Barney
Barney is an energy and movement warm-up exercise in which players adopt an exaggerated, lumbering physical character and interact with the group through simple, playful commands. The exercise asks participants to embody a large, slow, friendly creature (often described as a dinosaur or monster) and move through the space with maximum physical commitment and minimum self-consciousness. The inherent silliness of the character lowers inhibitions quickly, making Barney effective as an early warm-up for groups that are new to physical work or uncomfortable with large physical choices. The exercise builds comfort with exaggerated movement, vocal projection, and the willingness to look ridiculous in front of others, all foundational skills for improv performance.
Structure
Players spread out across the available space. The facilitator demonstrates the Barney character: a large, slow-moving creature with exaggerated physicality. Arms are held wide, steps are heavy and deliberate, and vocalizations are low and booming.
All players adopt the Barney character simultaneously and begin moving through the space. The facilitator calls out simple commands that the group follows while maintaining the physical character: greet another Barney, stomp across the room, roar at the ceiling, or freeze in a dramatic pose.
As players warm up, the facilitator increases the intensity of the commands, asking for bigger movements, louder vocalizations, or interactions between multiple Barneys. Players may be asked to encounter each other, engage in slow-motion battles, share imaginary food, or communicate through grunts and gestures alone.
The exercise runs for five to ten minutes, with energy building progressively. The facilitator concludes by transitioning the group from the Barney character back to neutral, often through a gradual shrinking or calming sequence that brings the physical intensity down before moving to the next activity.
How to Teach It
How to Explain It
"Walk through the space. You are going to shake hands with everyone you meet. Every single person. No agenda, no conversation: just the handshake. Let it reset you physically. Feel where the other person is. Be here."
Barney is most effective at the very beginning of a session, before players have settled into their habitual physical patterns. The exercise works by making the first physical choice so absurd that subsequent physical choices in scene work feel comparatively easy.
The key coaching note is commitment. Players who perform the character halfway, keeping their movements small and their voices quiet, do not receive the exercise's benefit. The point is to be fully ridiculous. Coach players who are holding back by modeling the behavior yourself and by celebrating the most committed performers in the group.
The exercise is particularly useful for groups with new members or mixed experience levels. The shared silliness creates a bonding experience that flattens status hierarchies. Experienced improvisers and beginners look equally foolish as Barneys, which builds ensemble cohesion.
A common failure mode occurs when players treat the exercise as a joke rather than a commitment exercise. Players who laugh at themselves or break character to comment on how silly they feel are distancing rather than engaging. Coach them to commit to the character as fully as they would commit to any scene character, treating the absurdity with total sincerity.
For groups with physical limitations, adapt the exercise by focusing on vocal and facial transformation rather than full-body movement. The core skill, committing to an exaggerated character choice without apology, can be practiced at any physical intensity level.
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How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Barney. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/barney
The Improv Archive. "Barney." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/barney.
The Improv Archive. "Barney." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/barney. Accessed September 28, 2026.
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