and timing to maximise the music’s impact.

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Film the scene and project it instead of performing it live

Filming the scene allows you to explore multimedia elements and consider how the performance translates to a different medium. Tips:Think about how camera angles, close-ups, and editing can enhance the storytelling. Use projections creatively—consider layering live performance with the filmed footage for added depth. Reflect on how the filmed version changes the audience’s experience compared to a live performance.

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Create still images Representing the Theme

Use the entire group to create a still image or series of images that symbolise the theme. This allows you to visualise the theme in a physical, abstract form. Tips: Experiment with levels, spacing, and body positioning to create a clear and impactful representation. Discuss what each still image communicates and how it reflects the theme. Use transitions between images to explore how the theme evolves.

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Create a Soundscape That Reflects the Theme

Use voices, instruments, or objects to build a soundscape that captures the mood or emotion of the theme. This allows you to explore the theme non-verbally, focusing on atmosphere. Tips: Layer sounds and experiment with dynamics, tempo, and silence to evoke different aspects of the theme. Play the soundscape as background during rehearsals to see how it influences the performance.

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Use Symbolic Props or Objects

Introduce objects that represent aspects of the theme and explore how they can be used in the performance. Props can serve as metaphors, adding layers of meaning to the devised piece. Tips: Experiment with how the objects are handled, shared, or transformed during the scene. Discuss what the objects represent and how their presence affects the story.

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Set the Theme in a Different Context or Era

Reimagine the theme within a distinct setting, such as a historical period, futuristic world, or fantasy realm. This encourages you to think creatively about how the theme might adapt or evolve in different contexts. Tips: Discuss how the new context influences characters, relationships, and conflicts. Use the exploration to find fresh, unexpected angles on the theme.

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Create a Found Text Collage

Use articles, speeches, social media posts, or published documents related to the theme to create a script. This brings diverse voices and factual elements into the piece, allowing you to explore the theme through multiple lenses. Tips: Select contrasting texts to highlight different perspectives on the theme. Explore how the tone of the sources (formal, casual, angry, hopeful) affects the delivery. Experiment with layering the texts—e.g., overlapping dialogue or chorus-like delivery.

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alter the narrative

Modify key moments in the story (e.g., change the outcome of a conflict, introduce a new event). This exploration helps you explore alternative possibilities and deepen your understanding of the story's potential. Tips: Brainstorm "what if" scenarios (e.g., "What if the antagonist won?"). Experiment with how this change affects character motivations and relationships. Reflect on whether the altered narrative adds clarity or complicates the message.

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REPEAT A SCENE

Revisit a scene but perform it with changes (e.g., different perspectives, emotions, or outcomes). Repetition can highlight key moments, show contrasts, or reveal new layers of meaning. Tips: Experiment with subtle variations (e.g., a shift in tone or staging) or dramatic ones (e.g., a complete role reversal). Consider using repetition to show how time, memory, or emotion alters perception. Reflect on whether the repetition emphasises or challenges the audience’s expectations.

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add a split scene

Create two or more scenes happening simultaneously on stage, with characters in different locations or experiencing different moments. Split scenes allow you to explore parallels, contrasts, or connections between events or characters. Tips: Use lighting or physical positioning to clearly separate the spaces. Experiment with overlapping dialogue or contrasting tones to create tension or humour. Reflect on how the split-scene deepens the audience’s understanding of the story.

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add a flashback

Introduce a scene from the past to provide context, explain motivations, or reveal hidden truths. Flashbacks enrich the narrative by allowing the audience to see what shaped the characters or events. Tips: Use visual or auditory cues (e.g., lighting, music) to distinguish the flashback from the present. Decide whose perspective the flashback reflects and how reliable it is. Reflect on how this new information changes the audience’s understanding of the plot.

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ADD A FLASH-FORWARD

Show a glimpse of the future to create suspense or foreshadow events. Flash-forwards can hint at consequences, build tension, or provide a sense of inevitability. Tips: Ensure the flash-forward connects meaningfully to the present action. Experiment with how much or how little of the future is revealed—keep it ambiguous if needed. Reflect on how the flash-forward impacts the audience’s anticipation of events.

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Add a contrasting time period

Set a scene or sequence in a different era, either to parallel or contrast with the main story. Introducing a new time period can highlight universal themes or offer a fresh perspective on the narrative. Tips: Research the chosen time period to ensure authenticity in language, costumes, and setting. Reflect on how the contrast (e.g., modern vs historical) changes the audience’s understanding of the themes. Experiment with how characters might behave differently in the new context.

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Add a contrasting location

Introduce a new setting that contrasts with the current one (e.g., a bustling city vs a quiet countryside). A contrasting location can highlight differences in mood, tone, or character dynamics. Tips: Use staging, props, and sound to create a clear sense of place. Reflect on how the new location influences the characters’ behaviour or decisions. Experiment with how transitions between locations affect the pacing and flow of the story.

