# Theatre-based Training > Theatre-based training uses scene work, improvisation and role reversal so employees rehearse conflict, negotiation and customer moments. 1-day workshops. - Source: https://bodhih.com/theatre-based-training/ - Publisher: Bodhih Training (Bengaluru, India; since 2008) - Last updated: 2026-10-14 - Contact: solutions@bodhih.com · +91 99000 11601 --- Bodhih’s Theatre based training is an effective model that calls for an adult appreciation of a theme that is complex and dynamic. What theatre essentially brings to the human experience is a diversity of thought through an independent assessment of what is good or bad, right or wrong, or what is deep and true and what is only surface-deep. ## At a glance - **Duration:** Recommended: 1 full day in person (09:30–17:30) on a single skill theme, with two facilitators and a 90-day follow-up; a 2-day version suits leadership cohorts, and 3 × 2.5-hour live virtual sessions are possible with adapted exercises - **Who it’s for:** Organisations planning learning programs for their teams - **Format:** In person · Live virtual · Blended - **Where:** India & 7 regions worldwide - **Track record:** Since 2008 · 2,000+ companies Theatre-based training is a workplace learning method that uses drama techniques, such as scripted scenes, improvisation, role reversal and stop-and-step-in scene work, so employees can rehearse difficult moments safely. Bodhih runs it as a 1-day workshop for 12–20 participants with a lead facilitator and a trained co-actor, for skills such as negotiation, conflict and customer handling. - Delivered in person at your location or as live virtual sessions - Designed with the ADDIE model and evaluated for behaviour change - Offered by Bodhih since 2008 to 2,000+ organisations across 7 regions **Where and how:** theatre-based training as an in-person workshop in [Bengaluru](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-bangalore/), [Mumbai](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-mumbai/), [Delhi NCR](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-new-delhi/), [Gurugram](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-gurugram/), [Hyderabad](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-hyderabad/), [Chennai](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-chennai/), [Pune](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-pune/), [Kolkata](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-kolkata/), [Ahmedabad](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-ahmedabad/) and [Jaipur](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-jaipur/); as a live online course; or delivered overseas in [Dubai](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-dubai/), [Singapore](https://bodhih.com/corporate-training-in-singapore/) and across the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Last reviewed 14 Oct 2026 by [Siddharthan VGJ](https://bodhih.com/siddharthan-vgj/), Founder · Bodhih Training, Bengaluru For years now, drama and theatre were used in workshops as part of ice-breakers, role-plays, or [team building](https://bodhih.com/team-building/) activities. However today theatre based corporate training has grown many-folds. Flourishing MNC’s and vibrant start-ups today understand the power to weave drama elements for their programs on negotiation skills, [conflict management](https://bodhih.com/conflict-management/), change management, leadership skills, behavioural adaptation, and advanced handling of challenging customers and diversity issues. **Bodhih is a Bengaluru-based training company working in the Learning and Development space, especially creating theater-based training programs.** Theater based training is focused on the following skills enhancement – self-confidence, organizational skills, listening, stage-speaking, teamwork, creative problem solving, [emotional intelligence](https://bodhih.com/emotional-intelligence-at-workplace/), flexibility, and reflection and observation skills. Get in touch with Bodhih’s learning experts if your organization’s trainers, HR practitioners, L&D training strategists, training design professionals, and softs-skills facilitators are keen to advance their theater-based training knowledge and skills. Bodhih’s workshop participants receive two primary benefits – repeated (and guided) practice and high-quality feedback that is rich in observations and constructive in its delivery for encouraging participant change. ## What participants will be able to do ### Rehearse before it is real Practise tough conversations in a safe space before facing them with a customer, colleague or team. ### See other points of view Step into different roles to understand how the same situation feels from the other side. ### Stronger presence Build voice, posture, listening and stage confidence that carry into meetings and presentations. ### Better emotional control Notice and manage your reactions when a scene becomes uncomfortable. ### Honest group discussion Use a shared scene to talk openly about sensitive topics such as bias, conflict or change. ### Feedback you can use Receive observation-rich feedback on what worked and what to try differently. ## Who should attend - Managers and team leads handling conflict, feedback and change - Customer-facing and sales teams dealing with challenging customers - Teams working through [diversity and inclusion](https://bodhih.com/diversity-and-inclusion/) topics - Trainers, HR and L&D practitioners who want to use theatre methods - Leadership cohorts building presence and influence ## Recommended program outline Recommended design, customised to your context after a short needs analysis. ### **Warm-up and ensemble building**Module 1 · 60 min - Low-pressure physical and voice exercises - Listening and 'yes, and' improvisation games - Setting ground rules for a safe, respectful space - Participants choose how much they want to act ### **Scene work on real situations**Module 2 · 90 min - Short scenes built from situations gathered during needs analysis - Participants observe, then step into roles - Facilitator pauses the action to explore choices - Scenes shaped around your culture, language and roles ### **Stop-and-step-in scene