Joe Dieffenbacher

Actor

Director

Designer

Teacher

Author

Woman & Scarecrow - RADA (Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts)

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Ariadne auf Naxos - Scottish National Opera

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Oliver! at Regents Park Open Air Theatre

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Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare's Globe

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Servant of Two Masters

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photos: Tsunami Photography

Otherworlds

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Clown Conservatory

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photos:  Eric Gillette

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Monkey-Biz baggies la-boutique
photos:  Hanna de Mink

Los Payasos Mendigos

the Abbotts of Unreason

the B!G Show with Joe

photos:  Roy Beusker

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During Joe's tenure as head of Circus Center San Francisco's Clown Conservatory, he directed solo artists and ensembles creating original work in Clown, Circus, Slapstick and Commedia dell'arte. [video]

Joe directed Circus Bone Idle's big spectacle show, OtherWorlds, featuring four curious characters telling tales from Ancient Ireland. A stuning mix of juggling, diabolo, masks, puppets, aerial silk, acrobatics and live music. [video]

Joe co-directed and choreographed comic duos, physical comedy, an acrobatic-slapstick Irish Wedding - even a jump rope routine! - for this unique production of William Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare's Globe in London, England. Directed by Caroline Byrne, the play is set in Ireland during the 1916 Rising, retelling the Bard's story with a “brave, fierce, passionate” take for the 21st century. [video]

Shows for Theatre, Cabaret, Street

As guest faculty at Coastal Carolina University, Joe directed his adaptation of Carlo Goldoni's, Servant of Two Masters. It featured the infamous Fish Dance, slapstick and comic acrobatics, inventive juggling and prop play, a talking steamer trunk and a pair of sexy aerialists dangling from a giant spaghetti noodle. [video]

Joe is co-founder and director of this renowned touring company, whose goal is to produce theatre that is universal, comic and poetic. Joe works with artist Minna Matilda to create shows that feature masks, puppetry, physical theatre and drama. nakupelle have performed in theatres, cabarets, and arts festivals all over the world. [video]

Show Reel

Reviews

Resumé

to contact Joe about directing or collaborating:

Joe was Stunts & Physical Theatre Director for Oliver! a new adaptation based on Charles Dickens' novel, at Regents Park Theatre in London. A pickpocket dance sequence, chase choreography with a 4 m. ladder, character physicality, mask work and prop play. The Guardian called the production, "... playful, fierce and pleasingly unpatronising.” Radio Times wrote, "The transformations of the actors from character to character were part of the spectacle and compelling to watch; An ENERGETIC, CREATIVE, CLEVER interpretation”

What do you get when you cross a physical comedian, cabaret and street theatre artist with a half dozen circus skills and some of the best opera singers in the world? Ariadne auf Naxos at the Scottish National Opera! A heady mix of impressive singing (in German no less), knife throwing, bartender bottle flair, hat tricks, acrobatics, dance, juggling - even four dancing canes. Joe was Circus Skills director in this unique production directed by Anthony McDonald. [video]

Teaching actors to climb on walls, crawl under beds and open doors while lying down, was all part of Joe's job as Physical Theatre Director for Irish playwright Marina Carr's, "Woman & Scarecrow" at RADA. A darkly funny play staged in a surreal-eccentric way on a bedroom viewed from above.

to collaborate online go here

joedieff@gmail.com / new mobile: +44 7529 324192

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Joe co-founded this popular physical theater troupe. He choreographed Los Payaso's slapstick-acrobatic sequences, directed many of the numbers in the show, wrote scripts, and served as prop, puppet and set designer. [video]

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The Abbott's forté was acrobatic-slapstick comedy, juggling and comic characters in the tradition of Vaudeville and Clown. Joe was co-founder, director, prop maker and choreographed the group's slapstick sequences. [video]

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The B!G Show was a collaboration with FISM World Champions of Magic, Scott & Muriel. The show featuried comic magic and stage illusions, a live band, dancing horses, and a ladder tango, all woven into a story of love, jealousy and magic. Joe created the three horse puppets and helped develop and direct numbers in the show. [video]

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TOUR SCHEDULE