Summary
One player steps out of the room. While they are gone, the audience (or the group) decides three things about that player’s character: why they are late for work, how they got there, and what their job is. The player comes back as an employee arriving late, apologizes to the boss, and has to figure out all three answers. The other players, the boss and the co-workers, know the answers and give clues, usually by miming behind the boss’s back or by dropping hints in their lines. Play ends when the player has guessed all three. Teaches physical storytelling, reading clues, and committing to a scene while you are still guessing what it is about.
Intro for the audience
“We need one actor to step out of the room, and the rest of you on stage. This next game is called Late for Work. In this game, you decide why our actor is late, how they got to work, and what their job is. When they come back, they have to guess all three, and their co-workers will give them clues without saying a word. When they get close you (in the audience) let them know by going ‘oohh’ and if they get one right give them a big cheer. (get three suggestions: why they’re late, how they got there, their job) Let’s have a big round of applause for Late for Work.”
Example
While the player is out, the audience decides: late because a goose chased them out of the house, got to work on a riding lawn mower, and works as a lion tamer’s assistant. The player returns and apologizes to the boss. The co-workers flap their arms, steer an imaginary mower, and crack an invisible whip. The player gradually pieces it together, trying out guesses (“Okay, I was attacked by… a bird?”) until all three are right.
Variation: Hints from the boss
The boss drops subtle hints in their dialogue to steer the late player toward the answers, in addition to the co-workers’ mime.
Variation: Caught Miming
Six players. Four office workers face the audience and mime typing. One is the boss, with their back to the workers. One is the late employee. The late employee arrives and the boss asks why they’re late. The employee looks to the co-workers, who silently act out the excuse, and the employee must guess and explain it. If the boss turns and catches a worker miming, that worker is “fired” and leaves. It ends when all the workers are fired or the employee correctly guesses the excuse.