Intro to Commedia Dell'Arte with Calum Robshaw

This extensive workshop explores the core Commedia Dell Arte characters and archetypes though play, improvisation and devising.

What is Commedia Dell'Arte?
Commedia Dell'Arte, meaning the Art of Comedy, is a mask-based comedy physical theatre art form. Every single sitcom, comedy show, sketch show, draws inspiration from the strange and wonderful characters of the Commedia World. The class looks at how each character behaves, moves, talks and how they operate in the world they live and how they interact with others. It will also focus on how to play each character, improvisation and how to devise a short Cannovacci Commedia Play.

The workshop will give students an exciting and enriching format in which to present physically heightened characters, to learn the origins of this beautiful art form, how to improvise using given character circumstances and how to devise and structure a short Commedia Play.

About the teacher
Calum Robshaw is a multi-award-winning, international Clown, Burlesque Artist and Physical Comedy Practitioner based in London. He trained in Clown at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in Paris and Commedia Dell'Arte in Italy, under the tutelage of the world-renowned maestro Antonio Fava.

Calum uses his unique blend of Clowning, Parody and dark humour to delight, tantalise and horrify audiences. Calum has performed all across the country and across the world including Canada, Germany, Finland, Italy and France. He is also the recent winner of the Belle of Belfast Award from the Belfast Burlesque Festival.