We are thrilled to announce that in May 2022 Spymonkey will be offering their third intensive three-week Clown Creation School in partnership with Worthing Theatres and Museum and take place in the Pavilion Theatre Atrium, an intimate venue with incredible views of Worthing seafront.
The school is aimed at emerging and professional performers who would like to build on their clown and physical comedy work, and take it to the next level of production and performance. It will be led by Spymonkey artistic directors Aitor Basauri and Toby Park, associate practitioner Sophie Russel and producer Emily Coleman.
The course aims to build a strong ensemble dynamic, to encourage participants to go further and deeper into the work to explore new areas of comedic investigation, and to inspire and initiate new creative material and performing relationships that we hope will go on to flourish into the full glory of performance!
There will also be an opportunity to look at the basics of how to build a sustainable performing arts business, with sessions on fundraising, budgeting and tour booking led by our executive producer.
CEO Amanda O’Reilly says ‘WTM constantly endeavours to bring the best in arts and heritage to our community, creating shared experiences that entertain, educate and inspire. We are thrilled that this partnership allows us to bring a fantastic creative opportunity to Worthing. The course will offer emerging and professional performers the chance to learn from internationally renowned artists and develop their skills and inspire future work.’
This year Spymonkey have invited our friend and associate artist Sophie Russell to join us as guest tutor. Sophie has a long association with Spymonkey, having co-created and performed Spymonkey’s Christmas Carol, Mrs Hudson and Every Last Trick. She uniquely straddles the worlds of physical comedy, clown and contemporary theatre practice – she was most recently seen at Shakespeare’s Globe in the leading Shakespearean roles of Richard III, Malvolio in Twelfth Night and Bottom in Midsummer Nights Dream, and as part of the original cast of Emilia. Spymonkey have always found huge comedic inspiration in theatre, and in particular great acting. Shakespeare represents a rich source of theatre – not only for the beauty of his language but also universal human themes, enduring characters and situations that chime with every age. Great theatre calls for Great Actors. And in attempting that greatness spymonkey create really funny work. Sophie will explore how ‘serious’ actor training can lead us to be finer comedy performers.
The course is aimed at emerging and professional performers of intermediate and advanced levels of experience, 18+. Previous participation in a Spymonkey course will be an advantage but is not a requirement of the course.
Find out more about Spymonkey’s three week Clown Creation School and book on there website: www.spymonkey.co.uk