Trilby Jeeves was the first English student to be theatrically trained in her second language for 3 years at Le Conservatoire d’Art Dramatique in Québec City. She followed the teachings of Marc Doré (who studied at Lecoq in Paris), Paule Savard , Jean Guy, Denise Gagnon, Yves Erik Marier, and Jacques Lessard who created the “REPERE” method of creating theatrical work, with Robert Lepage.

She went on to perform in both languages, eventually coming back to Vancouver. In BC, she worked with Théâtre La Seizième, The Raymond Burr Theatre, First Impressions Theatre, and other small companies.

In between working as a costumer in the film industry, Trilby directed the first French Canadian productions in Vancouver of “Les Monologues du Vagin” two years running as well as teaching improvisation and buffoonery acting en Français, throughout various schools in B.C., and Prince Edward Island, and a workshop for Saskatchewan Film. She taught “Le Bouffon” at Tooba Physical Theatre Centre, and teaches at VanArts and Vancouver Film School in Vancouver, Canada.

In 2008, she took her work internationally and taught her Buffoonery Acting Workshop in Humacao, Puerto Rico. Also, with colleague, Peter D. Marshall, she co-trained a “Directing the Actor” workshop in Singapore for Media Corp, and facilitated the “Directing the actor” workshops at Vancouver Shanghai Film School.

Now the Buffoonery movement is expanding into the non-acting world as a form of play therapy and staff improvement. Some clients include  North Shore Compass, Rhodes Wellness College, Living Vision Retreat, UBC Graduate Program, Living Big Retreat, and private workshops.

Trilby is passionate about helping people break through their critical and overworked thoughts to reach the honest depth of instinctive performance. Having been through the Bouffon process herself, she understands the release of being completely involved in performance and not worrying about the million things our minds believe to be important. Her method using “buffoonery” goes into text work so that actors have a freeing tool for audition and rehearsal preparation.

For non-actors the work provides a great confidence building tool through play. Depression has become high in work places, and play is effective to help with employees’ moral.

Buffoonery Workshops: “The Cure for Serious”