Keynote of the Conference Materiality Matters. Figurations of Comic Bodies and Things.

Stand-up comedy has often been thought of as a primarily verbal form, but in fact the body plays a central role in it. The emphasis on verbal aspects – and material over performance – means that the physical aspects of stand-up performance have been underexamined. In his keynote, Oliver Double explores the two key roles that the body plays in stand-up. Firstly, he examines how comedians use their bodies as a defining feature of their onstage identity, and a tool for establishing a relationship with the audience. Comedians play on their own inherent physical properties, allowing them to address physical difference, disability, illness and stereotyping. Secondly, the keynote identifies the different physical performance strategies that comedians use, including presenting the body as a funny object, slapstick, and act outs. It concludes by showing how Lenny Bruce’s routine about his tattoo exemplifies the political meanings of the body in stand-up comedy.

Speaker
Oliver Double, University of Kent

Chair
David Roesner, LMU Munich

Series
Comic Literacies – Kulturtechniken des Komischen

Organization
Gregor Lilienfein, University of Bonn
Karin Peters, University of Bonn
Roxanne Phillips, KWI Essen
Hendrik Quast, Stockholm University of the Arts/ZHdK Zurich
Marilisa Reisert, LMU Munich
Sarah Tober, KWI Essen

Participation
This is a public event and participation is free of charge. Registration is not necessary.

Participation via Zoom
For online participation (Zoom), use the following link at the given time.

Thursday November, 11th
6pm
Online (Zoom) & Gartensaal, Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities Essen (KWI), Goethestr. 31, 45128 Essen