Switch Swop Change

For this game you need 4 players who together portray 2 characters. Players A-B and C-D each form a team. B is the substitute for A, and D is the substitute for C.

Use professions or a location as a suggestion. B and D position themselves at the edge of the stage. A and C then begin to play a normal scene until one of the following words is called out by the onstage players or the substitutes:

• Switch: The onstage player and the substitute swap. That means B takes over A's role. A moves to the edge of the stage.

• Swop: Both pairs swap with their respective substitute. If, for example, B and C are onstage, B swaps with A and C swaps with D.

• Change: The two players onstage swap their ROLES. If B was previously a little old lady and C was a nasty bouncer, now B is the bouncer and C is the lady. The role swap remains in place until someone calls "Change" again. "Swop" and "Switch" therefore do not change the role assignment, and in theory any of the 4 players can take on any role.

The game sounds quite complicated at first, but the fast changes bring a lot of action and humor to the scene.

Tips and notes

• The teams always stay the same. So C can never be the substitute for A at any point.

• The roles should be distinctive so that the players can quickly take on the traits and behaviors, otherwise it can easily happen that the two roles become more and more alike.

• Make changes slowly at the beginning so that characters and locations can be established.

• Letting each of the players briefly go through something bad (for example a disappointment, "Nooooooo!") brings a lot of humor. Great "inner monologues" can also be created by repeatedly calling "Change". ;)