idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
11/13/2025 - 11/13/2025 | Essen
Stand-up comedy has often been thought of as a primarily verbal form, but in fact the body plays a central role in it. The emphasis on verbal aspects – and material over performance – means that the physical aspects of stand-up performance have been underexamined. In his keynote, Oliver Double explores the two key roles that the body plays in stand-up. Firstly, he examines how comedians use their bodies as a defining feature of their onstage identity, and a tool for establishing a relationship with the audience. Comedians play on their own inherent physical properties, allowing them to address physical difference, disability, illness and stereotyping. Secondly, the keynote identifies the different physical performance strategies that comedians use, including presenting the body as a funny object, slapstick, and act outs. It concludes by showing how Lenny Bruce’s routine about his tattoo exemplifies the political meanings of the body in stand-up comedy.
Speaker
Oliver Double, University of Kent
Chair
David Roesner, LMU Munich
Series
Comic Literacies – Kulturtechniken des Komischen
Organization
Gregor Lilienfein, University of Bonn
Karin Peters, University of Bonn
Roxanne Phillips, KWI Essen
Hendrik Quast, Stockholm University of the Arts/ZHdK Zurich
Marilisa Reisert, LMU Munich
Sarah Tober, KWI Essen
Information on participating / attending:
Participation
This is a public event and participation is free of charge. Registration is not necessary.
Participation via Zoom
For online participation (Zoom) use the Link at the KWI homepage at the given time.
Date:
11/13/2025 18:00 - 11/13/2025
Event venue:
Online (Zoom) & Gartensaal, Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities Essen (KWI), Goethestraße 31
45128 Essen
Nordrhein-Westfalen
Germany
Target group:
Scientists and scholars, Students
Email address:
Relevance:
transregional, national
Subject areas:
Cultural sciences, Language / literature, Social studies
Types of events:
Presentation / colloquium / lecture, Seminar / workshop / discussion
Entry:
07/30/2025
Sender/author:
Anna Abbenhaus
Department:
Pressestelle
Event is free:
yes
Language of the text:
English
URL of this event: http://idw-online.de/en/event79750
You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.
You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).
Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.
You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).
If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).
