Character Comedy - Creating Characters For Solo Performance with Susan Harrison

Playing a character on stage can be freeing, fun and a great way to channel comedy material. This workshop is for people who would like to try out character comedy for the first time, and it is also suitable for those who would like to refine and add to characters that they already have in their arsenal.

Although this is not an improv workshop, we’ll use improv/ play as a tool to generate material, as well as using direction, discussion, observation and writing. It’ll be interactive, challenging and fun!

• Practise different ways to generate characters

• Add depth/ variety to your characterisation

• Explore the role of the audience

• Get your ideas down on paper

Are you...

• A stand up? - Stretch yourself and explore other types of comedy by writing through the perspective of a character.

• An improviser? - Learn to stick with one character for longer, and to channel your spontaneity into scripted comedy.

• An actor? - Use your skills with characterisation to explore solo comedy.

About the teacher

Susan is an award winning character comedian who has taken 5 character shows to the Edinburgh Fringe, winning a Three Week’s Editor’s Choice Award along the way. She is also an online comedian. She makes videos of all kinds of people, from Liz Truss to Mary Wollstonecraft and has gone viral multiple times. Her sketches have been featured in/on The Poke, Buzzfeed, Front Row, Times Radio, Morning Star.

TV Credits include DNN (CBBC) for which she wrote and created her own characters for a segment on the show each week, BAFTA winning Class Dismissed (CBBC). Radio includes; The Simon Day Show and Gemma Arrowsmith’s Emergency Broadcast (both for BBC Radio 4). Other audio credits include comedy fan favourites, Victoriocity and The Beef and Dairy Network.

Stage credits include Olivier Award winning Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Mischief Theatre, West End).

“First class comic acting” (The Guardian)

“Harrison is a performer with depth and range. A fantastic character comedian” (Chortle)

“She seems to shrink and stretch before our eyes across gender, class and even species..it’s seamless” (The Skinny)