School of Clowns Course

If you have ever been curious about the mechanics behind physical comedy or wanted to explore the more ridiculous side of performance, the School of Clowns Course is returning to the Theatre Royal this May. It is a structured workshop series led by Chris Cresswell, a clown practitioner who brings experience from his work with companies like Ra Ra Zoo, John Mowat, Nola Rae, and Theatre de Complicite, alongside his role as an associate lecturer at the University of Chichester.

The course is designed for adults aged 18 and over, welcoming a mix of actors, theatre makers, musicians, dancers, teachers, and circus artists. The focus here is on the individual clown—specifically, the process of identifying and highlighting those parts of ourselves that are inherently funny or absurd. It is a practical approach to building a comic character and developing the skills needed for theatrical clowning, both as a solo performer and when working within an ensemble.

Regarding the schedule, the sessions are set to run on consecutive Wednesdays: May 6, 13, 20, and 27, followed by June 3 and 10. Each session begins at 10:00. The standard fee for the full course is £150.00. For those who might face financial barriers to attending, there is a limited number of subsidised places available, which is worth noting if you are interested but concerned about the cost.

It is worth distinguishing this from the shorter 'School of Clowns Drop In' sessions that ran earlier this spring. This specific programme is a more comprehensive commitment, aimed at those looking to dedicate time to investigating these performance techniques over several weeks. Whether you are looking to sharpen your existing stage skills or simply want to explore a different way of approaching performance, the course offers a space to work through these concepts in a practical, studio-based environment.