The Art of Comedy with Francois Zanini

The art of comedy… from the ancient Greeks, through Shakespeare to Saturday Night Live, comedy can be an illusive art form. Enter Artist in Residence, professional actor and performer Francois Zanini!

Last Thursday 20th April the 5eme SIA and LCE students participated in comedy workshops to enrich their English and drama work. The SIA students have been studying Shakespearean comedies this year, and their workshops combined broad skills in physical comedy and clowning with elements tailored to each individual text. The LCE students enjoyed a workshop refining general comedy and clowning skills.

Francois is an artist chasing the “magic moments” of theatre that can happen in the silence of a Shakespearean stage or under a circus big-top. His passion lies in exploring all forms of live performance with a preference for the ones involving the active body, and this was the energy and expertise he brought to this experience.

From seeing how games can become comedically performative, to physical and text work, the students learned a lot of new skills and gained numerous performance ideas that they can take forward in their drama work and Shakespearean performances. The students were excited and engaged throughout each workshop, and physically exhausted by the end, as they fully stepped up to and engaged in the creative process.

We look forward to seeing them perform!