Lazzi are essentially "gags" or stock jokes which can be added into a commedia dell'arte play or performance in order to ensure the comic action keeps pace. They are actions and common conversations between two people in a Commedia Dell'arte performance. During improvised performances lazzi's may either be used to fill time or have the audience laugh at the show, it can be done with real props or mime. Traditionally the actors in the crew would have pre-prepared lazzi's memorised so that they could use them at any time when it was needed during the play; this act kept up in theatre motion picture era, and some film and TV writers still use stock jokes to improve their work.
Each different Lazzi can be divided into one of the groups depending on what the lazzi involves.
These groups include:
- Acrobatic Lazzi
- Violent Lazzi
- Food Lazzi
- Prop Lazzi
- Class Rebellion Lazzi
- Stupidity Lazzi
- Transformation Lazzi
- Trickery Lazzi
- Plot development Lazzi
Each different Lazzi can be divided into one of the groups depending on what the lazzi involves.
These groups include:
- Acrobatic Lazzi
- Violent Lazzi
- Food Lazzi
- Prop Lazzi
- Class Rebellion Lazzi
- Stupidity Lazzi
- Transformation Lazzi
- Trickery Lazzi
- Plot development Lazzi