Just in time for the holiday season…
The Basics
Players (usually a team of four) form a choral cluster or line and sing original lyrics to the tune of “Deck the Halls.” The resulting song may provide the origin story of a made-up holiday character provided by the audience.
Example
The music starts, and players craft verses about Lumpy, the piece of coal.
Player A: (singing)
“Snowflakes dressed the windowsill.”
All:
“Falalalala Lalalala.”
Player B:
“Inside all the house was still. “
All:
“Falalalala Lalalala.”
Player C:
“Except one lone soul, who was grumpy.”
All:
“Falalalala Lalalala.”
Player D:
“Left all by himself, lay Lumpy.”
All:
“Falalalala Lalalala.”
The Focus
Take full advantage of the existing melody and structure to support your play and tell an original story.
Traps and Tips
1.) Set yourself up. Each role in the quartet offers unique gifts and challenges, so cast your teammates accordingly. It’s wise to establish with your musician a friendly key for your singers (or find a track that will accomplish the same). The third position (C above), in particular, can have some rather high notes to hit. Position A also requires confidence and a sense of strong musicality, so this isn’t a place to hide someone who struggles to find their note. This is one of those games that really invites a quick warmup and sing through backstage if you’re planning to add it to your show, especially with an untested combination of performers.
2.) Set each other up. One of the lovely features of this game is those helpful “Falalalala Lalalala” sections where everyone gets a chance to breathe and think a little. Use them! Players A and C are in the setup positions in terms of the AABB rhyme scheme, so they can maximize their companions’ chances for success by deploying some well-placed target rhymes or more simple vowels or common endings that give the next singer a wide-open playing field. The song (and story) benefits hugely from gifting the better or more obvious word to the next improviser, as C did with “grumpy” for D’s “Lumpy.” Don’t panic grab at the emblematic words only to leave your fellow songsters scrambling for something vaguely passable. If someone needs to take the hit, practice embracing this sacrificial act falling on the first half of the couplet.
3.) Set the structure up. Unless you’re blessed with a team of musical powerhouses, I’d advocate for keeping each player in the same position for each verse. (There are generally four stanzas in a song.) Each position can then focus on an essential function. I tend to think of A as the story steerer, cleaning up any peculiarities the rhyme necessitated, while C strives to set D up for a strong payoff and button for the verse, and B and D try to land something of value that rhymes! Concentrating on a smaller task can make the game feel a whole lot more manageable for everyone. In terms of structure, also consider utilizing a simple story frame, such as that taught with Four Sentence Story (here). If you elect to use the origin story gimmick, this gives a helpful way of focusing each verse with an introduction, problem, solution, and then resolution respectively, the resolution often culminating in some iteration of “And that’s the story of [insert character name here]”.
4.) Set the audience up. And while you’re at, why not encourage the audience to join in with those “Falalalala Lalalala” sections, at least at the end of the song, to add to the volume and joy of the whole holiday affair!
In performance
This is a relatively accessible overlay to add a little festive spirit to your lineup. And if you’re wondering why I’ve written about this under Xmas Carol rather than Christmas Carol, that might have something to do with the fact that I hated my Game Library not having a true “X” entry!!
Looking for a four-verse track to sing along to? Go here.
Cheers, David Charles.
www.improvdr.com
Join my Facebook group here.
Photo Credit: Kalani Senior
© 2025 David Charles/ImprovDr
Game Library Expansion Pack I
ImprovDr.com 