SCHTICK! – Clowning and Slapstick Masterclass
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: 23rd – 25th April (ANZAC Day Weekend)
Three-day Workshop in Clowning and Slapstick – with Scott Witt
WHAT IS IT?
Award-winning director, actor, tutor and clown, Scott Witt (Combat Circus), will be offering Melbourne performers a fantastic opportunity to join in a three-day Masterclass in Clowning and Slapstick.
The workshop is a rare chance to for you work with an industry expert, in breaking down and exploring what can be a difficult side of performance. The course welcomes complete beginners through to those who would like to develop their skill. By the end of the three days you will have gained confidence and understanding in the fundamentals of physical comedy, safety, improvising, reading an audience, timing and rhythms, awareness… and objectively deconstructing what is or is not funny – with skills and approaches which can be taken forward into a wide range of performance work.
Clowning.
In the tradition of Philippe Gaulier and like-minded European clowning, Scott will share his fresh approach to delivering ‘clown’ to actors. Rather than just focusing on ‘being a clown’, the sessions explore how ‘clown’ can become part of your approach or method as a complete actor. Scott’s sessions make the art form of clowning highly accessible, and greatly assist an actor’s onstage confidence when confronted with an empty space. It can be challenging, but the rewards can be huge!
Slapstick
Scott’s background is deeply connected with performers such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Jacques Tati and Harold Lloyd. Physical comedy is its own special and unique art. Developing the skills to do knock-about sequences – safely – is usually where actors are left to fend for themselves using a ‘make it up as we go along’ type mentality. This usually leads to injuries and accidents, or both! In these sessions, Scott draws on twenty-five years of exploration which combines all his professional skills: acting and directing, stage combat, controlled physical improvisation, clowning and street theatre. The result is a format that allows actors to understand the inherent dangers of slapstick and how best to prepare for approaching this style of work.
WHEN IS IT?
Saturday 23rd – Monday 25th April 2016. 12:30pm to 7:30pm
WHERE IS IT?
Time4Fitness, 2/131 Johnston Street, Fitzroy, 3065.
WHO IS IT FOR?
The course will cater to all levels of experience and abilities – those who have done this work before and those who are fresh. In fact, if this is the kind of work you find difficult or confronting, then we heartily recommend this course as the perfect place to explore and learn.
HOW MUCH IS IT?
COURSE FEES:
Early Bird: $315 (book and finalise payment by April 15th 2016)
Concession: $325
Standard: $350
We accept bank transfer or PayPal (3% additional fee), so let us know what is the easiest method of payment for you.
I WANT IN!
To register and save your place, simple go directly to our ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM. You should receive an email reply in the next 24 hours – so if you haven’t, check your junk mail and then get in touch!
You place will be confirmed on receipt of full payment.
About Scott Witt…
Scott is an award winning theatre practitioner who has been working in stage, television and film for thirty years. In that time he has been acting, teaching, writing/adapting, fight directing, directing and/or clowning on hundreds of shows for companies such as Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Bell Shakespeare, Belvoir, Griffin, Opera Australia, Merrigong Theatre Company, La Boite Theatre, Queensland Theatre Company, Zen Zen Zo, Darlinghurst Theatre Company, NORPA, square the circle, Bare Boards Productions, Queensland Performing Arts Trust, Kooemba Jdarra, Opera Queensland, Queensland Ballet; and on many independent features and short films.
Performances Scott has directed have played throughout Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong. He was the President of the Society of Australian Fight Directors Incorporated from 1996 – 2007, is an Honorary Member of the British Academy of Dramatic Combat, Honorary Fight Director of Fight Directors Canada, Affiliated Member of the Art of Combat and a Honorary Fight Director of the Independent Fight Directors Guild of America; and he is currently the Artistic Director of the International Order of the Sword and the Pen. Scott has been a member of MEAA since 1988. During 2002 and 2003 he was the Intern and Associate Director for the Queensland Theatre Company working under Michael Gow’s Artistic Directorship. In 2004 Scott completed a Master in Fine Arts: Drama at Creative Industries, Queensland University of Technology and is the current Lecturer in Movement at National Institute of Dramatic Art; Australia.
Got questions? Get in touch
