Comedy and Chracter

Comedy and character played a vital role in our groups performance. The first company I researched was Commedia Dell’Arte for all of its various characters. I have entered a website below which tells you about Commedia Dell’Arte and all of its characters. Each one portraying social stereotypes

LOOK HERE

‘The unique talent of commedia players was to improvise comedy around a pre–established scenario. Responding to each other, or to audience reaction.’ (New York Times. P1. 2011) Improvisation plays a huge part in street theatre as each performance usually has to be adapted to what the audience like.  ‘The acting styles and consequently the directing techniques, will obviously change depending on the audience and audience reaction.’ (Ayres, N. p156. 2008)

‘The relationship between performer and audience is the essence of any theatrical event and more than any other factor determines its nature.’ (Mason, B. p179. 1992) A quantum link needs to be created between the audience and the performer in the street. The performer needs to do this using postural clues, for example the way they stand, gaze, their behaviour. Whether or not they are open to the audience. Street performances heavily rely on audience reaction and participation, especially when creating intimate performances with clear character and persona. ‘Although not every outdoor performer uses audience participation they all need to have a much greater awareness of its mood and composition than is the case in indoor theatre.’ (Mason, B. p179. 1992)

A book which I found extremely helpful in my research of comedy was ‘The Rough Guide to British Cult Comedy’ by Julian Hall. This explains the importance of different types of comedy and what each one means, from irony, to parody to slapstick.

Farce – A light Dramatic work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters and slapstick elements are used for humorous effect.

Irony – The concept of irony has been spectacularly over-used and misunderstood but for comedians, irony is usually defined as an expression or utterance in which apparent and intended meaning are deliberately different. Irony is a favoured tool in stand ups wanting to deflate politicians, while pointing out ironies of fate or unintentional ironies is also popular.

Non-Sequiturs – A statement that does not follow logically from what preceded it – pretty much anything Eddie Izzard has ever said.

Parody – Imitating the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule, as French and Saunders’ movie spoofs do so brilliantly.

Pastiche – Consciously imitating work by other artists. Bill Baileys’ act features many musical pastiches such as a west country tribute to Madonna called Moozak, a take one her hit ‘Music’.

Satire – The use of irony, diversion and wit to humorously attack folly, vice or individuals. The British satirical tradition – dating back at least to seventeenth century poet John Dryden – has prospered through Beyond the Fringe to puppet caricatures Spitting Image and Chris Morris’s Brass Eye.

Slapstick – A boisterous form of comedy – the word comes from the stick with which comic entertainers used to slap or strike each other in the seventeenth century – marked by chases, collisions and crude practical jokes. (Hall, J. p164. 2006)

Farce Comedy with Royal Canadian Air Farce Comedy:

Non-Sequitur comedy with Eddie Izzard:

Slapstick comedy with buster Keaton:

In comedy different tools are used to suit each genre, such as exaggeration, surprise, truth, wordplay and juxtaposition, all things which I researched and practised to help establish our final performance.