HELIKOS | BRING YOUR OWN CLOWN

BRING YOUR OWN CLOWN

31 Gennaio, 2017 → 1 Febbraio, 2017 - Melbourne - AUSTRALIA

A coaching workshop for
Clowns
Bouffons
and other
Comic Stage Creatures

(1)

This workshop is specifically devised to give participants tools to work on their own material: both on their clown, bouffon or character and on their acts.

What comic dynamic am I working with in my performance?
Why the audience laughs? And why it doesn't?
Why a piece works and how can I fix it if it doesn't?

These are some of the questions addressed by this workshop.

In order to create and write for one’s own clown, one needs to understand what is its comic core. Is it based on state, actions, text, accidents, emotions, absurd, mocking, grotesque... ?

Every Clown is a specific form of Comedy. And to work with her/him requires a deep knowledge of her/his nature.

Physical comedy and Clown is embodied comic poetry: funny and touching, essential and rigorous. It's a dive into the mystery of laughter. Clown is a very personal comic state, based on a unique comic persona that becomes a universal comic form. There are as many clowns as there are human beings: they can all make the audience laugh but they are not all in the same comic world.

(2)

PROGRAM

Participants will bring their clown or comic stage creature, and one existing act, routine or project, solo or not, finished or unfinished, funny or ...not yet. They will present their clown or character and a short piece (max. 10 minutes), and this will be the basis for a coaching session that will focus on the three different hats that the clown-creator needs to wear:

THE PERFORMER
The comic persona, the comic core, the contact with the audience, amplification and articulation of movement, emotional awareness and presence.

THE DIRECTOR
Playing with space
Rhythm: pace and variations
The structure of an act: entrance, presentation, development and variations, crescendo, climax, finale, exit.

THE AUTHOR
Understanding a clown’s potential and weakness, the choice of themes and their development, the mask and countermask of the clown, the use of the actor’s skills (music, singing, acrobatics, juggling, dance and unusual or unique skills).

(3)

PRACTICALITIES

The aim of this course is to give participants professional theatre tools, in order to create within their own comic poetic world. It addresses theatre artists with experience in the world of physical comedy. Two modes of participations are possible:

Performing participants (6 minimum-10 acts): their performing material will be presented in the coaching sessions.

Assisting participants: (20 maximum) they will assist the workshop as audience members of the coaching sessions and will participate to the collective exercises that will focus on some principles of physical comedy emerged during the work.

TUITION

Performing Participants (Price per Act)
Early Bird Enrolment: AUS$ 300, if full payment is made by January 10th, 2017
Full Price: AUS$ 350

Assisting Participants (Price per Person)
Early Bird Enrolment: AUS$ 130, if full payment is made by January 10th, 2017
Full Price: AUS$ 160

SCHEDULE

Tuesday Janury 31st
9am-6:00pm: sessions

Wednesday February 1st
9:00-11:00 : performing participants have acces to the studio for rehearsing
11:00-1:00pm & 2:00-7:00 pm : sessions

LOCATION

The Tuxedo Cat, 293 LaTrobe St, Melbourne 3000

APPLICATIONS
Please write a letter of intent describing the project you want to work at, and a link to some video material. For further information and for applications please contact

For enrolment and practical enquiries please contact KIMBERLEY TWINER

Giovanni Fusetti