Introduction to Commedia dell’Arte
Cost: £50 / £25 students/Equity
Delivered in association with The Actors’ Workshop.
Limited places!
Introducing Commedia dell’Arte through the famous archetypes (such as the cheeky trickster, the blundering fool, the passionate romantics, the miserly old man). Take your skills to the next level exploring the exaggerated characterisation required to bring these stock characters to life. As the day progresses, you will create and perform short lazzi and scenes to understand the mechanics of the commedia performance. Wear clothes you can move in, bring water and be ready to laugh your socks off! (BONUS: laughter therapy guaranteed!)
“A fantastic introduction or revision of Commedia to inspire you and give you confidence in your understanding… Super! Amazing value for money! Superbly led by Cheryl who is an expert and really clearly communicates and shares both her knowledge and passion.”
The workshop will cover:
Key principles of mask work, staging and the actor-audience relationship;
The origins of the Commedia characters, developing a specific repertoire for each with movement, voice, behaviour and mannerisms;
The voice of the mask using the breath, grummelot (gibberish language) and stock speeches;
Classic lazzi, comic techniques and slapstick sequences;
Ways into devising and creating scenarios.
Key Take-Aways:
For actor-theatre makers, Commedia dell’Arte performance skills are part of the foundations of stage performance and transferable to all forms. Top takeaways include:
Physical stamina and articulation;
Control of tempo-rhythm and tension states;
Understanding of spatial awareness, the ensemble and the relationship to the audience.
For teachers, Commedia dell’Arte provides a robust toolkit of techniques to stretch and challenge your students:
Enabling every student to find their voice;
Through use of masks, students can develop confidence to push themselves further;
Deepen their understanding of characters and offer engaging ways into characterisation
Essential preparation for teaching A Servant to Two Masters, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, As you Like It and other Shakespeare texts.
About Commedia:
Commedia dell’Arte is a 16th century comic style, born in Italy, featuring masked and unmasked characters. Known as the first ‘professional’ acting style, the influence of this important theatrical form can be traced through Elizabethan drama, French farce, opera, ballet, mime, silent movies, slapstick and throughout the history of comedy. Commedia dell’Arte is taught in many drama schools as a movement foundation for all styles of acting. It is a brilliantly inclusive style that will stretch and challenge every student.
About the Workshop Leader:
Cheryl Stapleton is an experienced performer, director, and qualified theatre teacher specializing in physical comedy and commedia dell'arte. With over 30 years in commedia, she trained under John Rudlin at Centre Sèlavy after discovering her passion at university. Cheryl is a trained dancer, holds a BA in Drama from Brunel University, and further trained in physical theatre at École Philippe Gaulier and commedia at Scuola Internazionale dell’Attore Comico with Antonio Fava. She learned mask making from Michael Chase to enhance her mask performance skills. In 2013, she founded Learning Through Theatre, an internationally recognized performance-education company, and has taught at RADA, Fourth Monkey, Circomedia, UCL, UCA, University of Gloucestershire, and over 300 schools worldwide.
Photo credits: Marcella Fava