COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE | frenzied characters & organised chaos...

A little about the origins...
Commedia Dell Arte is the art of exaggerating the truth; caricature. It is derived from Venetian carnivals and market places where performers would improvise by ridiculing and parodying society. From this, individual stock characters developed and half masks and props were introduced, then all was placed into a structured performance of comic gags, romantic escapades and fights for character supremacy. The workshop utilises Forte Theatres’ trademark character devising process which makes this a unique experience.

A little about the technique…
This comedy driven technique began in the 15th Century and was popular through to the 18th Century. It is still greatly used today but has developed a modern form where practitioners use their own portrayals of the stock characters and plot structures.  The masks are a major factor of the technique but it can be sucessfully performed without them if wishing to take a more modern route. 

Commedia is broad, non naturalistic, larger than life while everyone is eligible. No-one is too young, old, thin, fat, tall, short, ugly or beautiful for Commedia. The characters are fantastical yet somehow manage to breakdown the barrier between the audience and performer. A frightened Zanni will show his knees knocking, a lover’s scene will become a dance with music, a fight will produce acrobatics and stunts and a dunce will stare blankly at the audience.  It requires a playful spirit from the entire troupe of performers and you hope for a willing responsive audience.

A brief explanation of the workshop content…
We introduce the students to the basics of the acting style and take them through a series of exercises to learn about some of the core characters selected from the group of Vecchi (Masters) and the group of Zanni (Servants). We explore their movements, personalities, relationships and how to incorporate the masks and The Lazzi (Comic gags).  

The students are able to explore the selected characters with the key performance elements - structured performance plots and freedom for comic creativity. The students then work in groups as we ignite a process to create their own Commedia performance using all the elements explored.

How it can help your students…
The students are equipped with takeaway skills and tools to make use of the technique in future devised work including exam pieces; resulting with higher grades. The workshop broadens their use of their physicalities, character creation and performance ability. 

Through Commedia, students can produce and expand on their stock characters with ease, clarity and wit; although an element of constant surprise will always present itself. The students will find it easier to discover the appropriate improvised words to make the tears flow or the laughter ring and to draw in their audience.  Like true Commedia dell’Arte, the dialogue must go like a merry ball game, with ease and without pause.
"We have had a range of workshops, some okay, some excellent. This one was excellent! The students loved it!" Justine Charsley, Havant College, Hampshire. 

Main focuses of the workshop:

  • Caricature personalities

  • Character Mask work

  • Comedy

  • Audience interaction

  • Exaggeration of voice

  • Alteration of physicality

  • Performance exaggeration

  • Technique building
By the end of the workshop participants will have:                

  • Gained new skills and tools for devised work

  • Have learnt the secrets behind mask work

  • Discovered the simplicity of comedy

  • Increased physicalisation and vocal enhancement ability

  • Increased character performance ability

  • Expanded knowledge of physical theatre and theatre cultures

  • Become familiar with the Commedia dell’Arte Technique