work**Module 3 · 90 min - A scene is played showing a problem going wrong - The audience stops the scene and suggests or tries alternatives - Group reflection on what changed the outcome - Trying several endings to see which choices work best ### **Role reversal and perspective**Module 4 · 60 min - Playing the customer, the report or the manager - Noticing assumptions and emotional triggers - Debrief linking insights to everyday behaviour - Short reflection notes to capture personal learning ### **Guided practice with feedback**Module 5 · 90 min - Repeated practice of key moments in pairs and small groups - Structured feedback from facilitators and peers - Personal commitments for applying the skill at work - Optional follow-up session to share how practice went at work ## Sample training plan: 1-day hands-on design This one-day theatre workshop lets managers rehearse the conversations they keep avoiding: feedback, conflict and change. It starts with voice, movement and listening games, builds short scenes from situations gathered in the needs analysis, and then lets the group stop a scene going wrong and step in to try a better choice. Participants swap roles to feel the other side, then rehearse their own real conversation three times with observer feedback. Everyone chooses how much they act, and nobody performs outside the group. 82% hands-on practice · 6.8 contact hours · Cohort: 12–20 participants, with a lead facilitator and a trained co-actor · In person · Live virtual ### Day 1: Rehearse it before it is real Participants can hold presence under pressure, explore a scene from both sides and rehearse one real conversation they will hold at work. 1. 09:30–10:15 · Warm-up: walk, freeze, find (Energiser) 2. 10:15–11:00 · Yes, but or yes, and (Skill drill) 3. 11:15–11:45 · Status in the body (Concept burst) 4. 11:45–13:00 · Scenes from your workplace (Role-play) 5. 13:45–15:00 · Stop the scene, step in (Fishbowl) 6. 15:00–15:45 · Walk in their shoes (Real-play) 7. 16:00–16:50 · The rehearsal room (Feedback round) 8. 16:50–17:30 · Curtain call: my next scene (Action planning) Recommended: 1 full day in person (09:30–17:30) on a single skill theme, with two facilitators and a 90-day follow-up; a 2-day version suits leadership cohorts, and 3 × 2.5-hour live virtual sessions are possible with adapted exercises. A sample design: every Bodhih program is customised after a short needs analysis. ### How long is theatre-based training? The recommended design is one full day in person for a single skill theme, from 09:30 to 17:30, with two facilitators. Leadership cohorts often take two days, and trainers learning the method need longer. It can also run as three live virtual sessions of 2.5 hours, followed by a 30-day replay clinic and a day-90 review. ### What activities are included in theatre-based training? Participants move and speak from the start. They play walk-and-freeze and 'yes, and' listening games, a card game on status, build short scenes from real workplace situations, and stop a scene going wrong to step in and try another ending. They also swap roles in their own situation and rehearse one real conversation three times with rewind and peer feedback. ## When to choose this ✓**The skill is about behaviour and emotion, not just knowledge**✓**The topic is sensitive and hard to discuss directly**✓**Earlier lecture-style sessions did not change how people act**✓**You want high engagement from a group that has 'seen it all'** ## Frequently asked questions ### What is theatre-based training? Theatre-based training applies drama methods to workplace learning. Participants watch or act out realistic scenes, pause them, and try different ways of handling the moment. Techniques include improvisation, role-play, role reversal and stop-and-step-in scene work. The aim is practice and reflection, so no acting experience is needed and nobody performs for an audience outside the group. ### What is stop-and-step-in scene work in corporate training? Stop-and-step-in scene work shows a short scene where a problem unfolds badly. The scene is then replayed, and participants can stop it and step in to try a different approach. In a corporate setting this makes it easy to explore conflict, feedback or customer situations and see how small choices change outcomes. ### Do participants need acting skills for theatre-based training? No. The exercises are designed for ordinary employees, and the facilitator starts with simple warm-ups so people feel comfortable. Participants can choose how much they act, and observing is also valuable. The focus is on realistic workplace behaviour, not on performance quality. Many participants who start as observers choose to step in later. ### Which skills suit theatre-based training best? It works well for skills involving people and emotion: negotiation, conflict management, change management, leadership conversations, handling challenging customers, diversity and inclusion, and communication confidence. It is less suited to purely technical or process knowledge, which is better taught with demonstrations and practice on the actual tools. ### How long is a theatre-based training workshop? Bodhih typically recommends a full day for a single skill theme, giving time for warm-ups, scene work and repeated practice. Multi-day versions suit leadership cohorts or trainers learning to use the method themselves. The design is customised after the needs analysis, and parts of it can be adapted for live virtual delivery. ### Can theatre-based training be delivered online? Partly. Bodhih recommends a full day in person for a single skill theme, but the design can run as three live virtual sessions of 2.5 hours each with adapted exercises. In-person delivery suits scene work and role reversal best, because participants step into scenes with a lead facilitator and a trained co-actor. ### How much does theatre-based training cost? Bodhih quotes theatre-based training per batch after a needs analysis, because the skill theme, number of days, cohort size, the second facilitator or co-actor, format and travel change the cost. A one-day workshop for 12 to 20 participants is the recommended starting design, with a 2-day version for leadership cohorts.