Melodrama is the theatre of big, true feelings and exaggerated emotions and gestures – where life is still simple and people are trying their best to be heroic, virtuous and graceful.
In my Clowning and Melodrama workshops, I concentrate on the meeting point between pathos and comedy, on the principles of simplicity and clarity and the pleasure of playing ‘big’. I also touch on basic Melodrama archetypes – where men are still courageous heroes and women are pure and virtuous heroines, through the looking glass of a clown’s naiveté of course…
In my view, Melodrama is the ‘neutral mask’ for the body, stripping away everything ‘additional’ and ‘busy’ and focusing on the performer behind the clown nose. Participants will have a chance to play at being larger, clearer, and more present than they think they are, opening up the performance space, increasing their stage presence, creating authentic connections and, hopefully, leading to deeper emotional connections with their audiences.
In group and individual work the focus is on the pleasure of ‘playing’ big, the joy & power of repetition, and the ‘pause’ as an invitation to be seen and engage with our audiences. With the tools and practices of this exciting theatre form, we sensitively straddle the thin line between deep, authentic, human emotions and the comical perspective inherent in Clown play.
FORMAT
Length: 3 to 5 days
Participants: 20 maximum
For enquiries and further information please contact us
Images with thanks to ČERVENÝ NOS Clowndoctors and Piros Orr Bohócdoktorok Alapítvány
