Keith Johnstone's format where performers take turns directing each other's scenes. Each performer pitches a scene idea to the audience, then directs fellow performers in it. Good scenes earn the director a banana (literally — a foam banana, a trophy, a token). Bad scenes earn the director a forfeit (a humiliating task chosen by the audience or host). The performer with the most bananas at the end wins.
How it works:
- 5-6 performers begin. Each round, one performer becomes the "director."
- The director pitches a scene concept to the audience — "I'd like to see a scene where two rival pastry chefs compete at a funeral" — and the audience approves or rejects it (by applause or vote).
- If approved, the director casts fellow performers in the scene and directs it — calling out instructions, side-coaching, adjusting the scene live. The director does not perform in their own scene.
- After the scene, the audience votes: was it good? If yes, the director gets a banana. If no, the director must perform a forfeit — a task that is embarrassing, difficult, or both (e.g., "sing an opera about your worst date," "do a scene entirely in gibberish").
- Directors rotate. Everyone directs at least once. Most bananas wins.
A full Gorilla Theatre runs 60-90 minutes.
What makes it unique: Gorilla Theatre combines three distinct skill sets — pitching (selling an idea to an audience), directing (shaping other performers' work in real time), and performing (executing someone else's vision when you're cast). No other standard improv format demands all three. The banana/forfeit mechanic creates asymmetric stakes: the director bears all the risk. If the scene is bad, the performers are blameless — the director pays.
Johnstone's philosophy: Gorilla Theatre was designed to teach performers to take responsibility for the whole show, not just their own performance. Johnstone observed that improvisers often avoided directing because it made them accountable for other people's work. The format forces that accountability. The forfeit system ensures real consequences — performers pitch better ideas and direct more actively when their dignity is on the line.
From Impro for Storytellers: the format also trains audience relationship skills. The pitch phase is a negotiation — the audience tells you what they want to see, and you must listen. A director who pitches a scene the audience doesn't want has already failed before the scene begins.
What it demands: Creative vision — you must generate scene ideas that are specific enough to direct but open enough for performers to play. Directorial skill — side-coaching, editing, knowing when to intervene and when to let the scene breathe. Humility — your scene might fail, and the forfeit is public. Trust in fellow performers — you're handing your fate to people who may or may not execute your vision.
When to use it: When you want to develop directing skills in performers. When you want a show with high audience interaction (the pitch-and-vote cycle keeps the audience active throughout). When you want variety — each scene is different because each director has a different sensibility.