This format is played with 3-4 experienced players, one MC and another player, dressed up as a Gorilla (sometimes the MC is also a player, and the Gorilla a symbolic one, eg a stuffed toy). The Gorilla is the prize to be won; the best player of the evening gets to spend a week with the Gorilla, and of course this is quite a privilege!

The Gorilla enters with last week`s winning player (real or faked). The MC explains that the score for the evening will be counted by means of bananas; the player that end up with most bananas at the end of the game wins another week with the Gorilla.

The audience is trained to `vote` by yelling `Banana` (for a good performance) or something else, like `Die` or `Forfeit` for a bad performance.

Each scene is then played by 2-3 players, and directed by the other.

Players take turns directing, and after each game the audience either awards the director a banana, or a forfeit. Bananas are pinned on a scoreboard, or pinned onto the winning player`s costume – cardboard bananas are preferable in the latter case.

A forfeit is like a punishment for a poorly directed scene. Possible forfeits might be calling your mom and explaining why you`ve been such a lousy director, or having to sing a song about your bad scene.

The director gets to choose the scene or the game to be played. The director directs the scene, gives players side-coachings, can interrupt the scene, introduce tilts or make the players repeat (part of) the scene. To ensure that bad scenes don`t drag on forever there may be a time limit for directing, something like all their scenes have to add up to less than 20 minutes per player.

This format can be played with or without attributes and props. The Gorilla might even be used as a prop, or even as a player, although the Gorilla should not try and steal the show.  Not tooo much.

This is a fairly advanced format, as the players not only need to play well, they also need enough insight to effectively direct scenes and have a feel for the shape of show. This is also a rather nice format, as players are not rewarded; 2 players playing well together generate a banana for the director.  The whole show is a game.

Adapted from The Improv Encyclopedia