“The children absolutely loved the comedy workshop. There were lots of laughs throughout the day, but they also learned a lot, particularly about using homophones in comedy. It was amazing to see them grow in confidence, with every child performing something by the end.” Mrs. Johnson, Year 5 Teacher, Abercrombie Primary – Chesterfield
Introducing my workshop – “Creativity and Confidence through Comedy”. It’s a fun, engaging, and curriculum-linked full-day English Language workshop for Year 5 and 6 pupils. It’s designed to build confidence, resilience, creativity and communication skills through writing, devising, creating and performing comedy
Curriculum Connections
I’ve designed the workshop to support some vital areas of learning and development including:
Whilst the workshop is fun, I’ve designed it to support some vital areas of learning and development including:
- PSHE: Confidence, resilience, teamwork, and self-expression.
- English: This workshop supports key areas of the English curriculum, particularly creative writing, SPAG, speaking & listening outcomes and drama.
- Public speaking: Develops self-assurance in front of an audience.
- Transition support: Builds social confidence ahead of secondary school.
- SEN friendly: Encourages children to express themselves in different ways, helps them come out of their shell, and supports emotional well-being.
Combining writing, devising and performing, the day includes:
- A whole-school Comedy Magic Show (about 35 minutes at the start of the day) – A high-energy performance by me – Wacky Woody – one of Manchester’s leading children’s magicians. It’s a treat for the whole school and sets the tone for the day. I refer back to this show during the workshop to demonstrate comedy techniques in action.
- Writing jokes – Starting with homophones, I guide the children through the joke writing process, building up to writing puns. Then they share their hilarious jokes with the class!
- Devising and performing a comedy sketch – In small steps,the children are given a framework on which to build a comedy skit. In groups, they then perform these to the class.
- Funny captions – after introducing the idea of absurdity to the children, they write their own captions to a set of pictures. The children read these out loud to the rest of the class – which gets big laughs from fellow pupils!
- Improvisation – building quick-thinking and collaboration – the final section of the day is a chance for the children to get to grips with thinking on their feet through a series of improv games, helping them to gain confidence. Some of this is in groups and some is performed in front of the class!
Why Me?
I’m Dominic Woodward, a professional comedian with over 25 years of experience writing and performing around the UK and internationally. I have appeared at major comedy clubs including The Comedy Store and Hot Water Comedy Club for more information about me as a comedian visit my website www.dominicwoodward.co.uk
I’ve spent over a decade performing as “Wacky Woody”, a comedy magician for children in schools, theatres and birthday parties. I have also acted as a warm up host for CBBC shows filmed at Media City in Salford. Check out other pages on this site to find out more about me as a kids’ magician.
In addition to performing, I spent five years working in secondary schools across Greater Manchester. As a cover supervisor I delivered lessons, managed classrooms, and supported pupils across a wide range of subjects. This experience means that I am confident working in a school setting and well-versed in engaging children in a structured and positive way.
I have a degree in Performing Arts from The University of Salford.
I have an advanced DBS check and am on the update system. I also have Public Liability Insurance through the performer’s union Equity.
Ready to book? Need a quote? Have any questions? Please call me on 07816 085 120 or email me: dominicwoodward42@gmail.com