review · Reflection, Empathy, Team Building · 45–120 min · 10-150 people · medium energy
Playback Theatre
A conductor invites people in the audience to tell short moments or stories from their own experience, and a team of trained actors and a musician play them back on the spot. Short forms such as fluid sculptures catch a feeling in a minute; longer scenes enact a full story. The teller watches their own story and is asked if the actors got it right.
When to use Playback Theatre
Use to close a conference day or offsite, when you want people to hear and honour what the experience was like for others, not just what was decided.
What it solves
Events end with a recap of outputs, and what people actually lived through during the days goes unsaid.
How to run Playback Theatre, step by step
- Book a Playback company and brief the conductor on the event and its themes (before the event).
- The conductor warms up the audience with short questions such as 'what is one feeling you are leaving with?' (5 min).
- Actors play back several short responses as fluid sculptures or pairs (15-20 min).
- The conductor invites a teller to the chair beside the stage to tell a longer story (5 min per story).
- Actors and musician play the story back as a scene; the conductor checks with the teller afterwards (10 min per story).
- Repeat for two or three stories, then close with a final short form for the whole room (10 min).
Materials needed
- A trained Playback company: conductor, three to five actors, musician
- Teller's chair and stage area
- Simple fabrics and instruments the company brings
Facilitator tips
- Do not run this with untrained colleagues. The conductor's skill is what keeps tellers safe.
- Brief the company on the event's tensions so they are ready for stories that are hard to hear.
Common pitfalls
- The organiser treats it as entertainment and schedules it after drinks.
- Only senior people come up to tell, so the stories all come from one viewpoint.
Variations
- Mid-event pulse: a 20-minute short-forms-only set after lunch on day one.
Running it online or hybrid
Online Playback exists. Actors perform on camera; tellers speak with the conductor over video.
What it produces
A shared, felt record of the group's experience and a sense of being heard.
Origin
Created in 1975 by Jonathan Fox and Jo Salas in New York State and now practised by companies worldwide. — source
Build a session around Playback Theatre
METODIC places Playback Theatre inside a complete, timed session plan — agenda, worksheets, facilitator guide and slides — matched to your group and goal.