ABSTRACT
Improvisation requires skills in pretence, interaction, storymaking and emotional expression that requires more sophisticated ways of interacting. Particularly where the drama refers to typical events in children’s lives, it also requires the ability to take a self-reflective stance and create self-narratives. Improvisation takes dramatic ability to a new level of spontaneity, creative thinking and communication. The activities providedin this chapter focus on children’s capacity to improvise, initially through simple one-off acts of improvisation and later through more sophisticated and reciprocal group exchange. They serve to prepare children for the Forum Theatre work that follows, which is explained in more detail. Finally, further ideas for the use of improvisation with groups are provided. Forum Theatre provides a straightforward way of going back over something that has happened and thinking about what really went on. Looking again at an incident, and a visual way, allows children to grasp more fully what happened and the feelings that were involved, including their own responses.
