‘A Servant to Two Masters’

by Carlo Goldoni

Enhancing core teaching, this fast-paced workshop engages students physically with the text. Ideal for:

  • Introducing the text

  • Embedding character studies

  • Focusing on stylistic and comic features

  • Historical context

  • Pre-exam revision

“Excellent workshop, actively exciting our students who are now able to refer to stock characters with ease showing meaningful understanding of their character traits.”
— D. Warren, Burford School

Level:

KS4 to Degree level

Duration:

1.5 - 6 hours

Online workshops can be delivered as 1 hour / 2 hours / 5 x 1 hour workshop series

Note: This workshop can also be adapted to the study of ‘One Man Two Guvnors’.

Participants will learn:

  • The historical context of commedia dell’arte and the characters

  • How to perform the stock character types

  • How Goldoni has adapted commedia dell’arte for this play

  • How an actor can interpret the characters for performance

  • How comedy can be created in key scenes through character partnerships, physicality, language, comic techniques and lazzi (physical comic gags)

  • Performance skills specific to comedy and the need to interact with the audience

  • The language needed for writing at greater depth about the style, characters and creating comedy.

“An AMAZING online workshop from Cheryl Stapleton - teaching my students about all the characters from Servant, demonstrating their voices, physicality and giving contextual details. I can 100% recommend booking her for a group Zoom session with your students ...”
— N. Berry, Bristol Cathedral Choir School 

1.5 - 2 hour workshop:

Students will experience an intense participatory session covering:

  • The physicality of the characters, exploring the comic contrasts and typical behaviours. The focus will be on 3-4 main characters to cover movement, voice and mannerisms.

  • Specific moments from the play will be brought to life to explore how the characters interact. This may include lazzi performed by Truffaldino; interactions between Clarice and Silvio; Truffaldino interacting with two masters.

  • It is not essential to have learnt any of the text; improvisations will be initiated based on key scenes so that the comic potential and characterisation is our focus.

  • Initially, we will look at Truffaldino and how he plays out being a servant of two masters, examining the comedy through physicality, language and lazzi (physical comic gags).

  • Scenes with Pantalone and Doctor Lombardi will be improvised to highlight the comedy of contrasts between the characterisations of these old men (Vecchi). The comedy in the relationship of the young Lovers (Innamorati), Silvio and Clarice, will also be accentuated through the exploration of heightened gesture, movement, voice and emotions. (N.B. different characters can be selected for the focus)

3-4 hour workshop:

  • All characters in the play will be covered with detailed physicality of five to six characters of your choice. Truffaldino is usually our starting point, exploring how he plays out being a servant to two masters, examining the comedy through physicality, language and lazzi (physical comic gags).

  • We examine key sequences and scenes in a practical way, allowing the characters to leap from the page so that the comedy can be seen, heard and experienced. Scenes with Pantalone and Doctor Lombardi will be improvised to highlight the comedy of contrasts between the characterisations of these old men (Vecchi). The comedy in the relationship of the young Lovers (Innamorati), Silvio and Clarice, and the lead lovers (Beatrice and Florindo) will also be accentuated through the exploration of heightened gesture, movement, voice and emotions. (N.B. different characters can be selected for the focus).

5-6 hour workshop:

  • The physicality, voice and relationships of all characters can be explored in detail.

  • The relationships and comic contrasts between characters are deepened through specific scene study.

  • Comic techniques and stage mechanics are covered in detail to explore how key scenes can be brought to life and how comedy can be achieved.

  • Students develop a detailed understanding of the historical context of commedia

Online workshops:

The physicality of the characters will be demonstrated and discussed inviting participants to join in. This enables learners to understand the comic contrasts and typical behaviours of the stock characters, relating to the Commedia dell' Arte types.

In 1 hour, some of the main characters can be explored and discussed (Truffaldino, Smeraldina, Beatrice and Florindo). In 2 hours, all characters can be covered with an exploration of specific scenes and lazzi (physical gags). In a 5 x 1 hour series, we can examine key sequences and scenes in a practical way, allowing the characters to leap from the page so that the comedy can be seen, heard and experienced.