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Develop a Movement Motif

Create a short, repeated movement sequence that represents an idea, theme, or character relationship. Motifs can provide continuity, symbolism, or rhythm to a piece. Tips: Start with a simple gesture or movement and develop it into a sequence. Ensure all ensemble members perform the motif with precision and unity. Experiment with repeating the motif at different speeds, directions, or dynamics to reflect changes in mood or tension.

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Explore Canon Movement

Develop a sequence where each ensemble member performs the same movement, but at staggered intervals. Canon creates visual rhythm and highlights individual contributions within the group. Tips: Experiment with different timings (e.g., quick overlaps or long delays). Use contrasting movements between groups to create layers on stage. Reflect on whether the canon adds energy, tension, or focus to the scene.

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create a movement landscape

Use the ensemble to represent an environment (e.g., a forest, city, storm) through physical movement. This encourages you to think abstractly and use your bodies to create atmosphere. Tips: Assign different roles within the landscape (e.g., trees swaying in the wind, pedestrians walking). Use sound (vocally or through body percussion) to enhance the environment. Reflect on how the landscape interacts with or affects the characters in the scene.

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Use Gesture to Develop Character or Theme

Create a sequence of repeated gestures that reflect a character’s traits or a central theme. Gestures can provide a physical vocabulary that enhances storytelling and characterisation. Tips: Each ensemble member can develop their own gesture or contribute to a collective sequence. Layer gestures with changes in tempo, size, or intensity to create variation. Reflect on how gestures can replace or complement dialogue in conveying meaning.

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Change the order of the scenes

Rearrange the sequence of scenes to explore a non-linear narrative or create a different emotional journey. Changing the order allows you to experiment with how the story unfolds and how the audience receives information. Tips: Try starting in the middle or at the end of the story to create intrigue or tension. Reflect on how the new order impacts the pacing, character arcs, and themes. Use transitions (lighting, sound, or movement) to clearly indicate time shifts..

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Incorporate Movement Transitions

Develop smooth or stylised transitions between scenes or moments using ensemble movement. This ensures the performance flows seamlessly and maintains the audience’s engagement. Tips: Experiment with transitions that grow out of the final movement or emotion of the previous scene. Use unison or synchronised movement to create cohesion during the transition. Reflect on whether the transitions enhance the rhythm and tone of the overall piece.

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Choreograph a movement sequence based on a character's emotion or the location where your scene is set and perform it at varying speeds and with different dynamics (e.g., soft, sharp, heavy, light). Adjusting tempo and dynamics allows you to explore how movement conveys emotion and energy. Tips: Rehearse the sequence at extremely slow and fast paces to find new interpretations. Experiment with contrasting dynamics within the ensemble (e.g., one group moving fluidly while another moves sharply). Reflect on how the changes in tempo and dynamics shift the mood and focus of the scene.

Play with Tempo and Dynamics

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Choreograph a Synchronised Movement Sequence

Choreograph a synchronised movement sequence that represents a strong emotion a character is feeling. The whole ensemble will work together to embody that emotion physically. Tips: Start by discussing the emotion. What does it feel like in the body? Is it heavy, light, sharp, flowing, tense, or relaxed? Build a short movement sequence that everyone can perform in sync. Keep it simple to begin with, then develop it by adding detail, such as gestures or changes in speed. Experiment with how the sequence evolves. Does the emotion grow stronger or fade? Does the movement get bigger, faster, or more chaotic?

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exploring relationship Dynamics Through Movement

Create a sequence where the ensemble physically represents relationships, such as unity, division, or hierarchy. This helps you explore how to show emotional and relational dynamics without words. Tips: Experiment with proximity, levels, and eye contact to show power or vulnerability. Use shifts in movement (e.g., chaos to stillness) to reflect changes in the group dynamic. Reflect on how the group’s movement influences the audience’s understanding of the scene.

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cube it

Rehearse a scene where all the action and movement must take place within a confined space, such as a 1sqm or 2sqm cube area. This challenges you to explore how to use small spaces creatively, focusing on precision, physical storytelling, and how proximity affects relationships. Tips: Think about how characters can share the space—what happens when they’re forced into close proximity? Use smaller, detailed movements to convey meaning instead of big gestures. Reflect on how this restriction changes the energy of the scene. Does it make it more intense or claustrophobic? Once you’ve rehearsed it, try expanding the space again. How does the scene feel different?

