Character / Scene Walkabout
Character/Scene Walkabout is an exercise in which performers walk through the space and, on a signal, immediately enter a scene with whoever is nearest. The random pairing and instant commitment prevent over-planning. The exercise builds comfort with initiating scenes with any partner and develops quick character choices.
Structure
Setup
Players spread out and walk through the space. The facilitator asks players to begin taking on a physical character as they walk - an age, a body type, an emotional state, a way of moving through the world.
Phase 1: Establish Character
Players walk for 60-90 seconds, deepening their character through physicality alone: posture, pace, the way their hands move, where their gaze falls. No speaking yet.
Phase 2: Encounters
The facilitator calls "Scene!" Players immediately form a scene with the nearest person to them. They begin mid-action - no "hellos" or scene-setup. Characters meet in the middle of something. The scene runs for 45-60 seconds.
"Walk" - players separate and walk through the space again, adjusting or maintaining their character.
Repeat: "Scene!" with the nearest person - who may now be different.
Phase 3: Rapid Initiation
As the exercise progresses, shorten the walk time between scenes. By the fifth or sixth round, players are essentially transitioning directly from one scene to another with minimal walk break. The exercise tests the ability to initiate immediately, with any partner, from a physical character starting point.
Variation: Character Hand-Off
After each scene, a player may "receive" an element of their partner's character and bring it into their next scene, tracking how characters propagate through the space.
How to Teach It
How to Explain It
"Walk through the space with a character. When I call 'Scene,' start a scene immediately with whoever is nearest. No setup - begin mid-action. I'll call 'Walk' to separate you. Keep your character or let a new one emerge."
Why It Matters
Character Scene Walkabout directly addresses one of the most common workshop failures: performers waiting for the right partner, the right moment, or the right idea before initiating a scene. By building random pairing into the structure, the exercise removes the choice of partner entirely. The character established through walking gives each performer a physical starting point, so the scene begins from something real rather than from nothing. The exercise builds confidence with initiating and the trust that a scene can begin anywhere, with anyone, at any moment.
Common Coaching Notes
- The walk is not downtime. Performers often let their character drop during the walk phase, returning to neutral. Redirect: "Stay in your character. The walk is how your character moves through the world."
- "Mid-action" means mid-action. If scenes start with "Hi" and "Hey" and "How are you," they have not initiated. Prompt: "Where are you? What are you doing? Begin there."
- Encourage character transformation. After several rounds, some players lock into the same character. Invite exploration: "Try the opposite of what you've been doing. What's new?"
- End with a debrief on initiation. The exercise generates data about each player's initiating habits. Use it.
Debrief Questions
- What made it easy or hard to initiate immediately?
- Did your character change across the scenes? How?
- What happened when you had to start a scene with someone you weren't expecting?
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Related Exercises
Scene / Character Walkabout
Scene/Character Walkabout is an exercise in which performers walk around the space embodying a character or exploring a scene's environment before any dialogue begins. The physical exploration establishes character through movement, posture, and spatial behavior. The exercise teaches players to build characters from the body outward rather than from dialogue inward.
Action and Entrance
Action and Entrance is an exercise in which a player enters the scene space performing a specific physical activity that establishes character and context before any dialogue begins. The emphasis on physical initiation teaches performers that action communicates faster than words. It reinforces the principle of entering a scene with a strong, clear choice.
Character Walk
Character Walk is an exercise in which players move through the space while gradually adjusting their physicality to build a character from the feet up. Changes in gait, posture, tempo, and weight distribution produce distinct personas. The exercise demonstrates how physical choices generate character without any need for backstory or dialogue.
As You Will
As You Will is a character immersion exercise in which actors spend an extended period inhabiting their characters in an unstructured social environment. As documented by Gavin Levy in 112 Acting Games, players arrive already in character and interact freely with each other for twenty to sixty minutes without any scripted dialogue, predetermined blocking, or audience. The exercise strips away the technical demands of performance (projection, line learning, blocking) and replaces them with pure character exploration and responsive interaction. By removing the pressure of performance, As You Will allows actors to discover new dimensions of their characters through spontaneous encounter. The exercise is primarily used in conjunction with a scripted production, where it serves as a rehearsal tool for deepening character work and ensemble connection.
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.
Character Mirror Circle
Character Mirror Circle is an exercise in which players stand in a circle and one player steps to the center, adopting a character through physicality and voice. The rest of the circle mirrors the character as precisely as possible. The exercise sharpens observational skills and teaches performers to read and reproduce physical character details.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Character / Scene Walkabout. Retrieved March 17, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/character-scene-walkabout
The Improv Archive. "Character / Scene Walkabout." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/character-scene-walkabout.
The Improv Archive. "Character / Scene Walkabout." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/character-scene-walkabout. Accessed March 17, 2026.
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