Playback Theatre
Playback Theatre is an improvised theatre form in which people from the audience tell true moments from their own lives and then watch a small ensemble act them out on the spot with movement, dialogue and music. It was founded in upstate New York in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas with the original Playback Theatre company. A facilitator, known as the conductor, interviews each teller and hands the story to the performers, and the form is used in communities, schools, organisations and care settings to help people hear each other's experience.
Facilitation script
- 1
The conductor welcomes the audience, introduces the ensemble and the theme, and explains that the stories come from the people in the room and that telling is voluntary.
5 min - 2
Warm-up: the conductor asks for short moments or feelings connected to the theme, and the ensemble reflects each one back briefly.
15 min - 3
First teller: interview in the teller's chair, handover with "Let's watch", enactment, and a check back with the teller.
12 min - 4
Further tellers, each with the same sequence. The conductor looks for different voices and perspectives across the room.
40 min - 5
Closing: the ensemble and conductor recall the stories told, and the conductor thanks the tellers.
8 min - 6
Hand back to the host for a pause or a facilitated conversation in small groups about what people heard.
10 min
Tips
This is not a format to run with untrained performers: the listening, the improvisation and above all the conductor's handling of tellers take real training, so hire an established company and brief it well on the group and the theme.
Agree with the conductor beforehand what is in and out of scope and who in the room might need care.
Plan a facilitated conversation or a break afterwards, because the stories keep working on people and the next agenda item should not land on top of them.
Common pitfalls
Using untrained performers, who tend to play stories for laughs or get them wrong, leaving tellers exposed and embarrassed
A conductor who probes for drama or steers the story, so the teller loses ownership of their own experience
Scheduling it as entertainment after dinner without a clear theme, which produces anecdotes and misses the listening it is meant for
Following the performance directly with a business agenda item, so what was stirred up has nowhere to go and leaks into the next discussion
Senior people responding to or rebutting a story from the floor, which tells everyone else that it is not safe to tell one
Variations
A standard public performance runs about 90 minutes and hears somewhere between four and twelve stories; inside a conference or workshop a shorter set of 45 to 60 minutes with fewer stories is common. Playback companies also use short forms that reflect a feeling or a brief moment in a minute or two, which suit the warm-up and larger audiences. Some groups train over time as their own ensemble and play back each other's stories as a learning practice, which requires an accredited trainer. Playback is not primarily a therapeutic method, though trained practitioners adapt it for therapeutic settings.
Where it fits
When to use it
An organisation or community is living through a change and people's experience of it has not been heard in ordinary meetings
Groups with different positions need to understand what an issue is like for the others before they can talk about solutions
A gathering wants to mark something, such as an anniversary, a farewell or a loss, with more depth than speeches allow
You have the budget and lead time to bring in a trained ensemble and to brief it properly
Leaders are present and willing to listen without responding or correcting
When not to use it
No trained ensemble is available; do not improvise it with volunteers, and use story circles or a collective story harvest to work with personal stories instead
The session must end with decisions or a plan; Playback builds understanding, so pair it with a separate working session or choose a planning format
People in the room have reason to fear consequences for what they say, for example in front of managers during a restructuring, where anonymous input methods are safer
The theme touches on acute trauma and no support is in place; without it, telling such a story in public can harm the teller
You want the audience to rehearse solutions to a problem on stage, which is what Forum Theatre is designed for
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
What is Playback Theatre?▾
Playback Theatre is an improvised theatre form in which audience members tell true moments from their lives and watch a trained ensemble act them out immediately. A conductor interviews each teller and hands the story to the actors and musician. It was founded in 1975 in upstate New York by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas with the original Playback Theatre company.
Can a facilitator run Playback Theatre without training?▾
No, not responsibly. The actors, the musician and especially the conductor need training in the form, and people who want to perform it are expected to study with accredited trainers or Playback schools. Facilitators normally bring in an established company and work with it on the theme and the framing.
How long does a Playback Theatre session last?▾
A full performance usually runs about 90 minutes and hears roughly four to twelve stories. Shorter sets of around an hour are used inside conferences and workshops. Allow extra time afterwards for people to talk about what they heard.
What is the difference between Playback Theatre and Forum Theatre?▾
In Playback Theatre the ensemble enacts a teller's real story as it was told, and the aim is that the teller and the audience feel heard. In Forum Theatre, from Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, a scene showing a problem is replayed and audience members step in to try different actions. Playback is about listening, Forum Theatre about rehearsing change.
Is Playback Theatre therapy?▾
It is not primarily a therapeutic technique. It is a community and artistic practice that people often find moving, and trained practitioners sometimes adapt it for therapeutic settings. In an organisational session, keep the theme and framing within what the group can hold.
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Try it freeMethod descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices. This method was inspired by work from Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas, original Playback Theatre company (1975).