PRICE
$720 + GST (Payment Plans Available)
DAY
Thursday Nights
DATE
25th of June - 13th of August
TIME
6:30pm - 9:30pm
Comedy, Timing, and Performance Technique
Comedy is a dynamic, skill-based course designed to help actors and performers discover and develop their unique sense of humour. Whether you’re brand new or looking to sharpen your comic edge, this 8-week course focuses on building confidence, refining timing, and creating truthful, engaging comedic performances across multiple styles.
Working within TAFTA’s structured training environment, students will explore improvisation, sketch comedy, stand-up, and scene work. Through weekly sessions with Roz Hammond, actors will develop their comic instincts while staying grounded in something essential: truth. Because the most effective comedy comes from honest behaviour—simply heightened, shifted, or observed from a different angle.
"Roz creates a very comfortable, safe and joyous environment where I felt completely free to try and fail. Comedy is about truth and vulnerability and the willingness to take a risk. This class made all this possible. Loved it!"
A key component of this class is learning how comedy works on a practical level. Students will develop an understanding of rhythm, timing, and the “pause,” discovering how to let moments land without forcing outcomes. Emphasis is placed on play, curiosity, and freedom—removing the pressure to be “on” or immediately funny, and instead allowing humour to emerge organically.
Actors will engage in a wide range of exercises including improvisation, character creation, and scripted scene work. They will explore how to build comedic characters, develop personal point of view, and approach material with specificity and clarity. The course culminates in a supportive performance showing, allowing students to share their work and reflect on their progress.
"Performing my comedy character was one of the scariest things I've done - but also the most exhilarating and the thing I'm most proud of."
Whether working with bold characters, personal stories, or structured comedic scenes, this class equips actors with the tools to approach comedy with confidence, flexibility, and authenticity.
Actors may continue developing their comedy skills across further training, building toward more advanced performance and industry-focused work as guided by their teacher.
Key areas of focus include:
improvisation and developing comic instincts
Understanding timing, rhythm, and the use of pause
Sketch comedy structure: premise, escalation, and payoff
Sitcom-style scene work and heightened reality
Character creation and physical transformation
Developing personal comedy and point of view
Stand-up fundamentals and storytelling
Confidence, spontaneity, and creative risk-taking
Training in play, responsiveness, and presence
Creating truthful, engaging comedic performances
Meet Roz Hammond:
Roz Hammond is one of Australia’s most accomplished and recognisable comedy performers, with a career spanning over three decades across television, film, and live performance. She has appeared in every major sketch comedy show in the country, including ten seasons of the ABC’s hit satire Shaun Micallef’s Mad As Hell, where she created standout characters such as Vomitoria Catchment and Dolly Norman.
Her extensive television credits also include The Librarians, Skithouse, Full Frontal, and The Micallef Program, alongside numerous roles in drama and non-comedy productions. On the big screen, Roz is known for her work in iconic Australian films such as Muriel’s Wedding (as the unforgettable Cheryl), The Dish, and How to Please a Woman.
A highly respected writer and performer, Roz has toured her original one-woman comedy shows internationally, appearing at festivals including the Glasgow Comedy Festival and Dublin Fringe, where she received a nomination for Best Female Performance. Her writing has also been featured in the Best Comedy Writing Anthology.
With a deep understanding of character, timing, and performance, Roz brings a wealth of industry experience to the classroom, helping actors develop confidence, versatility, and their own unique comedic voice.
