Playing comedic characters

Failure is inherent to all comedic characters. Their ambition to succeed is 100 but their ability to achieve their goals is 10. What separates them from dramatic or tragic characters is that they never give up, often trying the same tactics over and over again expecting that this just might be the time it all comes together.

Learn how to be smart playing dumb; using earnestness, hope and given circumstances to play at the top of your intelligence when the character has very limited knowledge of how to achieve their goal - based on the concept that everything a comedic character knows is the result of two people at a bar having a conversation, someone overhearing that conversation and telling someone else and that someone else who misheard the information and misremembers most of it when telling the comedic character - who takes it as gospel.

You'll also learn about:

• using opposite action: earnestly doing the exact opposite of what is required and expecting it to work.
• utilising the micro and macro: going into painful detail about irrelevant factors yet being blase about what really matters.
• being comfortable looking stupid.

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Our Spotlight Series is a hybrid workshop/performance slot that will run most Sunday afternoons across The Improv Conspiracy Theatre and Theory Bar.

Led by a rotating selection of experienced workshop instructors, drop-in participants will enjoy a 1–4pm workshop followed by a 4:30–5:30pm performance showcasing what was taught in the session.

The performance will be held at Theory Bar, and be completely free to attend as a lead-in to the ticketed performances for the evening.

As this is part of our Hobby & Community track, you should expect plenty of sessions that go deeper on anything you've already learned in our Starter Track. Explorations of character, game of the scene, etc. are all on the menu as our core Starter curriculum only scratches the surface of these topics.

Instructors may also opt to provide a crash course in a relatively simple new format or concept, but likely not to work on complex formats like The Harold.