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low levels

Rehearse a scene where all the characters must remain at a low level (e.g., sitting, kneeling, crouching, or lying down). This encourages you to think about how body positioning affects status, relationships, and focus, while also creating a different visual dynamic. Tips: Experiment with how the characters move while staying low—can they crawl, roll, or slide? Reflect on how being at a low level changes the mood of the scene. Does it feel more intimate, vulnerable, or subdued? Consider how this impacts audience perspective. Does it make them focus on facial expressions or small gestures more? Once you’ve explored the scene, try introducing changes to levels—who rises first, and why?

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spaced out

Rehearse a scene where all the characters are positioned far apart from each other, using as much of the space as possible. This helps you explore isolation, distance, and how to use space to create tension or highlight relationships. Tips: Think about how the characters communicate across the distance: do they use their voices, gestures, or eye contact? Experiment with movement—what happens if one character tries to close the distance or deliberately moves further away? Use this technique to explore power dynamics—who controls the space and who feels excluded?

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EXPLORING THE AUDIENCE SPACE

rework a scene and experiment with it taking place outside the designated performance space and into the audience. This allows you to break the fourth wall and create a more immersive, unpredictable dynamic between performer and audience. Tips: Experiment with how the characters interact with the audience. Do they speak directly to them, move among them, or observe them? Reflect on how this changes the energy of the scene. Does it feel more personal or confrontational? Consider sightlines and ensure that everyone in the audience gets a clear view of the action. Rehearse transitions—how do you move seamlessly between the audience and the stage?

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play with focus and isolation

Create moments where one part of the space is highlighted while the rest is still or in shadow. Purpose: Focusing the audience’s attention on one area or character creates dramatic tension or emotional depth. Tips: Use stillness in the ensemble to frame the action and make the focus more powerful. Experiment with lighting or sound to isolate a character or moment. Reflect on whether this technique helps the audience understand the story’s key moments more clearly.

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IMMERSIVE ELEMENTS

Create a scene or moment that involves audience immersion or active participation. This could include speaking to them, giving them objects, or inviting them to join the action. Immersion blurs the line between performer and audience, making the experience more engaging and memorable. Tips: Think about the audience’s role: are they observers, participants, or characters in the story? Tailor the moment to your piece’s themes: how does involving the audience enhance the story? Test different levels of participation. Do you want a subtle interaction (e.g., making eye contact, handing them a note) or a direct one (e.g., asking them to join a scene)?

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Experiment with Proxemics

Explore the physical distance between characters or groups to show relationships, tension, or unity. Proxemics creates subtext and emotional impact, helping the audience sense what’s unspoken. Tips: Try having characters close together in moments of intimacy or far apart to show conflict or alienation. Experiment with sudden changes in distance—what does it say when someone invades another’s space? Reflect on how the spacing affects the audience’s focus and understanding of the dynamics.

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EXPLORE Levels to Show Power and Status

Explore how height and levels can represent power dynamics, relationships, or emotions in a scene. Using levels creates visual interest and helps convey the relationships between characters without words. Tips: Experiment with high, medium, and low positions—some characters standing, others crouching, sitting, or lying down. Reflect on how the levels change when the power shifts during the scene. Use staging to emphasise key moments, such as a character rising to assert control or lowering to show vulnerability.

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SPINSPIRATION is an engaging, interactive game designed by Black Box Education to inspire creativity and collaboration in ensemble devising rehearsals. The game combines chance and strategy, challenging groups to explore, enhance, and adapt their devised scenes through a variety of rehearsal elements. By spinning the wheel, groups are guided to focus on a specific rehearsal exploration area, such as characters, dialogue, or movement. Rolling the dice within each element determines a practical exploration that pushes the ensemble to create new ideas and refine their work.

Rules on How to Play Spinspiration

Roll the Dice:

• Within the selected element, the group rolls an eight-sided dice. Each number on the dice corresponds to a specific practical exploration related to that element.
• The students read out the exploration challenge and spend time discussing it. The teacher can provide additional context and ideas for exploration.

Complete the Exploration:

• Groups have a set amount of time (e.g., 20–30 minutes - the teacher will often determine this) to complete the practical exploration task.
• The task should focus on exploring, enhancing, or adapting part of their devised scene based on the chosen element.

EXTENSIONS Present or Share: After completing the task, groups can briefly present what they’ve worked on or discuss their discoveries and ideas. Repeat: Once a round is complete, the group spins the wheel again to move on to a new element and repeats the process.

Set Up the Game:

• The class will be working in their ensemble groups.
• Each group should already have some scene or devised work they have already worked on, ready to explore and develop.
• Click 'START' and a page with a spinning wheel will appear. There are six colours on the wheel, each representing one of the rehearsal elements:

Characters | Dialogue | Plot and Structure Theme and Content | Movement | Space and Staging Spin the Wheel:

• One representative from the group spins the wheel. When the wheel stops on a colour, the group moves onto the corresponding element.
• Click on the arrow to move to that section.