About Writing Crime Comedy Masterclass
Join comedy coach, Chris Head, for an immersive weekend of crime comedy writing. Inspired by our exhibition, Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery, we will explore the craft of writing comedy about criminals, police, private detectives and all kinds of lawbreakers and investigators. Whether you have an existing project or starting from scratch, and whether you want to write for TV, radio, stage or stand-up, you will learn how to navigate the intersection of crime and comedy.
We will take inspiration from classic examples of crime comedy, including The Goon Show and Monty Python, with contemporary examples including Michelle Wolf’s stand-up, How to Get to Heaven From Belfast and Only Murders in the Building. Participants will be invited to share their favourite crime comedy clips, several of which will be discussed and analysed over the weekend. You'll then be guided through a series of comedic writing exercises to help you create a crime themed comedy piece in your chosen style and genre.
We conclude the weekend with a rehearsed reading in the Library's lecture theatre, where two professional actors will join us to help bring selected scenes to life. You'll leave with a trove of new ideas and tools to continue developing your crime comedy scripts.
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Chris Head
Chris Head teaches comedy writing for BBC Writers, at the British Library and at Bath Spa University.
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Chris also teaches via Zoom (as one-to-ones and courses), as well as in businesses, like advertising agencies. He also coaches stand-up comedy for everyone from newbies to pros worldwide, and provides coaching on speaking and presenting.
Programme
Day 1 – Saturday 14 November: Foundations and Narrative
Exploring the Crime Niche: Analyse how a range of writers create comedy on the theme of crime and how it applies across different media.
Bespoke Writing Exercises: The clips and analysed will lead to comedic writing exercises for you to explore the topic of crime in your own humorous writing. We’ll echo the structure of the British Library's Agatha Christie exhibition as you write scenes around settings such as 'the dispensary', 'the train', or 'the archaeological dig', including a creative exercise set within the British Library itself.
Inspiration from the Archives: Draw narrative inspiration from the Agatha Christie exhibition, looking at how life experiences translate into plot and character. You will have the chance to consider your own life experiences and how they can be adapted to a comic criminal narrative! We will also look at Christie parodies.
Day 2 – Sunday 15 November: Crafting and Performance
Sketch and Scene Work: We’ll review the writing from the Saturday session and any work you completed over night, and we’ll select and prepare pieces for the reading.
Structuring and rehearsing: We’ll plan the sequence of readings and will work with the invited actors to prepare the performance
The Rehearsed Reading: Collaborate with two professional guest actors who will read your crime comedy work in the British Library's Pigott lecture Theatre to a friendly audience.
Previous Skills, Knowledge or Experience
None required. This course is suitable for beginners or those with some experience.
Accessibility
Please email adultlearning@bl.uk to discuss your accessibility requirements.
Concessions
There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for Members, Young Persons (16–25s) and visitors on Universal/Pension Credit. Press Book Now to see the full range of concessions for this event.
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