What makes Charioteer Theatre’s courses so engaging?

For me it’s the chance to explore various forms of physical theatre in a fail-safe way close to home. To have permission to play, have fun, exercise body and mind, explore a new and exciting world, seeing as though through the eyes of  a child again.  Of course there are learning points provided along the way.  But each group provides a fantastic resource, the chance to swop stories, learn from each other’s experiences, and make new friends.

Perhaps the appeal of these courses to all-comers – whether first-time explorers of an acting & performance workshop, seasoned professionals, and often a mix of age and experience -  is the amazing chance to receive the wisdom of leading international nents of physical theatre, keen to share their passion and knowledge with us . Attendees from Moray rub shoulders with others from as far afield as Italy (since expressive Italians are attracted by the far-reaching performance reputation of our Artistic Director, Laura Pasetti ).  Each ‘student’ provides our own unique experience and insights, through discussion, movement and most importantly ‘having a go’ at the training exercises and exploratory performances.  The group dynamic builds to become a positive mirror for each exploratory micro-performance.

What did Commedia dell’Arte course offer?

Firstly an insight into another culture’s comic theatre tradition through the eyes of a leading exponent, STEFANO GUIZZI :
“Commedia dell’Arte was conceived and developed within the arenas of market-place performers, noblemen's courts and universities, its long life cycle spanned for 250 years from the 16th to the 18th centuries, influencing all other forms of theatre to come.
I saw "Arlecchino, Servant of Two Masters" directed by Giorgio Strehler, one of the most important theatre directors of the twentieth century. Arlecchino, one of the most famous characters of Commedia dell’Art, was being played by Ferruccio Soleri, an established, world-acclaimed actor of the time for his spectacular interpretation of Commedia Dell'Arte's most famous character.

Ten years later I was admitted to Strehler's School of Theatre, where I began training in Commedia dell'Arte with Strehler himself, Soleri, and other actors from the company of the Piccolo Theatre; they were keeping this ancient tradition of Italian theatre alive, taking it all over the world.  The power of the Mask breaks through language and cultural barriers, reaching audiences in Tokyo or in Cairo, in Minsk or Rio, and always waking, stirring and warming their hearts with laughter.I was seven years old when I walked into a theatre for the first time in my life;

In 1990, I appeared on stage for the first time with Mr. Soleri under Strehler's direction.

Today, twenty years on, my study and adventures with the Maschere continue as I travel all over the world with ‘Arlecchino’.  In 2008, I began to teach Commedia workshops, in collaboration with Mr. Soleri and the Piccolo Theatre of Milano, to young actors in different parts of the world, from the Shepkin Theatre School in Moscow to the Fitaz (International Theatre Festival of La Paz, Bolivia).”

But why is Italy’s Commedia dell’Arte relevant to us today?

It is a forerunner in expressing comedy through movement to arguably the most popular form of physical theatre experience in Britain today. Over 15million people go to the theatre each year (for many their only visit to theatre) to simply be entertained by Panto!  Charioteer’s Commedia course offered the chance to explore a whole new set of rich comic characters, a window into understanding Britain’s panto counterparts.  The Master and Servant, the Professor,  the Merchant etc. But Commedia is a more pervasive influence in our tradition of comic theatre and variety than jsut panto:
As the performers of Commedia travelled all over Europe, invited by Monarchs and Tsars, they spread the seeds of what was to become modern European theatre. We find comic characters resembling (or taken directly from) the masked characters of Commedia in the works of Shakespeare and Moliére; circus and puppet-theatre (Punch and Judy;) the work of Charlie Chaplin, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, Eric Morecombe and Ernie Wise and up to the moment, the comic creation that is Mr. Bean.

Secondly it offered the opportunity to work with ‘the mask’. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the chance to work with the strange leather-tooled creations, featuring: furrowed brows, pronounced or squashed noses, bushy eyebrows and beard etc. The face mask may restrict vision, but it seems to immediately give an on-stage persona affecting how we react and play off each others mask-character.

Stefano explains that we shouldn’t consider ‘the mask’ to be purely the ‘face mask’ we put on. The face mask may serve as an immediate visual clue to the identity of the Commedia character, but ‘the mask’ is more importantly how we present our whole physical body to bring each stylised character alive in our own unique way. We all work with ‘our mask’, our body, every day, often instinctively. We present ‘our mask’ to others to show who we are and how we are feeling. So unbeknown to us we all came along to the course fully equipped with the knowledge and instinct ready to begin to explore Commedia.

As the course progressed this point was reinforced: it became clear that the outward presenting face-mask only really coming alive when our bodies are fully involved in the character as it explores a particular situation, e.g. the servant putting one over on the master. And the face mask can be used to good effect to register each important comedy moment, by a sudden snap of the head to look out to the audience (“did you see that?”) then back into the situation with a change of pace, or physical expression.

Commedia is about the underdog servants making fun of their rich oppressors of the time - masters, merchants, doctors. It's about improvised gags and jokes, Lazzi (lah-tsee) in Italian – which become the performers' precious repertoire. It's about stylised gestures and postures - that become a code-language for each character.

Thirdly and arguably most importantly exploring Commedia Dell’Arte, was a lot of fun. Having established the foundations of character, the  style of movement, the poses, the placement and rhythm of voice, we were invited to explore situations and improvise how our mask-character might behave and react. Yes, this means stepping out of your comfort zone, to explore a new way of moving, to work new muscles, to see differently, to present ourselves as a strange new character, each with our own personal flavour, a new way of being. This exploration can be discomforting, but it is also exhilarating. As the 5-day course progressed we all moved towards a successful shared positive experience. We gave ourselves the chance to laugh, at ourselves and at each other’s inventiveness. I left with a sense of well-being. Comedy is indeed the best medicine! And Stefano’s many styles of unbridled non-judgemental reassuring laughter, confirmed we all created some entertaining comedy moments. ‘Laugh and the world laughs with you...’  Why not give Charioteer’s next course a go? What, apart from your inhibitions, have you got to lose?

By Terry Langdale.

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