This drama warm-up is part of a collection of 40 classic drama games found on Drama Notebook.
Have all players sit in a circle with their eyes closed. Choose one person to be the Murderer by tapping him lightly on the head as you go around the circle.
Next, announce that the space has been transformed into a ballroom and everyone is at a big party. Tell everyone that there is a killer in their midst!
Tell players that they should mingle and make small-talk, but if the killer winks at them, they are to die. However, they must wait ten seconds before dying a very dramatic death.
If someone thinks they know who the murderer is, they may raise their hand and make a guess. If they are wrong, they are out of the game. If they are right, they get to choose the next murderer and the theme of the party!
Variation: instead of winking, the murderer can shake hands with a person and tickle the inside of their palm. In this version of the game, all of the party guests move about shaking hands with each other.
Examples of Party Themes
(Help kids explore different characters by introducing new themes for each round of the game.)
- Millionaire party
- Football party
- Zombie party
- Little kids’ sleepover
- Party at the nursing home
- Oscar night with celebrities
- Vampire’s ball
- Surfer dude party
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