Clown: The Physical Comedian

Clown: The Physical Comedian is a detailed and comprehensive workbook for those interested in the art of clowning and physical theatre, including actors, directors, improvisers, stand-up comedians, circus artists, mask performers and devisers of new work. Offering an extensive and hugely diverse compilation of tried-and-tested exercises and games, the book is for students, teachers and practitioners to aid ensemble-building, character development, devising theatre, physicalising text and vocalising movement, plus creating cabaret acts, clown routines and adding physical play to scripted scenes. It offers advice on subjects such as developing presence onstage; increasing strength, flexibility and physical expression; developing partner and trio relationships; understanding the power of the mask; and working with an audience - in particular, turning a performance into a conversation with the audience and increasing the actor's ability to connect with a crowd. The exercises and teachings have been developed in classrooms, workshops and theatres all over the world and the book is packed with insights from the author, who has worked for over 35 years in a wide variety of venues, from intimate performance spaces to large-scale sports stadiums.

Table of Contents:
List of Images Preface Acknowledgements Introduction Section 1: Hello - A Pharmacist, Helium Balloons and a Red Nose Games to introduce the students to each other, build the ensemble, and get them physical. Section 2: Energy - The Telepathic Renaissance Fool Games to increase and focus the student's energy through physical play. Section 3: The Talking Body - Silence on the Streets Exercises for developing strength, flexibility and physical expression. Section 4: Prop Play - The Prop Whisperer Using props for improv, revealing emotions, telling stories and developing relationships. Section 5: Curiosity - Oddfellows Finding potential in the performance space, blurring the border between stage and audience. Section 6: Clown Solos: Catching a Salad on Your Face Exercises to develop a solo player's skills and help generate performance material. Section 7: Clown Duos: The Wet Towel Intervention Exercises to develop partner relationships and tools for generating performance material. Section 8: Clown Trios: Boss, Negotiator, Fool Exercises that explore status and the dynamics of a trio. Section 9: Clown Ensembles: Fractious Fun Exercises to develop complicity, group rhythms, the acceptance of accident and absurdity. Section 10: The Rules, the Script, the Game, the Play Exercises to help devise original work for clown and physical comedy. Section 11: The Mask of the Clown Background, history and uses for the mask of the clown. Section 12: The Skillful Clown How to use skills to develop and enhance clowning and physical comedy. Section 13: Getting Serious about your Funny Tips on creating original work and ways to reach your goals Section 14: Devising for Clown and Physical Comedy Practical ways to get started on creating new material Bibliography. Inspirations Index

About the Author :
Joe Dieffenbacher is known internationally for his performance work in theatre, circus, cabaret, and street spectacle, as a maskmaker and prop designer, as a director of physical theatre, and teacher of clown, mask performance and slapstick. He spent eight years as resident faculty at the Dell'Arte School and was Physical Theatre Director for productions at Shakespeare's Globe, Regents Park Theatre and the Scottish National Opera.

Review :
Clown: The Physical Comedian belongs on every theater library's bookshelf. Joe Dieffenbacher draws on a wide range of influences and experiences to create this wonderful resource book. The exercises and insights offer support to both professionals who are looking to enrich or refresh their existing work and teachers who are introducing "newbies" to clown or enhancing existing clowning or acting classes for the more experienced students. Dieffenbacher's approach is inspirational not prescriptive and easily adapted to your needs. Concise, generous, energetic, collaborative and complicit. Joe manages to articulate; what clown is, where it came from and what it takes to become a true clown. Clown: The Physical Comedian offers great tools for teaching, directing and devising clown. I wish I had this book 35 years ago when I first started clowning. It is brilliant. Clown: The Physical Comedian is an essential addition to the growing field of Clowning Studies. In this increasingly popular area of study, there are a few books of clown exercises, but fewer that offer such direct building blocks for devising and creating clown scenes. Joe Dieffenbacher draws on his contagiously energetic teaching and a wealth of professional experience performing in large scale commercial events and directing smaller scale touring to present a rich collection of clowning exercises for students at all stages of clowning practice. The generous array of exercises included here are accessible, practical and easy to incorporate. You will find helpful contextual notes on significant ideas and practitioners as well as step-by-step suggestions for building your Physical Comedy routines. The exercises work from fundamental principles such as appearance and playfulness, moving on to the details of gesture and how to respond to your audience.