Date: June 17th
Location: Actors' Guild Hub at Spotlight, 7 Leicester Place, London, WC2H 7RJ
Time: 18.00 - 21.00

Some actors say comedy is the hardest genre. Director Paul Jepson suggests that in order to play comedy you have to be able to play detail at scale, with precision and at pace.

This involves finding the detail and then being able to commit to a relatively simple intention but with a wide range of strategic activities. These activities need to have complete and unreflective commitment and to be sustained until the comic world finally comes crashing down. Farce is the purest format because it is the most overt but all comic structures to some extent share these characteristics.

We are delighted to welcome Paul to the Actors' Guild, who will work with members on selected scenes in this practical, three hour workshop.

Paul has directed classics, contemporary classics and new plays at the National Theatre, the major regional theatres, the new writing theatres and in the West End. In the West End includes: TELSTAR by Nick Moran, FAME, The Musical (Associate Director of original cast and director of first re-cast). At the Royal National Theatre: LIFE AFTER LIFE, written and directed (Lyttleton Loft, RNT); NATIONAL HEADLINES - co-producer and director, two seasons of short reportage plays by Richard Bean, Ryan Craig, Stella Duffy, Lucy Prebble, Mark Ravenhill, Moira Buffini, Greg Burke, Tanika Gupta & Paul Jepson.

Regional Theatre includes: I OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES by Neil Simon (Manchester Library Theatre - Kirsty Osmon winner of Manchester Evening News Best Newcomer award). ANATOL by Arthur Schnitzler and RATS, BUCKETS & BOMBS by Barry Heath (both Nottingham Playhouse) - Associate Artist; THE IDIOT, written and directed (West Yorkshire Playhouse, winner of Wellcome Trust Science on Stage and Screen Award); A DOLL'S HOUSE (Salisbury Playhouse); CHARLEY'S AUNT (Norwich Playhouse) 15 MINUTES by Christine Harmer Brown (New Vic Workshop/Devonshire Park Eastbourne & Arcola) Beyond the West End inlcludes: THE PROVOKED WIFE (Southwark Playhouse), BRIGHT by Polly Wiseman (Soho Theatre), TEENAGE VITRIOL by Justin Chubb (Finborough), JUDGEMENT by Barry Collins (Man in the Moon).

Commercial Touring includes: THREE MEN IN A BOAT by Jerome K. Jerome, ad. Clive Francis, TELSTAR by Nick Moran, GASPING by Ben Elton (Manchester Evening News Award nominee). For Fireraisers: X a site generic murder mystery with South Hill Park, Frensham Heights & Quex Park (Producer); THINGS THAT GO BUMP (South Hill Park) - conceived and directed, LOADED by Polly Wiseman (Yvonne Arnaud Guildford), CAR THIEVES by Akos Nemeth ad. Che Walker (Birmingham Rep), INTERNATIONAL NEW WRITING FESTIVAL (Hampstead Theatre and Birmingham Rep.).

Recent and current: the new play in verse THE INCOMERS by the poet Murray Lachlan Young THE INCOMERS and MANCHESTER SOUND THE MASSACRE for the Manchester Library Theatre Company.

He has been joint AD of an Arts Council funded new writing and site specific theatre company, an associate of the Nottingham Playhouse and a referee for theatre applications for the Wellcome Trust. He is an experienced dramaturg and a published playwright and was appointed to the new board of the Northcott Theatre in Exeter.