TEN TIPS TO LAUGHING HAPPILY
An Actors Guide to Safe Stage Laughter
1. Rest and hydrate all through your run.
2. Warm up your voice before the show.
3. Maintain supported breath in an open chest, throat, and vowel space — the more relaxed your system, the less stress on it!
4. Gentle on the inhale — laughing is a breathing pattern, and the inhales can be short and sharp. If you can inhale through your nose, do so.
5. Start slow and low — give yourself somewhere to go.
6. Take breaks in the laughter — don’t “freight train” the work. Stop and sigh it out throughout. This also keeps the laughs natural.
7. Make sure the text is understood — this will put focus on the words and not the laughter, and help you treat the laughs lightly. The words matter more.
8. A little bit of hysterical laughing goes a long way — you don’t really need to sell it as hard as you think.
9. Reset with a sigh — a beautiful series of happy exhales of relief can “reset” the body, breath and ribs so you’re ready to move into the next moment.
10. Ramp up slowly — return to natural conversation with your breath supported, and your chest, throat and vowel space open and relaxed.