The Laboratory of the Un-beautiful
A Bouffon & Grotesque Workshops
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Dive deep into the world of the bouffon and the grotesque in this womxn-only weekend intensive from acclaimed theatre-makers & facilitators Robyn Hambrook & Deborah Antoinette. Explore the playful, wild and satirical play of the bouffon; rooted in mockery, parody and acid wit. As we embrace the grotesque and un-beautiful we liberate our imaginations and unlock & embrace the mad & surreal. This intensive is designed to foster a safe space for womxn to creatively explore their physicality, voice, presence and power. The weekend starts with a sharing circle on Friday - reflecting together on how social prescription & patriarchal forces have affected us individually. We’ll invite reflections on lived-experiences such as: sisterhood/lack-of; self-image; power; consent; perception of femininity; Maiden-Motherhood-Crone phases; as well as opening to what themes emerge from the group of womxn present. On Saturday & Sunday we will dive into learning Bouffon tools. TOOLS: > Feminine embodiment: shape, movement & voice. > The group body & collective movement > Status & hierarchy > Grotesque emotion > ‘Stuffing’/changing body shape & moving the ‘full body mask’ > Relationship to the audience > Parody, mockery & absurdity - on social issues. As you can see from the tools list, the theatrical form of Bouffon lends itself to an exploration of the distortion of feminine power within our cultural & political experience. Want to create performance which is enlivening, honest & unique? Are you ready to draw on personal & socially lived experience as material for creative expression? And as an act of empowerment for yourself and other womxn? You’re in the right place! WHO IS IT FOR? All who identify as womxn are welcome. This course is suitable for clowns, actors and performers interested in broadening their repertoire and exploring feminist issues in their work. If you’re not sure if your level of experience would support you to join this workshop, please email [email protected] and we will be happy to help identify if the workshop would be right for you. WHAT TO BRING Please wear clothes you are free to move in, bring a bottle of water & your notepad. If possible, bring a yoga mat for the warm-up or let us know if you don't have one. "The course gives you a feeling of self-worth. It is a safe space which banishes all writer's blocks… This course is probably the best creative thing that I have done during the lockdown. I learnt about the power of movement, stillness and silence to help my stream of words become more punctuated. Deborah was great! She was so positive and found the positive in everyone's performances. …(she) kept the classes challenging but not stressful. The warm up exercises & meditation helped us focus and commit to the performance exercises. Other worries etc safely put aside.” |
LONDON 4 Dec
Dates & times:
Dec 4th Saturday: 2 - 5pm Venue: Fourth Monkey, The Monkey House, 97-101 Seven Sisters Rd, Finsbury Park, London N7 7QP Cost: Once invited; The Workshop Investment is £40 Early Bird Price of just £33 before 21st November Payment will be requested via paypal or BACs. (refundable up until 22nd Nov and/or if you contract Corona virus) BRISTOL 11 - 12 Dec
Dates & times:
Dec 11th-12th Saturday: 10 - 6:30pm Sunday: 10 - 5pm Venue: The Island, Bridewell St, 1st Floor, Bristol BS1 2BE Cost: Once invited; The Course Investment is £200 Early Bird Price of just £150 before 28th November Payment will be requested via paypal or BACs. (refundable up until 22nd Nov and/or if you contract Corona virus) COVID 19 INFO In accordance with the recommendations given in the Government Guidance for performing arts, there is a limited capacity, considering the workshop studio’s volume. All participants will be asked to carry out a lateral flow test before joining the workshop, encouraged to use hand gel and windows will be open for ventilation. All contact points will be wiped before & after each session. There'll be a discussion on the safe use of space at the beginning of the weekend - inc. wearing face masks at specific points. “That its feckin’ brilliant and clever and well organised and professional and full of useful information and teaching on being a total idiot in this stupid world of numpties we live in.” |
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ABOUT DEBORAH ANTOINETTE
Deborah is a writer-performer, storyteller & trainer. She facilitates transformational workshops which invite participants to discover their unique creative voice & body. For Deborah, stories hold the potential for deep healing, and comedy offers the possibility of irreverently unveiling the absurd ways the world can be. She digs into myths, flies with the magic of fairytale and revels in writing theatre sketches that shake-shit-up. Her explorations of story and Self extend to the realm of Systematic Constellations - a collective healing practise which focuses on our personal stories and seeks movement where relationships and narratives become stuck. She is the co-creator of comedy show 'Queen C**t: Sacred or Profane?', movement show 'Raven' and storytells 'Inanna', 'Sacred Bees', 'Owl Woman' and more - many of which hold feminist themes. Deborah trained at London International School of Performance Art, now Arthaus Berlin, with Thomas Prattki & Amy Russel, in the Lecoq pedagogy. |
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ABOUT ROBYN
Robyn is a Bristol-based director, teacher and performer. With over 20 years experience she is a passionate practitioner of clowning, physical theatre, circus and street arts. She has a MA in Circus Directing, a Diploma of Physical Theatre Practice and trained with a long line of inspiring teachers including Holly Stoppit, Giovanni Fusetti, Jon Davison, Zuma Puma, Deanna Fleysha, Igne Barkauskaite and Maggie Irving. Robyn has collaborated with companies including Let’s Circus, The Sexual Health Circus and Whispering Wood Folk and performed with acclaimed physical theatre companies including, Derevo, Akhe, Oceanallover, and Gappad as well as her own award-winning company, Fun in the Oven Theatre. During the pandemic in 2020, Robyn set up The Online Clown Academy with Holly Stoppit and developed a series of Zoom Clown Courses. Robyn’s research, started during her Masters, has been exploring the meeting point of clowning and activism, online, in the real world and with international collaborators. With this drive to explore political edges of her work she has also dived back into the world of the Bouffon; training with Jaime Mears, Nathaniel Justiniano, Tim Licata, Al Seed and the grand master Bouffon-himself; Philippe Gaulier. |
