Synopsis
Why Is That So Funny? A Practical Exploration of Physical Comedy
Published by Nick Hern Books
Comedy is recognised as one of the most problematic areas of performances. For that reason, it is rarely written about in any systematic way
The book opens with an analysis of the different kinds of laughter that can be provoked by performance
This is followed by the main part of the book: games and exercises devised to demonstrate and investigate the whole range of comic possibilities open to a performer
Why Is That So Funny? will be invaluable to teachers and performers and fascinating for anyone interested in how comedy works
" ... a welcome relief from the flood of performance studies theory, being firmly based in a lifetime of practice ... a must for any budding physical comedy performers - and an inspiration for everyone who treads the boards, whether they think of themselves as 'comedic' or not" ~ Total Theatre Magazine
John Wright is a director and teacher of theatre whose work is in much demand all over the world
He co-founded Trestle Theatre Company in the early eighties and co-directed much of their work. In 1992 he co-founded Told by an Idiot with Paul Hunter and Hayley Carmichael