"There are eighty games in this book: eighty opportunities to capture a mood, provoke a response and excite creativity. They are a gift. I wish I'd had this book a couple of decades ago."
——John Wright, from his Foreword

"The perfect companion for any director, this is the most imaginative and comprehensive book of theatre games I have seen"
——Cal McCrystal (comedy director for The Mighty Boosh, One Man, Two Guvnors and Paddington)

This dip-in, flick-through, quick-fire resource book, part of the bestselling Drama Games series, offers 80 games and exercises to explore the fundamental concepts of clowning and physical comedy, encourage playfulness, curiosity and collaboration, and help develop performance material.

These active and engaging games focus on a wide range of core skills, including:

Building and strengthening connections through collaboration and ensemble work
Developing physical and mental flexibility
Using restrictions, problems and accidents to devise routines and scenes
Using props to reveal thoughts and emotions and deepen relationships
Throughout, the focus is on how to develop a playful mind and body, listen to and observe the world around you, and improve your ability to express yourself physically.

This essential book is invaluable for actors, improvisers, comedians, directors and teachers looking to explore the principles of clowning to enrich performance skills, generate original material or bring a fresh approach to scripted work.

Joe Dieffenbacher
Joe Dieffenbacher is an internationally renowned teacher, director, and actor, known for his work in theatre, circus, cabaret and outdoor festivals.
He was Physical Comedy Director for Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare’s Globe, Regents Park Theatre’s, Oliver!, Physical Theatre Director for Woman & Scarecrow at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and served as Circus Skills Director for the Scottish National Opera’s, Ariadne auf Naxos.
As director of Clown Conservatory at Circus Centre-San Francisco, he developed an extensive pedagogy combining Clown, Circus, Theatre, Slapstick and Commedia. His work was featured on ABC News: Clown School: Day in the Life, and part of the documentary, Bizarre, A Circus Story.
Joe served as lead instructor for Clown, Physical Theatre, Mask Performance and Slapstick, at Dell’Arte International, has been a guest teacher at the Belfast Community Circus, Teater Studion in Stockholm, Wuqiao International Circus Festival, Shijiazhuang, China, and Actor's Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. He’s worked with solo artists and ensembles all over the world developing original devised material for theatre, circus, cabaret, dance theatre and outdoor spectacles.
Joe has collaborated with British pop sensations Take That, co-created sequences for the Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, was a clown and elephant jumper with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, and collaborated on shows for Disney.
His own company, nakupelle has been featured in theatre seasons, outdoor festivals, circuses and cabarets all over the world.
Joe is based in Oxford, UK and when he's not on tour, he's performing (unintentional) slapstick comedy in his garden, and picking up new comedy bits from his two cats.

John Wright（Foreword）
John Wright is an award-winning international teacher and theatre-maker. He co-founded Trestle Theatre Company in 1980 and Told by an Idiot in 1993. He has worked on a string of productions and projects extending over three decades in Europe, Scandinavia, Asia and the UK, where his work has been seen at the National Theatre, the RSC, the Royal Court, the Almeida and the Royal Opera House.
He was granted a Greater London Arts Award for his contribution to professional training; and his belief that teaching is the greatest source of learning has enabled his ideas to be shaped and moulded by generations of students. He pioneered the teaching of Clown at university level and was one of the first people in the country to offer courses in devising.
He is the author of two books, Why Is That So Funny?: A Practical Exploration of Physical Comedy and Playing the Mask: Acting Without Bullshit.