Humpty Dumpty Improv

Space
AKA
Situation Role Playing
Materials

None

Directions

Divide into pairs and choose an “A” and “1.” “A” will be Humpty Dumpty, seated on his/her wall, safe and secure in the knowledge that the King (or Queen) has promised round-the-clock protection. “1” will be Alice (in Wonderland), a visitor who knows the entire nursery rhyme. Alice’s objective is to get Humpty safely off the wall by convincing him he should get down through persuasion. Humpty’s objective is to stay put and convince Alice to leave. After a few minutes, switch roles.

Reflection
  • What tactics did you use to try to get what your character wanted?
  • What other tactics might have been useful to try?
  • What does this encounter tell us about persuasion?
Possible Side-Coaching

“Alice, you can try any tactic except physically removing Humpty.”

“Humpty, what ploys can you think of to get rid of Alice?”

Possible Variations/Applications

Try other scenes in which one character is trying to persuade another.

Source Citations

Jay Indik