Scene / Character Walkabout
Scene/Character Walkabout is an exercise in which performers walk around the space embodying a character, then engage in brief scene interactions with other walking characters. The exercise develops character physicality, the ability to initiate scenes organically, and the skill of maintaining a character while simultaneously navigating an unstructured environment.
Structure
Setup
Players spread out across the rehearsal space. The facilitator asks each player to develop a character based on a suggestion, a physical choice, or their own invention. Players begin walking around the space as their character, exploring the physicality, tempo, and energy of this person.
Progression
As players walk, they encounter other characters. When two characters make eye contact or find themselves near each other, they engage in a brief scene interaction: a greeting, a transaction, a conflict, or a moment of connection. These scenes last anywhere from a few lines to a minute before the characters move on.
The facilitator may side-coach during the walkabout, offering prompts: "Find someone you know," "Someone in this room owes you money," or "You just received terrible news." These prompts create catalysts for scene initiations without dictating specific interactions.
The exercise creates a living world in which multiple characters coexist and interact spontaneously. Over the course of the walkabout, patterns emerge: recurring relationships, locations, and storylines develop organically across multiple brief encounters.
Variations
A location-based version sets the walkabout in a specific place (a shopping mall, a hospital, a school) and asks characters to have reasons for being there. A status version assigns status levels that characters must maintain throughout all interactions. A time-lapse version compresses a full day into the walkabout, with the facilitator calling different times of day.
How to Teach It
Objectives
Scene/Character Walkabout develops character commitment, organic scene initiation, and the ability to enter scenes without relying on structured set-ups. It trains performers to find scene opportunities in ordinary interactions rather than waiting for a formal beginning.
How to Explain It
"Create a character. Walk around the space as that person. When you encounter another character, have a brief scene. It can be as short as two lines or as long as a minute. Then move on and find another character. Stay in character the entire time."
Scaffolding
Begin with the walking phase alone, giving players time to discover their character's physicality before adding interactions. Introduce brief encounters first (a nod, a greeting) before encouraging longer scenes. Side-coaching prompts help players who struggle to initiate.
Common Pitfalls
Players sometimes drop their character between interactions, walking as themselves until the next encounter. Encourage continuous character commitment, even while walking alone. A second issue is players clustering into long scenes and forgetting to circulate. Remind them that the goal is multiple brief encounters, not extended two-person scenes.
Worth Reading
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Related Exercises
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.
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.
Meet & Greet Walkabout
Meet, Greet, Walkabout is a physical warm-up and ensemble-building exercise in which participants walk through the space and meet each other in a series of brief, structured encounters. Each encounter follows a format set by the facilitator -- a specific greeting, a specific question, or a specific physical acknowledgment -- and participants move from person to person at a pace set by the facilitator. The exercise builds early ensemble connection and reduces the social distance between participants before more demanding group work begins.
John Cremer Characters and Scenes
John Cremer Characters and Scenes is a character-building and scene initiation exercise developed by UK improviser and educator John Cremer, in which participants develop distinct physicalized characters and then bring those characters into spontaneous scenes with one another. The exercise trains the connection between physical specificity and character logic, building confidence in initiating scenes from a grounded physical starting point rather than from dialogue or concept.
In-Out
In-Out is a scene exercise in which performers practice entering and leaving scenes with purpose and clarity. Each entrance must contribute something specific and each exit must feel earned. The exercise trains awareness of when a scene needs a new element and when a character has served their function.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Scene / Character Walkabout. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/exercises/scene-character-walkabout
The Improv Archive. "Scene / Character Walkabout." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/exercises/scene-character-walkabout.
The Improv Archive. "Scene / Character Walkabout." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/exercises/scene-character-walkabout. Accessed September 28, 2026.
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