The workshops are held concurrently, so please choose only one. 

Price: 5,500 CZK / 230 euros (The price includes one of the two main workshops, accommodation for 4/5 nights, meals all day from September 20^th – 23^rd, and free admission to festival performances).

Download an application.

Application for workshop you can send on email: mimefest.workshop@gmail.com

Contact person: Petra Jílková,  tel: +420 731 462 824

* All workshops are conducted in English, with translation into Czech available. * The maximum number of participants in each workshop is 20 persons. 

1. Nola Rae (GB): The Clown Speaks Without Words

A comedian tells a joke. The clown is the joke.

Nola’s workshop will provide insight into how to work without text, paying special attention to the rhythm of movement and how to move the body to express ideas physically, with maximum clarity. The aim will be to build a character that is not trying to be funny, but just is.

All parts of the body (and mind) will come into play. There will be improvisation, silly dance, choreography, fancy footwork and of course the art of mime. Language will be discouraged, but not necessarily sounds. Students will have the chance to discover aspects of the clown that are universal, as well as exclusive to themselves.

Suitable for the enthusiastic student of visual comedy, professional or amateur, who is reasonably fit and not afraid to move.

Students must wear loose fitting clothes and flexible shoes. Bring one juggling ball.

Nola Rae

Born in Sydney, Nola Rae immigrated to London in 1963. Trained at the Royal Ballet School in London, she danced at Malmö Stadsteater and at Tivoli Pantomime Theatre in Copenhagen before turning to mime, studying with Marcel Marceau in Paris.

In 1974 she founded the London Mime Theatre with her partner Matthew Ridout and premiered her first solo show in France at the Nancy Festival in 1975. To date Nola has toured her work to 69 countries. As a director she has created many full-length comic dramas including several tragedies and comedies in Norway and Sweden, and as a teacher has led mime and clowning workshops worldwide.

Nola instigated the London International Mime Festival which has presented ground-breaking visual performances since 1977. In 2008 she was appointed an M.B.E. for her services to Drama and to Mime by Queen Elizabeth.

2. Peter Shub (USA): Clown

Why do we laugh? And when do we laugh? Why do most of us like it so much? And how can we get others to laugh?  Those are just a few of the questions that we will address during the workshop. We will focus on observation, very careful observation, and then mainly on practicing what we have learned. Many tricks exist, along with some rules for when and why people laugh. And that’s not only useful for clowns, but also in life! We will take a trip together through the world of slapstick, clowning, situational comedy, dark humor, animated films, comics, parody and other techniques like the art of editing and sudden twists, exaggeration, imitation, slapstick situations and classic gags. We will seek the source of humor within us where our true clown lies. Our exploration will include analyses of gait, balance, conflicts and comedic genres.

This workshop can be considered a comedy manual. Thanks to Peter’s vast experience onstage and the many rehearsals during which he has advised and taught (Cirque du Soleil, Schillerstrasse Sat-, August-Everding Akademie, ZHDK, Curych, Max-Reinhardt-Seminar) he has developed various tools for making people laugh. And this is precisely the craft that he introduces in this workshop, as he provides a practical explanation of how the mechanisms of comedy work.

And the best thing about this workshop is that it is open to everyone. No previous theater experience is required.

Peter Shub

Peter Shub is a master of his trade. He was born in 1957 in Philadelphia and his career as a freelance actor and director has been exceptionally successful. He has collaborated with many leading international organizations such as RTL Saturday Night Comedy, Cologne Comedy School and the Philadelphia Opera Company. He appeared with Roman Polanski in the play Amadeus and received the Jury Prize at the International Theater Festival in Cannes for his solo comedy Nice Night for an Evening. He has appeared on television shows around the world such as Montreal’s Just For Laughs. He has also been offered contracts by major international circuses like Roncalli from Germany, Big Apple from New York and Cirque Du Soleil from Canada. He is a recipient of the Silver Clown prize from the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo and has been teaching his Clown workshop for many years throughout the world.