In theatre (especially in the illusionistic Western tradition), breaking character occurs when an actor fails to maintain the illusion that they are the character they are supposedly portraying. This is considered unprofessional while performing in front of an audience or camera (except when the act is a deliberate breaking of the fourth wall). British English uses a slang term, corpsing, to specifically describe one of the most common ways of breaking character—when an actor loses their composure and laughs or giggles inappropriately during a scene.[1][2][3][4] The British slang term is derived from an actor laughing when their character is supposed to be a corpse.[4] If the breaking of character is particularly serious, it normally results in an abandonment of a take in recorded or filmed drama.