Quick Description
In pairs or small groups have the players have a conversation where the last letter of the last word said is the first letter of the first word of the player next player to speak.
How to Play Last Letter First Letter
Have everyone get into pairs. One player begins talking based on the prompt.
The other player must use the last letter of the last word said by the player as the first letter in the first word of the thing they say.
- Player A: I noticed how much I wanted to say something good.
- Player B: Didn’t stop you from saying something (pause) did it?
- Player A: To tell the truth – it didn’t.
- …..and so on…
After working with that constraint for a while in pairs, try using it in group improvisation scenes.
Notes
- At it’s core this is a listening game and can be used in communication training to highlight the value of listening through to the end of the other persons thought.
- Pauses can be fun with this game if they are done playfully and the other players enjoy them.
- As a performance game, it can be played with multiple players. Sometimes if the player does not meet the restraint of the game, they have to leave the scene and exit the stage.
- As a teaching game, it can highlight how challenging it is to listen to the very end of the person who is speaking.
- As a debrief activity it can slow down the debrief and surprising richness to the conversation.
- Play this game secretly when you are talking with your friends or in a meeting
Variations
When working on Zoom, WebEx, MS Teams or any other video platform, you can demo the activity in the main room then send pairs of people to breakout rooms to play it on their own.
Disclosure: I often play this game when in a business meeting to keep me on my toes. So the next time you and I talk, see if you can tell if I’m doing it.
Origin
I learned this game years and years ago when I first started learning improv games. I probably learned it from Rebecca Stockley.
Video of the activity
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