Whilst this may not be directly focussed on improv, I think that characters are an important part of it – this is why I am starting a new feature called Character Building.

I came up with this idea the other day when I was watching Brooklyn 99 and some of the characters were so fascinating when I thought about it, I decided that character analysis could be interesting.

Obviously, improv is made up on the spot but looking at other characters can create inspiration for ideas you can take away to help develop your own personas in the future.

Today we are looking at a character that is fantastic for physical comedy.

This Week’s Character – Cosmo Brown

Why This character?

If you have ever watched Singin’ In The Rain then you will know that Donald O’Connor’s character Cosmo Brown is the goofy clown character. He makes all the silly jokes. is sort of the mascot for Gene Kelly’s character and relies on physical comedy to get a laugh. This is a perfect person to watch for improv inspiration.

Personality traits that are great

• Physical comedy – this character relies on making huge gestures with his face and his body to make a point and that is why Make ‘Em Laugh is so well remembered and iconic.
• Silly Humour – Cosmo makes a lot of silly jokes and puns which creates a lot of the light humour in this film and keeps it pushing along.
• Facial Expressions – Cosmo’s character makes a lot of facial expressions which are hilarious and very entertaining for the audience.

What we can learn for Improv Characters?

• Big physical gestures can be great and can really entertain the audience
• Silly jokes can be predictable but sometimes the audience prefer to have the odd ones thrown in as they find they are an easy or silly laugh.
• Facial expressions are really effective – they can have a huge impact on the character and the show you are performing.

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