Live Dubbing: Some Act, Others Give the Voice

In groups of four, two people act silently while the other two voice them from the side, like movie dubbing. It forces everyone to listen and match gestures to words, and vice versa.

How to play

1. Groups of 4: two actors and two voice actors sitting to one side. Warm-up: the voice actor narrates what their actor does (“now I scratch my ear…”) and the actor does it instantly (4 min).
2. Flip it: the actor moves freely and the voice actor speaks for what they see, trying to match mouth movements and gestures (6 min).
3. Card scene (a movie theater line, a customer returning a toaster, two lost tourists): actors and voices create the scene with no rehearsal for one minute. Switch roles (8 min).
4. Each group shows a scene to another group. The audience judges whether gesture and voice went together (5 min).
5. Debrief: which is harder, acting with no voice or speaking with no body (2 min).

Rules

• Voice actors can't give the actor orders, only speak for them.
• Actors never talk.
• If the scene gets stuck, anyone can call “cut” and restart.
• Nobody voices anyone by mocking accents or ways of speaking.

Variations

Adaptations

• Hearing impairment: they act, with the voice actor in their line of sight, or the dubbing is done with written signs.
• Visual impairment: they do the voicing with a partner whispering what's happening, or act guided by voice.
• Shy students: they start as a voice actor, seated and out of the spotlight.

Learning goals

• Coordinate gesture and speech with another person.
• Improvise by responding to a partner's offers.
• Cooperate in a short group scene.

Equipment for a class of 25

• situation cards: 10

Teacher tip

Spread the groups out, because the volume rises. The usual mistake is voice actors talking so much the actor has no time to move: ask for short lines.

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