Clown as Performance

This workshop is for people with some performance experience; as a clown, actor, improviser or comedian. It helps if you have had some clown training but not essential. We will build on all the core learning areas of the ‘Intro to Clown’ workshop (Looking to the Laugh, Repeating the Funny, Learning to Love the Flop, Saving your Mate, Doing Something vs Doing Nothing) and I will begin to provoke you as the ‘Boss Clown’ to help you find the ridiculous. We will source costumes and start to play around with the red nose. The workshop will finish by looking at ways to create clown scenes and I will run you through how to build a show (although this may still be some way off for you).

Focus:

Provoking the Idiot

Finding the Game

Clowns in Scripted Scenes

Creating Original Clown Material/Scenes

INSTRUCTOR BIO:

Damien Warren-Smith (A.K.A. Garry Starr) is a performer whose solo work has played festivals all over the world, picking up numerous awards along the way. Having trained and worked as an actor for over 15 years he re-trained as a clown with the likes of Mick Barnfather, Peta Lily, John Wright, Lucy Hopkins, Carlo Jacucci and Philippe Gaulier before forming the clown troupe A Plague of Idiots. His solo shows have played to packed houses in Melbourne, Sydney, London, Oslo, Berlin, LA and Las Vegas and he has taught workshops across the UK, Australia and Japan. His new show Classic Penguins was one of the best reviewed shows at Edinburgh Fringe 2024.

'One of the greatest clowns audiences are likely to see in their lifetime' - NZ Herald

‘Starr is an appealingly absurd comic creation… his tremendous warmth and respect for his audience balance out a childlike urge to create absolute chaos’ - The Stage (UK)