| Unit name | Clowning Through History |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THTR20014 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Wozniak |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of Theatre |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Through a series of seminars and workshops, students on this unit will encounter a range of historical theatrical performance texts which include clown roles, in order to explore the changing emphases of clowning in relation to performance practice and specific socio-historic contexts. The unit will draw on a range of acting and clowning theories and practice, both historical and contemporary, which will be explored through critical discussion and critically reflective performance. Students will develop an understanding of how changing conditions and performance practices have affected the role of the clown in theatrical performance through studying specific clowning roles and sequences from commedia dell’arte, through early modern clown roles, to the development of separate performance spaces for clowns in the nineteenth century and subsequently to clown roles in absurdist tragedies and in contemporary performance. Students will develop an understanding of the changing historical relationship between different performance spaces, between author, director and performer and between clown and form. Students will study the role of the clown through exploring a range of historical and contemporary theatrical clowning techniques and by developing a short clowning sequence from a textual source. They will develop a thorough understanding of how historical and contemporary clowning techniques and approaches might be used in performance to entertain and challenge an audience. In doing so they will explore the performance of the following issues and how they might interact both in the original and subsequent performances: performing the self and celebrity; authority in performance; performing the popular; performing the topical; and performing adaptation.
On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
1) demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of a range of performance contexts and the ways in which clowns performed within them
2) demonstrate an understanding of the key theoretical and theatrical concerns in both current and contemporaneous criticism of clown roles
3) apply a range of approaches to reading and interpreting performance texts, and explored their practical implications in performance
4) demonstrate knowledge of a range of performance techniques and understanding of their practical application
5) demonstrated the ability to analyse and evaluate a range of performance texts, both in terms of their own practice and the practice of others
6) demonstrate the ability to conceptualise and perform a project based on a clown role from an appropriate performance text and developed their skills in acting and/or dramaturgy and/or directing
Teaching will be delivered through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous seminars, workshops, forums and exercises. Some workshops will allow students to explore the development of their own clown practice and persona, whilst others will allow students to practice writing and analytical skills, including through peer review exercises. The seminars will allow students to explore a variety of historical examples of clowning and understand them in relation to the historical context and their own practice and will be conducted online. Practical workshop activities will also be made available online, making it possible to study this unit off-campus. Formative assessments will be used during seminar and workshop activities to develop student work and will include: review/analysis of live (or recorded) clown performances; historical analysis of primary material; documentation and reflexive analysis of development of own clown role.
Summative assessment (100%): Digital portfolio of 30 minutes, comprising a selection of: review/analysis of live (or recorded) clown performance; historical analysis of primary material; video of individual clowning performance; pitch for touring clown performance; documentation and reflexive analysis of development of own clown role
Jacky Bratton and Ann Featherstone (2006) The Victorian Clown
Ribert Hornback (2009) The English Clown Tradition from the Middle Ages to Shakespeare
John Wright (2006) Why is that so Funny?
Franc Chamberlain and Ralph Yarrow (2002) Jacques Lecoq and the British Theatre
Jon Davison (2015) Clown Training: A Practical Guide
Louise Peacock (2009) Serious play: modern clown performance
