commedia dell'arte

 
Pronunciation: /kɒˈmeɪdɪə dɛlˈɑːteɪ, komˈmɛdja delˈlarte/

noun

[mass noun]
  • an improvised kind of popular comedy in Italian theatres in the 16th-18th centuries, based on stock characters. Actors adapted their comic dialogue and action according to a few basic plots (commonly love intrigues) and to topical issues.

Origin:

Italian, 'comedy of art'