Interview Switch
Interview Switch is a scene game in which the roles of interviewer and interviewee suddenly reverse mid-conversation. The performer who was asking questions is now answering; the performer who was answering is now asking. The power shift catches both performers off guard and changes the scene's relational dynamics in an instant. The game trains the ability to adapt to a changed status dynamic, to find and occupy a new position in a relationship immediately upon the reversal.
Structure
Setup
A suggestion establishes the interview context: a job interview, a press conference, a therapy session, a police interrogation, a celebrity interview, a medical consultation. Roles are established -- interviewer and interviewee -- with the clear status and power differential implied by the context.
The Interview
The scene begins with the established roles. The interviewer asks; the interviewee answers. The scene builds the relationship and the specific dynamic of this particular interview.
The Switch
The host calls "Switch!" Both performers immediately reverse roles. The former interviewee now asks; the former interviewer now answers. The content of the scene continues -- the same interview, the same subject -- but the power dynamic has inverted. Both performers must find who they now are in this new configuration.
Continuation
The host may call additional switches, inverting the roles again. Each switch resets the power dynamic and requires both performers to adapt.
Ending
The scene ends after a set number of switches or when the dynamic reaches a satisfying resolution.
How to Teach It
Objectives
Interview Switch trains rapid status adaptation -- the ability to move from a position of power to a position of subordination (and back) within a continuous scene -- and the skill of finding the new relational dynamic without needing time to establish it.
How to Explain It
"Same scene. Same conversation. But when the switch happens, your roles completely reverse. If you were asking, you're now answering. If you were the authority, you're now under it. Find that new position immediately."
Scaffolding
Ensure the initial interview context has a clear status differential before calling the first switch. A context where both performers have similar authority produces an uninteresting reversal; the game works when the power gap is wide.
Common Pitfalls
Performers sometimes maintain their previous status after the switch rather than fully inhabiting the new position. The coaching note is that the switch should be complete -- not a gradual negotiation, but an instant arrival in the reversed position.
How to Perform It
Audience Intro
"We need a suggestion for an interview. Any kind of interview -- job, TV, medical, police. When you hear 'Switch,' everyone in this scene is now on the other side of the table."
Cast Size
Exactly 2 performers: one interviewer, one interviewee.
Staging
A table, two chairs, or a clear spatial separation reinforces the interview structure. The physical arrangement should make the power dynamic legible to the audience.
Wrap-Up Logic
End when a switch lands a particularly strong reversal, or when the accumulated switches have brought the scene's relationship to a new, unexpected equilibrium.
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Related Games
Job Interview
Job Interview is a scene game in which one or more performers audition for a position while endowed with secret traits, habits, or identities that the interviewer must guess. The interview setting provides built-in status dynamics, clear stakes, and a familiar social ritual that audiences instantly recognize. The game rewards clear character physicalization, the ability to embed clues through behavior rather than exposition, and the comedy that emerges when inappropriate qualities collide with a formal setting.
Backwards Interview
Backwards Interview is a short-form game in which a talk show interview is performed in reverse chronological order, beginning with the farewell and ending with the introduction. Players must construct logical narrative links that work backward while maintaining the illusion of a natural conversation. The game rewards sharp memory and structural thinking.
Actor Switch
## Actor Switch: Content Actor Switch is a foundational improv structure, frequently utilized as both a game and an exercise. It centers on the rapid and unexpected exchange of character traits or roles between performers. The core mechanic involves one player initiating a switch by verbally or physically signaling another player to adopt a specific characteristic, emotion, or even a complete persona from the initiating player. This creates a dynamic shift in the scene, demanding adaptability and responsiveness from all involved. The origins of Actor Switch, like many early improv games, are challenging to definitively trace. It likely evolves organically within the burgeoning Chicago improv scene of the 1960s and 70s, drawing from techniques explored by Second City and Del Close. No single individual receives credit for its invention, but its consistent presence in improv training materials suggests early adoption and subsequent refinement by numerous practitioners. It serves as a crucial tool for developing active listening and quick thinking. To execute Actor Switch, a scene begins as usual, with performers establishing a baseline scenario. At any point, a player can declare "Actor Switch!" and then specify the element to be transferred, for example, "Actor Switch: Your frustration!" The targeted player immediately embodies that element, integrating it into their existing character or behavior. This process repeats, with players continually switching elements, creating a layered and unpredictable performance. The goal is not necessarily to create a coherent narrative, but to explore the possibilities of character and reaction. Actor Switch offers several benefits. It encourages performers to observe and react to their scene partners, fostering a heightened sense of ensemble awareness. The rapid shifts challenge performers to abandon preconceived notions and embrace spontaneity. Ultimately, Actor Switch cultivates a playful and dynamic approach to improvisational storytelling.
Change
Change is a short-form game in which a caller says "change" at any point during a scene, forcing the last speaker to replace their most recent line with a new one. Repeated calls on the same line demand increasingly creative alternatives. The game trains verbal agility and the ability to generate multiple options for any moment.
Switch Gibberish
Switch Gibberish is a scene game in which performers alternate between speaking coherent dialogue and speaking in invented gibberish language. The switch happens on a signal from the facilitator or host, requiring performers to maintain scene continuity across radically different modes of communication.
How to Reference This Page
The Improv Archive. (2026). Interview Switch. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://improvarchive.org/games/interview-switch
The Improv Archive. "Interview Switch." The Improv Archive, 2026. https://improvarchive.org/games/interview-switch.
The Improv Archive. "Interview Switch." The Improv Archive, 2026, https://improvarchive.org/games/interview-switch. Accessed September 28, 2026.
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