Comedy

From ancient Greece to twenty-first century Melbourne, comedy has a long history as popular entertainment and social commentary. This subject will explore historical and contemporary examples and theories of comedy that raise important questions: how does comedy create and release tension to make us laugh? How does it reflect different tastes, identities, and contexts? How do comic texts and performances challenge our expectations as audience members and our methods as scholars? Students will critically examine assigned readings and performances on comic genres and styles such as satire, parody, camp, drag, variety, minstrelsy, culturally specific humour, stand-up, deadpan, and self-deprecation. As part of this subject students will engage with a local performance such as a show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.