Physical comedy prioritises the body as a signifier in performance. The physical comedy may derive from the juxtaposition in size, rhythm and energy of one performer with another, or with a group of performers. It may also derive simply from the choreography of the movement that plays on its comic dimensions and potential. Physical comedy can be culture- and context-specific but often happens through the use of accentuated physical movement that removes us from, or comments upon, everyday movement – through mimicry or exaggeration, for example. Physical comedy often requires a heightened level of performer training that focuses on gymnastic ability as well as the development of comic skills through observation and behaviour analysis and awareness.

Image: Photograph © Ars Comica, 2008