SPEAKERS
Scriptwriters & Actors
WHAT’S SO FUNNY?
A Workshop on the Histories and Mysteries of Comedy for High School Students
Written and presented by Peter Dodds and Jamie Forbes
What’s So Funny? is a two part, day long workshop focussed on comedy in all its forms throughout the ages. The program is designed to educate, entertain, involve and inspire. The first section of the program is devoted to an examination of what makes us laugh and why. Using multi-media techniques (from a genuine gramophone to projected video), live readings (including student participation) and exclusive insight into the heart of the professional workings of comedy, Pete and Jamie take the students through vaudeville through to the present day. We’ll journey from early radio comedy (including rare recordings of the most popular comedians of the time entertaining troops in the thick of the World Wars, right through to Seinfeld, The Simpson, Scrubs and The Office … and the stand up comedians who keep vaudeville alive … and are still entertaining troops in the wars we find ourselves involved in now ). Along the way, we’ll look at the various sub-categories of comedy and how and why they work.
After a break Peter and Jamie will help the students put together bits and pieces of their own comedy. These can include sketches, stand up routines, pieces for camera (provided), cartoons and anything else the students want to try. The emphasis throughout the workshop is to have fun attempting to understand what’s funny and how funny things work. To quote Douglas Adams: “this is, of course, impossible.” Which is exactly why it’s funny.
Peter Dodds is an ex secondary school teacher in Media Studies. He has lectured in Teaching Methodology at a number of local tertiary institutions and is the author of two books on Media Studies teaching. He also draws cartoons. Jamie Forbes is a writer for stage (he won the Bicentennial Playwright’s Award), radio (his Mister Jones featured some of Australia’s leading comic talent), film and television (including the children’s series Li’l Horrors – now available on DVD and currently syndicated around the world and the ABC’s current affairs satire BackBerner). He also works as a journalist, actor, musician and cartoonist and holds a certificate in Childhood Development, and has worked with children in drama for over fifteen years. Both Peter and Jamie are fairly amusing.
Alan Hopgood has been one of Australia’s leading playwrights since 1963, when his successful plays, And the Big Men Fly, The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women and Private Yuk Objects were presented by the M.T.C. He has since continued his successful career in film and television winning Awgie awards for The Cheerful Cuckold and The Bush Bunch and writing several feature films, including Alvin Purple and the documentaries The Prophecies of Nostradamus and The Fountain of Youth.
His acting career runs parallel with his writing, spending 10 years with the M.T.C., six years as the popular “Dr Reed” in Bellbird, as well as creating the popular characters “Wally” in Prisoner and “Jack Lassiter” in Neighbours.
Recently, he started an active collaboration with composer Michael Easton that produced the children’s opera Little Redinka for the Victorian State Opera and Petrov - The Musical for the Summer Music Festival in 1992 as well as the musiographies Oh Mr Porter, Rodgers and Hart and Callas - The Woman and recently with Michael Harrison, The Mario Lanzer Story.
Alan would be happy to perform The Emperor of the Ghetto, a one man play, suitable for year 10 and 11 students studying English, Drama and WW2 history. It deals with the Jewish Leader of the Ghetto of Lodz and his dilemmas in dealing with the Nazis. The presentation takes about an hour and includes a discussion. Alan is also available for presentations of his play And the Big Men Fly which is studied by many high school students.
Alan presents to Secondary Schools, Years 10 to 12.
GOLVAN ARTS MANAGEMENT • PO Box 766, Kew, Victoria 3101 Australia • golvan@ozemail.com.au