One-off workshop: This Is Going To Be Emotional

To start your rollercoaster-ride of emotion, have the players gather in front of you and hold up a piece of paper with an alliterated saying upon it; let's go with… ‘HARRY POTTER WAS A ROTTER’. Have the whole group recite this, as one. Now, hold up a written emotion and ask the players to repeat the mantra, only this time they should inject the given emotion into their delivery. They will find that this simple act completely transforms the delivery of the line as the ‘excitement’ or ‘fear’ permeates each word and brings an altogether new colour to the spoken word. Without having to ask things, such as ‘whisper this' or ‘scream this', the players will instinctively know how to deliver the dialogue on account of the attributed emotion. If emotional connection is not present it will always be acutely apparent as the delivery will be one-dimensional and lacking in the colour that a connection to emotion creates.