Drama Game: Rainstorm

Age: 5 to adult

Players: Whole Group

Time: 5 minutes

Skills: Group cohesion, sound effects

This simple little game can be used to great effect. Ask the group to follow the movements of the leader carefully. Begin by tapping one finger on the palm of your hand. With the whole group joining in, it sounds just like raindrops. Slowly build the effect by using two, then three, four and five fingers so that everyone is clapping their hands really loudly.

When the storm reaches a crescendo, slowly reduce the volume with four, three, two then just one finger again tapping on the palm as the storm fades away. To extend the activity, when everybody is clapping their hands you can progress onto slapping your thighs, followed by stamping your feet for rolls of thunder! As a variation, ask the group to think of words to do with a rainstorm before they start. They can whisper these, getting louder as the storm increases and then quieter again.

Director's tip

• The game is an effective way to start or finish a session
• It can be used to set the scene for a story set in a tropical forest or as part of a scene for performance
• Combine the game with other soundscapes to explore how you can create atmospheres of places, journeys and stories
• I used the game in theatres to great effect in a show called Singing in the Rainforest where we got the whole audience joyously creating a storm to protect the forest from developers.

David Farmer runs the website www.dramaresource.com – a site that offers a wide range of ideas, games and courses for drama practitioners. He is the author of several books including 101 More Drama Games and Activities, from which this game is taken.