@The Arts Unit Creative Classes
@The Arts Unit Creative Classes
Student drama resource developed by The Arts Unit
Years 7 to 10 drama
You will:
explore elements of drama to develop a comic role, situation and action
devise and enact drama using performance techniques to expressively communicate dramatic meaning
reflect on the performance styles, dramatic techniques and theatrical conventions of comedy to create dramatic meaning
perform stories using the dramatic techniques and theatrical conventions of comedy to engage an audience and communicate dramatic meaning.
Welcome to the class
Duration: 00:33You will need:
a clear space to move in safely
your logbook to record ideas and take notes
a device so that you can record your final performance.
One of the first steps to create physical humour is to define what expressions, feelings and actions you want to convey.
Good comedy is quite often about how to make the ordinary things seem funny. One way to add humour to a story is to use physical comedy, actions and reactions.
Express the following emotions and reactions using facial gestures and movements from the whole body:
an unexpected surprise
trying to lift or move something heavy
breaking a valuable object
searching for something lost
suddenly getting a good idea
smelling something bad.
Tip: Good comedy is quite often about how to make the ordinary things seem funny. It’s not so much what you say or do but how you say or do it that makes comedy.
To express yourself and convey thoughts and actions to others without words, you need to practise ways of communicating with your body.
Watch the video 'Comedy' and learn how to do a classic comic double-take.
Comedy
Duration: 02:54Practise your actions and reactions using the following activities:
Mowing the lawn on a really hot day, you need a drink, you look away for a moment and the lawnmower starts moving without you and cuts down the flowers in the garden.
Walking down the street, it starts to rain. You pull out an umbrella that you are happy to have. Then it starts to get really windy.
Hang a painting on the wall. It is crooked and no matter what you do, you can’t get it straight. Show at least three ways that you try to straighten the painting before you get it right.
A game of tug-of-war, where you are pulling a rope and then being pulled by the rope. How does it end? Build the tension of winning then losing, and then maybe winning your way back again.
Tip: It is important that you don’t laugh at the comedy that you are creating.
Always try to keep a straight face and never walk on stage thinking that you are going to be funny. The comic person has a problem they need fixing.
Write down, in your logbook, a funny story that happened to you or one of your friends.
Write this story exaggerating the details, as though you are telling it to someone and then answer the following questions:
Why is this story a funny one?
Where are the funny moments in your story?
What are the reactions that you need to show in your face and body for each moment?
A good comic performance is one that is delivered with excitement and conviction.
This attitude is important because just repeating something that you heard, without vocal variations, emotions or physical expression is not engaging or entertaining.
Watch the following 2 student performances from the Multicultural Playwright Program.
Multicultural Playwright Program 2019 – Australia
Duration: 01:46Multicultural Playwright Program 2019 – Washing machine
Duration: 01:18In your logbook, describe how:
physical comedy has been used in each of the stories being told.
the performers used their voice to make the story funny and entertaining.
the performers used actions and reactions to create comedy.
Perform the story from Task 2 using physical comedy.
At the start of your performance, show who you are, where you are, what you are doing and where the moments to create comedy might be.
When you are confident with your story, perform it with excitement and conviction for an audience. Make sure you remember to build in physical comedy in your actions and reactions to what is happening.
Extension idea: Think of ways that you could incorporate other performers and props to be part of the setting and mood of your story.
Congratulations!
You have completed this @The Arts Unit Creative Class.