Broderick Chow

Broderick’s experience in the performing arts has led him to become a stand-up comic, writer, actor, performer, installation artist, and song-and-dance man. He has applied this wide-ranging approach to his research, as he is interested in the political implications of a broad scope of popular performance practices.
In 2010, Broderick became the first (but not the last!) doctoral graduate of the Central School of Speech & Drama, University of London, with his PhD thesis: How to do things with jokes: relocating the political dimension of performance comedy. He is especially interested in exploring new methods of ‘training to be an artist’ and so has undertaken and continues to train in parkour and professional wrestling.

Research Interests

Broderick’s research centres around the concept of political interventions through popular performance forms. He has conducted practice-based research in stand-up comedy, and is currently pursuing a new practice as research project into the labour and work economy of musical theatre performance. Also, he has written about stand-up and comedy based performance art, parkour (free-running), professional wrestling, musical theatre, and protest as performance.
Brockerick would be excited to hear from prospective research students working in this area, particularly in practice-based research.

Teaching Activity

Acting, performance writing and playwriting, directing, political theatre and politics of performance, critical theory, musical theatre, performance comedy and solo performance, multi-media and intermedial performance, applied theatre.

In 2012 Broderick will be developing his new piece, Work Songs, an office-work based musical comedy. The piece explores musical theatre and comedy performance from the perspective of the labour and work involved, not simply in terms of physical exertion, but also the management and administration of feelings and relationships.

 

Articles:
Chow, BDV (2011). “Parkour and the critique of ideology: Turn-vaulting on the fortresses of the city.” Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices. 2:2. Spring, 2011. pp. 143-154.

Chow, BDV (2008). “Situations, Happenings, Gatherings, Laughter: Emergent British Stand-up Comedy in Sociopolitical Context.” Comedy Tonight! Theatre Symposium Series Vol. 16. Malarcher, Jay (ed.). University of Alabama Press.

Recent Conference Papers and Roundtables:
Theatre and Performance Research Association (TaPRA) 2011, Kingston University: “Wrestling with Agon: Populist Politics and Popular Performance.”

Authoring Theatre, 2011, Central School of Speech & Drama: Roundtable — Performing Politics: The Author as Provocateur.

Performing Sublimities, 2011, University of East London: “Whistle While You Work: The Triple-Threat Musical Theatre Performer and Sublimation.”

Actor, Performer, Citizen: Performance Studies International Performance and Philosophy Working Group Meeting, 2011, Theatre Academy, Helsinki, Finland: “Major’s Manifesto: The Orange Alternative and the paradox of performative revolution.”

London Theatre Seminar, 2010, Senate House, London: “Kim Noble Will Help You Get Through It: the economies of exclusion and the terrible laughter of community.”

 

Performance, Installation, Exhibitions:
Easy, Tiger! (2010) (Stand-up comedy): Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh

Dangerology (2009) (Participatory installation/performance): Axis Arts Centre Gallery, Cheshire

The Centre for Dangerology (with Thom Glen) (2008) (Participatory installation/exhibition/performance): Central School of Speech & Drama

 

As a director/writer:
Girl in Box (writer/performer) (2005-6) (Theatre): Various venues

Beautiful, Cheap (writer/performer) (2005): STRUTS Gallery, Sackville, NB.

The 4-H Club (director, written by Sam Shepard) (2005): Havana Theatre, Vancouver, BC.

Danny is Lost (writer/performer) (2005): Havana Theatre, Vancouver, BC.

Under Milk Wood (assistant director) (2004): Frederic Wood Theatre, Vancouver, BC.

 

As an actor:
Miss Saigon (Thuy) (2005) (Musical): Arts Club Theatre Company, Vancouver, BC.

Oh! What a Lovely War (Pierrot) (2003) (Musical): Telus Studio, Vancouver, BC.

Publications

Journal Papers

(2010) Chow, BDV., Parkour and the critique of ideology: turn-vaulting on the fortresses of the city, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices 2 (2) : 143- 154

Book Chapters

(2008) Chow, BDV., Situations, happenings, gatherings, laughter: Energent British stand-up comedy in sociopolitical context. In: Malarcher, J. ed. Comedy Tonight!. University Alabama Press (Volume 16)