Abstract

A theatre piece was written and performed to examine the researcher’s own lived experience of dark humour as a means to cope with disability and trauma in adaptive and maladaptive ways. Themes of using dark humour to laugh at oneself and avoid feeling like “the other” were examined, as well as how it can be applied to the practice of Drama Therapy. Dark humour was shown to be a powerful tool for healing, but one that must not be over-relied upon, as it is difficult to replicate and generalize with clients. A balance of dark humour and authentic vulnerability are therefore recommended.