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Drama Game: BANG

This drama game is also a brilliant name game (I like playing this game at the start of term to learn student names and it also encourages students to learn each other's names). It's a class favourite, fantastic for a drama class warm up or end of class activity and because it's a great name game - it's a fantastic first day of school activity as well (but as a class favourite, I play it all year round!

​How to play bang

 

Players:

  • This is a whole class circle drama game. It is suitable for medium to large groups.

 

How to play this drama game:

  • Students stand in a circle and make sure they know the names of the two students either side of them. Teacher explains that as people go out, the students who are standing next to them will change and they must always make sure they know the name of the students on either side of them. This encourages students to learn names throughout the game and assists the teacher who can call names off the roll.

  • ​Students get their ‘guns’ ready, holding both hands together in front of them (no single guns in each hand – only one gun allowed).

  • As the teacher starts calling out student names, the student whose name is called out must “duck” out of the way and the two students on either side must turn and shoot at each other saying “BANG”.

  • If the student in the middle (who's name was called out) does not duck out of the way in time – they are out. Otherwise, the last student to shoot and say “BANG” is out. Whoever gets shot must perform a dramatic death and is out.   

  • Keep playing until there are only 2 students left.

Addition

  • Make the students do a 360 degree circle before shooting and saying “BANG”.

Western Standoff

Use the following quick activity to get a winner whenever there are 2 students left in a game.

  • Two students stand with their backs to each other.

  • Tell the students the “magic number between 1 and 10”.

  • As the teacher calls out random numbers (in random order) the students take a step away from each other.

  • When the “magic number” is called, the first student to turn around and shoot while saying bang is the winner.

  • The loser must perform a dramatic death.

Splat: Alternatively, you can play this as "splat" with pretend pies.

This drama game is included in the FREE Drama Games PDF which you can download HERE!

Looking for more drama and improv games and ideas?

Theatre Improv Games
Drama Theatre Improv Games

Find out how drama and improv cards and games transformed my drama classes and why I wouldn't teach drama without them HERE!

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