Dubbing
Two players act out a scene in complete silence while two others provide all the voices from the side. The comedy comes from the collision between physical action and unexpected dialogue.
About
Dubbing splits performer and voice, creating a joyful disconnect between what is physically happening and what is being said. The silent actors must commit fully to their physical choices, and the voice actors must match and justify whatever the body does. It trains physical storytelling, listening and the willingness to be surprised by your own body.
How to Play
- 1
Set up two pairs: one pair of 'body' actors who will perform the scene in complete silence, and one pair of 'voice' actors who stand to the side.
- 2
Each body actor is assigned one voice actor who provides all speech and sound for them throughout the scene.
- 3
Take a suggestion from the audience for location, relationship or activity.
- 4
The body actors perform the scene physically. The voice actors must match and justify everything the bodies do.
- 5
Voice actors should listen to each other carefully and build a genuine scene, not just narrate.
Variations
- -Foreign film dubbing: body actors speak a made-up language while voice actors provide the 'translation'. Full company dubbing: all performers on stage are dubbed by offstage voices.