Weekly Clown Drop-In · Toronto
Now Enrolling · Max 12
Riff Reps
Clown classes in Toronto — a weekly drop-in practice in clown, solo improv, and the art of riffing.
Clown classes in Toronto — a weekly drop-in practice in clown, solo improv, and the art of riffing.
$35 + HST ($39.55) · 18+ · max 12
Riff Reps is a weekly clown class in Toronto, and it’s exactly what it sounds like — reps. You get on your feet and do the thing. No red nose required. The mask is already there: it’s you. Your instincts, timing, habits, charm, awkwardness, doubt. All of it.
Clown isn’t about jokes or punchlines. It’s about being real in front of people, listening to the room, and responding honestly in the moment. Sometimes that gets a big laugh. Sometimes it doesn’t. Both are useful.
Each week, Chase throws you into games and improvs that force you to play, riff, and adjust in real time. When something works, we slow down and look at why. When it doesn’t, you learn how to change course instead of pushing harder.
The whole thing runs on riffing — spontaneous play with no script and no safety net — because that’s where your real comedy lives. Not in the version you rehearsed at home, but in what actually happens between you and a room full of people.
And here’s the part nobody else can teach you: the audience tells you what’s funny. Everyone has something that makes them uniquely funny, and you find it by standing in front of people, trying things, missing, missing again — and then landing something only you could land.
Brand new to clown or already performing, it doesn’t matter. This is a place to get real reps in front of an audience, with live direction to help you spot what’s working and do more of it.
You can’t find your clown in your head. You find it in front of people. The room is the teacher.
Riffing live — playing with no script and following the impulse, not the plan
Reading an audience in real time and responding to what’s actually in the room
Chasing the laugh — and knowing what to do when it doesn’t come
Finding your genuine pleasure on stage and sharing it with people
Being fully present and filling the space you’re standing in
Getting comfortable failing in front of people — on purpose
Building confidence by doing, not overthinking
Discovering what makes you funny — the thing only you can do
To hold your spot: register and send an e-transfer to . Include your name and the class date in the notes. A spot isn’t held until it’s paid.
Chase Jeffels is an actor, comedian, and teacher whose work bridges clown, improv, and the art of playful failure. He is a graduate of École Jacques Lecoq and the Laboratoire d’Étude du Mouvement in Paris, and trained under renowned clown master Philippe Gaulier — teacher of Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, and Emma Thompson.
I do not like very much Canada, but I like what you do. You are very intelligent — not just a little.— Philippe Gaulier (He then made an explosive sound with his mouth. We’re choosing to take that as a compliment.)
Chase has also studied clown, bouffon, and idiot work with Aitor Basauri, John Gilkey, Chad Damiani, Kevin Krieger, Deanna Fleysher, Jaime Mears, Ken Hall, Isaac Kessler, and Gordon Neill. He is a graduate of the George Brown Theatre School classical conservatory program.
As a performer, his work spans film, television, and theatre. He is a member of the longform improv and sketch collective $20 Sandwich, and one half of West 2 West — a clown duo known for blending physical comedy, audience connection, and absurd play.
Chase is simply one of the best clown teachers and performers in the city. A warm, sensitive, and rigorous teacher who cares deeply not only about his students’ journeys, but about the state of clown pedagogy itself. Highly recommend watching him perform and taking his classes.
Adam Paolozza Actor, Director, Teacher Artistic Director, Bad New Days Theatre
An intense but VERY fun dive into the world of clowning. Chase created an atmosphere free enough to explore joyfully and safe enough to feel supported — he can command a room while making it feel like a playground. I got more and more comfortable taking real risks, making new choices, and letting the audience watch me fail (in the best way). It leveled up my improv work, not just in skill but in joy and playfulness.
Nicole Passmore Improviser, Actor & Comedian Second City · Bad Dog Theatre · The SketchersonsA great intro to modern solo-improv clown — it gives you a real, live audience and coaching in the moment. There’s no bullshitting: if you suck, you’ll know it. Chase helped me learn to stick through a bit — even when it’s flopping — and stay locked in with the audience instead of running away.
Moazzam Reza Performer · Riff RepsI’d describe clown as improv on steroids, with an emphasis on confident attunement. After just one class, I found myself more comfortable in challenging social situations — meeting new people, being present without feeling the need to overpower a room. I’ve never had such effective training for attuning myself socially.
Shizu Yamaguchi Student · Riff RepsSeptember 3, 10 & 24 · 6–9 PM · Toronto · max 12
Register NowSpots held by e-transfer only — first paid, first in the room.