2016/17 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

ENGL32161 Performing Shakespeare's Clowns and Fools

20 creditsClass Size: 24

School of English

Module manager: Dr Jan Wozniak
Email: j.wozniak@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2016/17

Pre-requisite qualifications

Grade B at 'A' Level English Language or Literature (or equivalent) or an achieved mark of 56 or above in a Level 1 module in English (or its non-UK equivalent).

Please note: This module is restricted to Level 2 and 3 students. Enrolment priority will be given to Level 2 students for a restricted period (as detailed in the School's Module Handbook).

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Through a series of seminars and workshops, this module attempts a practical, critical and theoretical exploration of the performance of clown and fool roles in Shakespeare's plays. In doing so it will explore the performance of the following issues and how they might interact both in the original and subsequent performances: performing the self and celebrity; authority in performance; performing the popular; performing the topical; and performing adaptation. The module will draw on a range of acting and clowning theories and practice, which will be explored through critical discussion and critical performance. No specific performance skills or experience are required, although you should be willing and able to explore performance of aspects of yourself and dramatic characters with and in front of your peers. Some knowledge of literary and/or theatrical study is required.

Objectives

To explore the theatrical performance of clown and fool characters in Shakespeare's plays in different historical contexts, from their original historical context to the contemporary theatre context.

- To use critical reading and performance approaches to investigate the different authorities of author, performer and director in the performance of Shakespeare's clowns
- To examine the performance of historical clowns through twentieth century acting and clowning theory and practice

Learning outcomes
- An understanding of the different types of clown and fool used by Shakespeare and his contemporaries
- An understanding of how changing historical, social and theatrical contexts influence the performance of plays and popular elements in particular
- An appreciation of the different strengths of theoretical and practical approaches to understanding historical performance

Syllabus

This module will examine the changing tradition of the roles of the clown and fool as they developed during the early modern period and will use key plays of William Shakespeare to examine this. The module will include consideration of the roots of these roles in medieval culture, identifying them as closely related to popular culture, and the influence of the celebrity personalities of the performers in performance. As such, the module will trace how the clown and fool roles have been performed through a range of historical periods, including the contemporary period, both through critical and historical readings and through the development of a clown or fool performance.

In seminars and workshops, the module will explore the relationship between the clown or fool character and the performer, and will explore the challenges which these might have made to the authority of the playwright and other theatrical forces in distinct and material theatrical environments. The module will examine how early modern clowns and fools such as Will Kemp and Robert Armin used their own (celebrity) personalities to improvise and disrupt textual authority to respond to topical events. Through a combination of close critical and historical reading and performance practice, the module will explore whether some of these roles and sequences might be successfully adapted to different historical contexts, using other celebrity personalities, responding to other topical events and paying particular attention to changing audience expectations and experiences.

The module will include consideration of clown and fool performance from a critical perspective and from the perspective of the performers, using texts from the early modern period and from more contemporary clowning theory such as Lecoq and Gaulier, as well as drawing on other comic and popular cultural approaches to performance. These approaches will be approached through discussion of their historical and critical contexts and through practical clowning workshops.

The module will promote a critical approach to both practical and theoretical exploration of the issues involved, culminating in assessments which allow the student to demonstrate their learning through a lecture/presentation performance, an accompanying reflective log and a critical essay.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Workshop	5	2.00	10.00
Seminar	5	1.00	5.00
Private study hours			185.00
Total Contact hours			15.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Teaching will be through a combination of 5 x 2 hour workshops and 5 x 1 hour seminars. The seminars will be directed at discussion of secondary and critical texts exploring different historical contexts of performance. The 5 x 2 hour workshops will explore different acting and clowning approaches to performing the clown and fool characters in the plays.

Private study: Reading, seminar preparation and essay writing.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

- Contribution to Seminars
- Feedback on presentation/performance
- Feedback on reflective journal

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Presentation	Presentation/Performance of 20 minutes	40.00
Reflective log	Critical Reflective Journal of 1000 words	20.00
Essay	2250 words	40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 04/04/2016

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