Drama Game: Gibberish Interpreter

gibberish drama gameType: Creativity, Improv

Procedure:

1.  If you haven’t already, introduce your students to the idea of speaking in “Gibberish”. (Gibberish means speaking with silly sounds that don’t mean anything, but still communicate an intention and meaning.)

2.  A good way to warm up the class is with a simple call and response.  Speak a phrase in gibberish, and have the kids repeat it.  Try to use gestures and demonstrate different emotions and styles.

3.  Ask two students to take the stage.

4.  One will speak gibberish, and the other will translate the gibberish into English.

5.  Give the gibberish student a specific situation to talk about, or take suggestions from the class.  (i.e. You have just come back from a walk on Jupiter, and you are telling us, a crowd of reporters, all about it.)

6.  The gibberish speaker should speak only one line at a time, using as much physicality as he/she can.  Then the interpreter will mimic the motions and translate the phrase into English.

NOTE:

  • Encourage the gibberish speaker to be very specific in his/her intention and actions.  
  • Encourage the interpreter to think very carefully about trying to make the gibberish make sense.
  • OTHER SCENARIOS:
    • A scientist explaining her recent discovery of a 2nd moon
    • A pop singer giving a press conference after falling asleep during his concert performance
    • A child describing what it was like getting her first cavity  
    • A chef explaining how to cook his favorite meal, candy spaghetti (or anything else!)
    • A farmer explaining how to milk a cow in record time

Do you have other scenario ideas?  Leave them below in the comments!  


Beat by Beat Press is the world’s fastest growing publisher of new children’s musicals and teaching drama resources, founded by a team of award-winning playwrights in New York City. Since 2011 Beat by Beat musical plays for kids have received over 6,200 productions in 75 countries around the globe.

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