Last weekend saw the first ever Funny Women Workshop Weekend at Covent Garden’s B.Hive. Building on the success of our regular stand-up workshops and the recent launch of the Funny Women Players, the Workshop Weekend provided two days of confidence-building activities and networking opportunities, with plenty of creativity and hilarity thrown in.
Following a quick coffee – where participants got chatting to each other and the Funny Women team to banish any nerves for the weekend ahead – the day began properly with an improvisation workshop with Funny Women regular and Charity Challenge mentor Courtney Cornfield. Her extensive background in improvisation and stand-up meant that all the participants could ease in gently as they got to grips with the basics of improv before playing a few games to break the ice. Once everyone was warmed up, Saturday’s focus shifted to the writing aspect of creating comedy, with two workshops from acclaimed comedy writer Paul Dodgson and award-winning writer and Funny Women Comedy Writing Award judge Hattie Naylor.
We kicked things off with Hattie’s workshop, ‘Creating Characters’. For the writers of the group, it was a chance to look at the importance of character in more detail – but it was a great way to explore the basics for beginners too. Looking at stereotypes and archetypes, and the elements of characterization that are essential to drive a plot forward, Hattie left all the participants feeling excited and confident in creating their own complex and versatile characters.
Paul’s action-packed workshop saw the collaborative creation of a new sketch-show – in under two hours! Working in small groups, participants had to work as quickly as possible to come up with a brand new radio show set in a supermarket (aptly named ‘Up the Aisle’). The end result was a host of quirky characters and comic situations, mixing alarming supermarket tannoy announcements with character-based monologues and sketches.
Saturday ended with a Body Awareness masterclass with Zoe Charles, whose famous The Cheek Of It! burlesque school helps women all over London explore and use their physicality in performance. What might have initially seemed daunting was a supportive – and often, hilarious – session, with brilliant techniques and advice from Zoe, as well as a potted history about the art of burlesque. By the end of the hour-long workshop any nervous tremors at the mention of ‘burlesque’ had melted away, and we ended the session with a mini performance featuring all of the Workshop Weekend participants!
A reception hosted by Blue Nun Wines, along with a brilliantly funny performance by Funny Women Awards 2012 winner Gabby Best, rounded off the first day. As many of us left to go on to the London Nights showcase at the Leicester Square Theatre, the skills and confidence gained from Day One left everyone excited for Sunday’s activities…
The supportive atmosphere created on Saturday carried on. The 'Stand up to Stand out' workshop by Funny Women founder Lynne Parker was not only informative and fun, but even therapeutic to some of the group. The workshop began with an activity that taught us how to create material from our own lives, as well as learning to listen and remember one another’s stories. At the end of the session, all the participants had a chance to practice performing the material they had just written. Having listened to one another’s rants and raves amongst the first baby steps into creating a stand-up routine, all nerves seemed to have disappeared by the time the workshop drew to a close.
By the end of the intensive but enjoyable weekend, praise was given, emails were exchanged and friends were made. Although the Workshop Weekend was Funny Women’s first go at a two-day event primarily aimed at beginners, it hopefully won’t be the last!
But don't just take our word on how fantastic it was! Some of our lovely participants were kind enough to email us with their thoughts (after they had recovered, of course!)
“I had enormous fun at the weekend, and already feel so much better about being myself in front of an audience, which is exactly what I was aiming for, so thank you to Lynne, all the facilitators and assistants and everyone else who attended and made it such a great weekend.”- Cathy Simmons
“It was a truly fun, interesting and inspiring week end. I so enjoyed meeting such an interesting, diverse group of women and would love to stay in touch. It's been tough bouncing back to reality- laundry, grocery shopping etc. but I have a wiggle in my walk as I push my trolley round the supermarket and keep giggling every time I hear the announcements as ours were SO much more interesting. Yes, I'm thinking about the sex in aisle six in particular...” – Suanne Braun
“It was a really brilliant weekend with all of you and I hope I acquire some of the confidence that you all have an abundance of. I am displaying symptoms of Workshop withdrawal and think I need a weekly fix of Funny Women Workshops! I am missing it so much that improv with Siri (the voice of my iPhone) doesn't totally work!”- Kate Davis
“I too am finding it hard to get going this morning – a severe case of writer’s block. Perhaps we need a Funny Women Wake-me-up Workout every morning” – Lilias Martin
“What they all said! Really inspired me and gave me a spring in my step this week.” – Isla Wilson
The next Workshop Weekend will take place in London during May. Look out for detials coming soon!
