Follow the Leaver
Long-form where every exit triggers a brand-new scene. Trains clean exits, pacing, and the discipline of letting go of the previous story.
Players
2–8
Duration
10-30 min
Difficulty
Intermediate
Full description
Setup and Launch
You need at least two performers. If you have more, they can rotate in across different scenes.
Clear the stage so exits read instantly. Agree beforehand that a performer walking off is what triggers every scene change.
The core rule: the moment someone leaves the stage, you drop everything and follow them into a completely new situation. The only thread of continuity is the performer you follow — and even they can play a different character.
Flow
1. Start a scene
Two or more performers step into a clear location. Nail down who you are to each other and what you want within the first few lines — the audience needs to lock in fast before the next exit reshuffles everything.
2. Play until an exit appears
Develop the scene naturally. Stay alert for the moment a character announces they are leaving or physically starts walking off. Do not stall waiting for it — play a real scene and let the exit emerge from the action.
3. Call "Follow the Leaver"
When the exit happens, the audience or host shouts "Follow the Leaver." In some versions no call is needed — any exit automatically triggers the transition. Both approaches work; pick one and stick with it for the whole set.
4. Clear the stage instantly
Everyone who stayed behind disappears. No goodbyes, no wrap-up — just a hard cut. Think of it as a film edit: the previous scene ceases to exist the moment the leaver crosses the threshold.
5. Start a new scene with the leaver
Continue with the performer who left, but place them in a brand-new location. Other performers enter as fresh characters with a fresh story. There is no obligation to connect back to anything that happened before — the format thrives on sequential, independent storylines.
The leaver can also take on a new character. Repeat the cycle on every subsequent exit until the set ends.
Key rules
Make the exit unambiguous — Show or say the exit clearly enough that everyone knows who to follow. If the audience cannot tell who left, the transition falls apart.
Follow only the leaver — Continue specifically with the person who walked off. A single focus keeps transitions clean and prevents the show from splitting into parallel threads.
Everyone else disappears immediately — Clear the stage like a hard cut in a film. No lingering, no wrap-up — the instant the leaver crosses the threshold, the old scene is gone.
Drop the previous scene completely — Do not bring back old characters or storylines. The format runs on fresh starts and stays alive by always moving forward.
Begin a completely new situation — New location, new characters, new story. The audience should register a full reset each time. The format naturally produces sequential, independent storylines — lean into that.
The followed performer may change characters — Allow the leaver to take on a new role. This keeps the device flexible and prevents you from forcing artificial continuity on a format designed to break it.
Use the exit as the primary scene-change tool — Leave when your character has done everything they need to do. If a scene has peaked, that is your cue — do not wait for a perfect closing line.
If the audience shouts the call, teach them the call — Before the show, explain when and how to shout "Follow the Leaver." Unclear or mistimed calls create confusion and weaken transitions.
Format structure
Context
Resources
What to try next
Similar formats, so you can keep the rehearsal moving without stopping to search.
Slacker
Long-form where scenes change only by physical tag-out, and one anchor character stays on stage throughout, meeting a chain of new characters.
Montage Ending
A closing handle for long-form montage: you build three or four short discrete scenes, return to each to heighten them, and land a deliberate ending. Trains editing inst…
Deconstruction
A long-form where one grounded scene becomes the foundation — every beat that follows deconstructs it through thematic scenes, commentaries, and a rapid-fire run. Two le…
Lunar path
Monologue format: actors in a line tell one shared story from the perspectives of their characters, without acting out scenes. Use for training monologue, point of view,…
Location
A long-form where every scene takes place in a single location. Performers shift characters and time periods, revealing the space from different angles.
Time Line
A long-form where performers play scenes from characters' lives at different points in time — jumping between past, present, and future in non-chronological order.