The Gag Factory

A workshop open to all that will help you understand and make use of the laws of laughter!

Starting from the conflicts and mishaps of everyday life, we will explore the misunderstanding, conflicts, and accidents that inevitably provoke laughter. We will discover the basic rules of this art of imbalance and then apply them, by constructing fights, gags, chases, and other absurdities…

Day 1 – Physical fundamentals and confidence
• Walking and different ways of moving
• Support, balance, and transitions to the floor
• Economy and “neutrality” in everyday actions and gestures
This first day allows participants to lay the foundations of physical work and confidence in movement. Through simple exercises, they develop their relationship to space, time, listening, and group dynamics.

Day 2 – Slapstick techniques and objects
The work includes a technical component focused on:
• Falls
• Rhythmic principles
• Disruptions and counter-timing
• Creating sequences and learning how to scale up and down
This day is devoted to object manipulation and costume work, explored through situations of disruption and counterpoint. The aim is to embody the physical mechanisms of laughter using simple materials.

Day 3 – Building sequences
The work focuses on constructing “escalations”:
• Starting from a triggering event, developing a sequence of accidents and increasing imbalance
• Studying attempts at control by characters caught in a logic of catastrophe
Participants analyze and experiment with this mechanism in order to understand its structure and its dramaturgical stakes.

Day 4 – Image analysis and slapstick references
An analysis of comic imagery:
• Drawings and photographs
• Excerpts from slapstick films (including The Circus by Charlie Chaplin)
• Clips of major slapstick routines
Participants compare their own approach with that of key figures in physical comedy in order to enrich and refine their practice.

Day 5 – Creation and practical application
On this final day, participants present and rework their individual proposals.
They ensure the integration of the elements explored throughout the workshop and a clear understanding of the mechanisms of laughter.
The workshop emphasizes the human dimension of artistic commitment: beyond aesthetics and virtuosity, it is simple, fragile, and ordinary figures that tell a story through the body and the imagination.

Overall objective of the workshop Drawing on the classical repertoire of slapstick and music hall, participants will identify and experiment with the fundamental principles of the style in order to create and perform their own personal routines.

Practical Information

Dates: 8 au 12 juin
Hours: 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. / 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Address: Espace des Sept Arpents – 42 rue des Sept Artpents 93500 Pantin
Length: 5 days (25 hours)
Maximum number of participants: 20

Prerequisites This workshop is open to everyone, both amateurs and professionals. However, a basic familiarity with stage work and improvisation principles is required.

Pricing:
480€ self financed (payment plan possible)/ 1000€ if paid by AFDAS, France Travail etc.

To sign up:
Please send a C.V. and a letter of introduction to [email protected]

Registration deadline:
30 mai 2026