About the workshop
Brighton Clown School and Split Hairs Theatre Company are excited to present ‘Why Is That So Funny?’ - an exciting and entirely practical workshop on physical comedy and comic timing led by expert and pioneering theatre-maker John Wright.
What do we mean by timing ? What does timing consist of? Is timing an innate skill or something you can teach yourself? In this intensive workshop we’ll look at different physical techniques such as clocks, sights, takes and double takes and apply them to comic situations.
Directing and Theatre Making
John Wright is an award-winning international teacher and theatre-maker. He co-founded Trestle Theatre Company in 1980 and Told by an Idiot in 1993. He has worked on a string of productions and projects extending over three decades in Europe, Scandinavia, Asia and the UK, where his work has been seen at the National Theatre, the RSC, the Royal Court, the Almeida and the Royal Opera House.
Teaching
As a teacher John has taught across the world with his companies including the Ecole Philippe Gaulier and Central School of Speech and Drama and other UK Drama Schools. He was granted a Greater London Arts Award for his contribution to professional training; and his belief that teaching is the greatest source of learning has enabled his ideas to be shaped and moulded by generations of students. He pioneered the teaching of Clown at university level and was one of the first people in the country to offer courses in devising.
Writing
He is the author of two books, Why Is That So Funny?: A Practical Exploration of Physical Comedy and Playing the Mask: Acting Without Bullshit. His books are regularly used as reading material in universities for actor training and theatre-making.
