Slapstick comedy has a long and lively history from Greek Theatre to the present day. This book explores the ways in which comic pain and comic violence are performed within slapstick to make the audience laugh. It draws examples from theatre, television and film on both sides of the Atlantic.
"Her book examines the types of pain that can be greeted with uproarious mirth by perfectly sane and kindly audiences, both children and adults. Its definitive analysis shows the matter to be far from simple. In the context of slapstick, important distinctions emerge between accidental, random, intentional and real pain inflicted for amusement and these are carefully defined. ... a splendidly constructive analysis of an important but often ignored topic in humor research." (Jessica Milner Davis, Humor, Vol. 31 (03), August, 2018)