Saturday 21st February 2026 from 10.30 - 4.30
About The Class
The clown walks on to the stage with nothing but the knowledge that they like it there, and that they want to entertain. From nothing they make us laugh and cry; we love them, we pity them, we are frightened of them. The experience of Clowning goes to the very heart of what performance is, and what actors do onstage, whether it be in a Clowning piece or in a scripted play. By coupling Clowning with Physical Comedy, we can also develop and hone our stagecraft - our understanding of rhythm and tempo, expectation and surprise, sharing stories, thoughts, ideas, and feelings with an audience. And, of course, we will laugh. A lot.
About Toby Hulse
Toby Hulse is a playwright, theatre director, and creative practitioner. He has made work for, amongst others, Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres, the egg, Polka, the Unicorn, Theatr Clwyd, Oxford Playhouse, Watermill Newbury, Derby Playhouse, Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Old Rep, and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and his plays are regularly performed across the world. His Bristol-based company Roustabout specialise in work for young and family audiences and are currently touring Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish, and rehearsing Little Red Riding Could. Toby teaches Improvisation, Clown, and Performing for Younger Audiences at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Bristol School of Acting. Toby has twice won the Distinguished Play Award from the AATE (American Alliance of Theatre and Education).
Saturday 21st February 2026 from 10.30 - 4.30
About The Class
The clown walks on to the stage with nothing but the knowledge that they like it there, and that they want to entertain. From nothing they make us laugh and cry; we love them, we pity them, we are frightened of them. The experience of Clowning goes to the very heart of what performance is, and what actors do onstage, whether it be in a Clowning piece or in a scripted play. By coupling Clowning with Physical Comedy, we can also develop and hone our stagecraft - our understanding of rhythm and tempo, expectation and surprise, sharing stories, thoughts, ideas, and feelings with an audience. And, of course, we will laugh. A lot.
About Toby Hulse
Toby Hulse is a playwright, theatre director, and creative practitioner. He has made work for, amongst others, Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres, the egg, Polka, the Unicorn, Theatr Clwyd, Oxford Playhouse, Watermill Newbury, Derby Playhouse, Leeds Playhouse, Birmingham Old Rep, and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, and his plays are regularly performed across the world. His Bristol-based company Roustabout specialise in work for young and family audiences and are currently touring Dinosaurs and All That Rubbish, and rehearsing Little Red Riding Could. Toby teaches Improvisation, Clown, and Performing for Younger Audiences at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Bristol School of Acting. Toby has twice won the Distinguished Play Award from the AATE (American Alliance of Theatre and Education).
