Using clear, readable prose, conceptual artist and poet Kenneth Goldsmith's manifesto shows how our time on the internet is not really wasted but is quite productive and creative as he puts the experience in its proper theoretical and philosophical context.
With a Foreword by John Oliver, host of Last Week TonightIn celebration of the 50th anniversary of its BBC debut, a revised and updated edition of the complete oral history of Monty Python—an insightful, in-depth portrait of the brilliant and hysterically funny show that transformed modern comedy.
Yoga in the Music Studio brings the popular and beneficial practice of yoga to music teachers and students of all instruments and ages, from preschoolers to senior adults and all those in-between.
This volume tackles the role of smell, under-explored in relation to the other senses, in the modern rejection, reappraisal and idealisation of antiquity.
Playwriting for Puppet Theatre provides a foundation for those puppeteers, teachers and librarians who want to develop suitable scripts for puppet theatre.
Alternative Comedy Now and Then: Critical Perspectives is the first academic collection focusing on the history and legacy of the alternative comedy movement in Britain that began in 1979 and continues to influence contemporary stand-up comedy.
Originally part of the UK alternative comedy scene, Andy de la Tour spent many years on the circuit, performing with the likes of Rik Mayall, Ben Elton, Alexei Sayle and French and Saunders.
'piercingly honest witty wonderful' - The Observer'My favourite way to learn is when a funny, clever, honest person is teaching me that's why I love Rosie Wilby!
Despite its unabated popularity with audiences, slapstick has received rather little scholarly attention, mostly by scholars concentrating on the US theater and cinema traditions.
Beyond a Joke is a celebration of comedy - one of the modern world's most dominant and compelling art forms - but it is also the story of comedy's dark side, homing in on the scandals that have surrounded some of light entertainment's biggest stars, and telling it as it is, featuring insight from one who was there at the time.
This book analyses two features of the traditional circus that have come under increasing attack since the mid-20th century: the use of wild animals in performance and the act of clowning.
The completely updated story of Carry On, Britain's largest film franchise, all the way from the gentle capers of the 1950s, through the raucous golden age of the 1960s, to its struggles in the decades (not plural) that followed.
This rich collection of readings offers a wide-ranging and authoritative survey of clown practices, history and theory, from the origins of the word clown through to contemporary clowning.
Peek behind the curtain into the making of Happy Days, the ultimate American sitcom, in this detailed season-by-season history written by two of the show's longest-serving writer-producers.
'This well-written page-turner is the definitive biography of the genius of Robin Williams, whose life redefines the highs and lows of the American dream' - Steve Martin 'Tenderly written .
As stage and screen artists explore new means to enhance their craft, a new wave of interest in expressive movement and physical improvisation has developed.
Among silent film comedians, three names stand out-Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd-but Harry Langdon indisputably deserves to sit among them as the fourth "e;king.
The jaw-dropping and joyful story of a life like no other - from one of Britain's best loved writers and actors'Funny, sad, totally no-holds-barred' The Scotsman'No life can really be all black, right?
A wide-ranging survey of the subject that celebrates the variety and complexity of film comedy from the silent days to the present, this authoritative guide offers an international perspective on the popular genre that explores all facets of its formative social, cultural and political context A wide-ranging collection of 24 essays exploring film comedy from the silent era to the present International in scope, the collection embraces not just American cinema, including Native American and African American, but also comic films from Europe, the Middle East, and Korea Essays explore sub-genres, performers, and cultural perspectives such as gender, politics, and history in addition to individual works Engages with different strands of comedy including slapstick, romantic, satirical and ironic Features original entries from a diverse group of multidisciplinary international contributors
