# Mr and Mrs Wright

Participants listen to a narrative packed with directional puns and step left or right whenever they hear 'left' or 'right/Wright'. The whole room shifts together in response to auditory cues.

**Time:** 5 minutes. UWT suggested 5-minute allocation for briefing, rehearsal, reading, and debrief.
**People:** 4 to 24. Whole group standing with personal space, facing the facilitator.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Test active listening and immediate physical reaction in a low-stakes group warm-up.
**Use it when:** Use during an afternoon lull or between intense work blocks when people need physical movement and focused attention.
**Skip it when:** Skip when the room lacks physical space for lateral movement, when mobility constraints make stepping awkward, or when quiet focus is required.

## Materials and tools

- 1 copy of the Mr and Mrs Wright narration script (provided in participant_materials)

## Before participants arrive

1. Push chairs back or clear tables so everyone has at least two paces of clear space to their left and right.
2. Have the narration script ready on paper or on a screen.

## Say this to open

Please stand up where you have room to take steps to your left and right. I will read a short story about the Wright family. Every time you hear the word 'left', take one step to your left. Every time you hear 'right' or 'Wright', take one step to your right. If you prefer to stay seated, point your arm in that direction instead.

## How to run it

### 1. Introduce rules and set space (1 minutes)

Speak the opening script. Direct participants to spread out with an arm's length between them. Confirm that everyone has clear footing and space to move laterally.

### 2. Test practice cues (1 minutes)

Run two test cues. Call 'left' and verify that everyone steps left. Call 'right' and verify everyone steps right. Remind participants that homophones like 'Wright' or words like 'all right' count as 'right'. For example, if the story says 'Mr. Wright left the house,' people step right on 'Wright' and left on 'left'.

### 3. Narrate the Wright story (2 minutes)

Read the provided narration script aloud at a steady pace. Pause slightly after directional cues to let people react. Do not eliminate players who make a wrong step. Allow participants to laugh, reset, and react to the next cue.

### 4. Debrief and reset (1 minutes)

Call a halt when the script ends. Ask two participants to share which cue tripped them up. Invite everyone to return to their seats.


## Debrief questions

- Which cue gave you the most trouble, and why?
- What helped you recover when your body moved the wrong way?

**Finished output:** Completion of the auditory reaction exercise with participants returning to their seats.

## Remote

Run on video. Participants turn cameras on and step laterally in their workspace, or stay seated and point their arms left and right into frame. The facilitator reads the script over the main audio channel.

## Hybrid

In-person participants spread across the room facing the room camera. Remote participants pin the facilitator video and stand or sit before their webcams. The facilitator reads the script over the central audio feed.

## Access and participation choices

- Participants may remain seated and point an arm, tilt their head, or raise a hand to signal left or right instead of stepping.
- Anyone may opt out of moving and serve as a visual spotter without explaining their reason.

## If the session gets stuck

**Participants drift into one another while stepping.**

Pause the reading for five seconds, ask everyone to reset to their starting spots, and continue reading.

**People feel self-conscious when stepping in the wrong direction.**

Remind everyone that stumbling is the expected outcome of the wordplay, avoid eliminations, and keep reading.


## Terms used here

- Homophone: A word that sounds identical to another word but has a different spelling and meaning, such as right and Wright.

## Participant material: Mr and Mrs Wright Narration Script

One fine morning, Mr. Wright turned to Mrs. Wright and said, 'Did you leave the car keys on the counter?'
Mrs. Wright replied, 'Right you are, Mr. Wright! I left them right by the door before I left for the bakery.'
'That is not right,' said Mr. Wright. 'I looked right there, and nothing was left!'
Mrs. Wright paused, looked right into his eyes, and walked right over to the kitchen.
She glanced to the left. She glanced to the right.
'Look right here, Mr. Wright!' she cried. 'You left your coat right on top of them!'
'All right, all right,' laughed Mr. Wright. 'You were right, Mrs. Wright. There was nothing left to worry about after all.'

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in Playmeo documentation, where the activity is attributed to Mark Collard.

Retained the lateral stepping mechanic triggered by auditory cues ('left' and 'right/Wright') from Playmeo. UWT supplied a complete custom script in participant_materials because the original Playmeo scripts are paywalled resources. UWT also adopted a non-elimination model to maintain safety and psychological comfort.

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/fun-large-group-games/mr-mrs-wright)

[Playmeo](https://www.playmeo.com/activities/fun-large-group-games/mr-mrs-wright/)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/story-telling-energiser-to-trigger-fun-laughs-mr-mrs-wright/