Curriculum of The Commedia School are now available as short individual courses
Flexibility & Accessibility
The following styles that are integral in the curriculum of The Commedia School are now available as short individual courses also referred to as modules for those who do not have the time to take the complete two-year course of study. Here is an overview and a detailed description of each course/module and the dates available.
- It is possible to study one module at a time
- Special discount is offered students that select multiple modules
- Financing: It is possible to pay course/modules in 3 installments
Danish / English
Detailed description of modules
Module 1: The Play, Spontaneity and Masks
3 month intensive: 7th September – 4th December 2026
Extra module: Puppetry and Performing Objects
11th of January – 26th of February
Extra module: Intensive 7 week study to the world of puppetry, visual and object theatre.
In this course you will dive into the world of puppetry and object theatre. Together we’re searching for a universal theatre language. You will learn theatrical thinking which is mainly visual, but still very concrete, funny and touching. We’ll activate and use our own imagination to create the theatre we would ourselves want to see! The aim is to broaden the creator’s view of what is possible – how little is sometimes needed to make theatre, and how many ways and materials there are to use.
Exploring Puppetry and Object Theatre: In the course we’ll study different styles and take on the art of puppetry and object theatre. You will construct and manipulate theatre from various perspectives. We’ll be playing with an object, anthropomorphizing an object, as well as being an object. What stories, do we tell with our choice of an object or the way we might use it?
We will be questioning and researching in practice, what a puppet is, and how and where we can use it. In the course there will be an introduction, in theory and practice, to more historical and traditional ways of puppetry and object theatre. However, we will concentrate on how to use that knowledge in our own theatre and inventions.
Creative Process and Performances: This is a concentrated, intensive and playful masterclass in creating and performing theatre starting from the visual perspective. During the course you’ll create performing material in multiple different ways, which aims to open new doors and views in making theatre. We will find inspiration in unexpected places, make stories from what’s on hand and have several smaller performances, of which some might be the beginning of your own new performance to be developed. The course will also end with a public presentation.
Who Can Join: The course is suitable for all theatre makers and students of any level of experience. It is not necessary to have any previous education or experience with puppetry/object theatre. The course is an especially suitable addition for graduates and students of the Commedia School and other art or theatre educations.
Meet the instructor:
The course is developed and led by Linnea Happonen, MA (Prague Academy of Performing Arts, department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre), also a graduate of the Commedia School, Copenhagen. She is artistic director and co-founder of the theatre group Krepsko, founded in Prague in 2001. The performances of the group emphasize visual expression, are mostly nonverbal and incorporate object theatre, puppetry, circus and other disciplines. Linnea has travelled with her performances worldwide in theatres and festivals in 30 countries, and received numerous awards with the shows. She has taught her course Performing Objects in the Theatre Academy in Helsinki Finland, in the Commedia School in Denmark, in NAS school in Egypt and various other places.
During the 7 weeks international guest teachers will be invited. Throughout the course there will also be on-going movement training, from other teachers from The Commedia School, Ruth Lerche, and Ole Brekke
Regular: 15.000 DKK (€ 2.000)
Early bird / former students: 13.000 DKK (€ 1.700) Before the 1. October 2026
For students who have been accepted into the full program, this module will be of no extra cost as it is included.
Throughout the course there will also be on-going movement training, from other teachers from The Commedia School, Ruth Lerche, and Ole Brekke
Module 2: Storytelling and Clown
3 month intensive : 1st March– 30th May 2027
Module 3: Melo-drama, Tragedy, Grotesque, and Bouffon
3 months intensive: 14th September – 11th December 2026
Melodrama: Melodrama has a bad name in theatre circles even though it is tremendously popular in film and TV the world over. Melodrama emerged in the mid 19th century as an art form addressing the social and economic circumstances of the time. The similar circumstances we face today make melodrama a very relevant theatre form. During this study the students discover what makes this style alive on stage and relevant to the lives of today’s public. They also develop the movement skills unique to melodrama and vital to making the style come alive. The study of melodrama explores that dramatic territory that lies between farce and tragedy touching both at opposite extremes – the comic and the tragic. Working as an ensemble, the students discover how they can move the public’s emotions between these extremes by studying those demands particular to the melodramatic space.
Tragedy: Important aspects of tragedy are the chorus and the tragic space. During the study of tragedy, the students develop a fundamental understanding of the chorus. They can then transpose that phenomenon to the other styles, enriching their broader work. The tragic space, being very particular and a dominant aspect of this style, gives the students an immediate sense of the spatial demands of a particular style. These particular demands are discovered in movement, voice and text.
Bouffon: The Bouffon is the more intelligent cousin of the clown. The difference between the bouffon and the clown, is that the clown is alone while the bouffon is part of a gang. Another key difference is that we make fun of the clown, while the bouffon makes fun of us. Many aspects of the bouffon relate directly to other styles. The tragic space, the fantastic level of play, the foolish logic, and the direct contact with the public are part of the bouffon’s playbook. This study reveals to the students how different styles can be used in the same piece. Students discover how to confront the public about sensitive current social issues in a manner that is effective and yet not destructive. The theatrical study of the bouffon is a study of human folly touching both the tragic and comic extremes. During this study, the students discover another aspect of the stock character, the grotesque aspect.
Includes a 10-day Bouffon workshop with Jamie Mears.
Module 4: Cabaret and Commedia
3 months intensive: 1st March – 30th May 2027
Cabaret: The period of cabaret study involves each student creating performing material that is very personal in nature with an emphasis on writing, composing and staging songs. This study pushes the limits of the student’s creativity in areas not otherwise explored, like stand up comedy, magic, burlesque and other more or less obscure areas of performing. For us at The Commedia School, it is important that the students create performance level material in each of these styles. Shows in each style are staged in the school studio and often are later performed in other venues in Copenhagen or at festivals in Denmark and abroad. These performances confirm for the students the attractive power of popular theatre styles.
Commedia: [quote author=” Jacques Lecoq“]The Commedia Dell’Arté rests on the passions of men and women pushed to their limit. It shows the absurdity of our behaviour. It has nothing to do with elegant entertainment, but expresses the urgency of living, closer to survival than to life, the latter already a luxury. Planted in the misery of the people, in their naiveté as well as their intelligence, Commedia Dell’Arté reflects the hierarchy of a stable society, without the possibility that the valet will revolt against his master. Everyone manages, with all possible compromises, to exist and satisfy his hunger, his greed, his amorous desires; all living together. Everyone tries to cheat and everyone falls into ridiculous traps. The smile does not exist. One weeps or one laughs. [/quote]