In Heart A Clown

Say the word ‘clown’ and many people think of red curly wigs, shiny noses and lapel flowers full of water. Clowning today, however, is devoid of these elements, as four modern clowns explain

feature (adelaide) | Read in About 4 minutes
Published 22 Feb 2018
33331 large
39658 original

Physical comedy is breaking into a world of its own in festivals across the world. Many are graduates of L’École Philippe Gaulier in Paris, including the four below. Although a performance school, there are no auditions as Gaulier himself believes "the role of the teacher is to change the person, not to judge them." 

So what makes a clown a clown? According to Tom Walker, self confessed ‘Good Comedian’, "if you’re not funny, you’re not a clown. A clown is anyone who’s an idiot and people love them for it." Although there are many clowning categories, an overarching and necessary trait seems to be a self-acknowledgement on stage, or as Walker describes it, "you need to acknowledge that you did something stupid. You present a dumb idea knowing that it’s dumb."

Delving into the far reaches of physical absurdism, Walker describes his show as being a "scheduled, semi-profitable breakdown – mental and otherwise." The show is about nothing – "fucking around is pretty much all I do. It’s funny and nothing else, it has no poetic effect on the world, it’s a pure release." Walker revels in the physical nature of his comedy, as he believes it to be "one of the purest ways of comedy. There are fewer things funnier than someone moving in a funny way. Everyone uses it – including standup comedians, even the least theatrical ones. Physical comedy forces you to be punchy and clear."

Likewise, fellow Gaulier graduate Luke Nowell uses physical comedy to "ignite pure idiocy out of nowhere," and present the beautiful nature of being not quite normal. And those red wigs and oversized shoes? "Often when I think of or see these classic images of clown... I gag, I gag a little bit of my soul up and then I feel less human. These traditional facades can come across heavy and vulgar. They can be insensitive, not human and we can find it difficult to connect with them." Although these techniques are a far cry from his current work, Nowell still harnesses "the fundamental and primal principle; that of being an idiot. Or that of childlike freedom, being charming and making the bad look good."

Nowell presents an interesting dichotomy within the aims of his show. "It’s an escape, but it’s also a time to engage. I remember being young watching performers of a similar ilk and being so inspired and mesmerised – I aim to provide that same inspiration."

Both Nowell and Walker exist on stage in direct reflection of their audiences. Walker describes his Adelaide show as being "in a state of flux. The show changes night to night. You have to give yourself time to fail, become irate and then work hard to avoid it happening again." Nowell modifies his show to "follow the agenda of the audience, adapting my idiot ideas as I go. We aren’t aiming for any particular results or expectations – it’s purely exploration and fantasy for its own sake. That is precisely why it is play. Thus, it carries the message of play, vulnerability and what it means to be human."

New Zealand trio Angela Fouhy, Freya Boyle, and Elle Wootton work with Australian clown Kimberley Twiner in Maggot – a show which Fouhy describes as "idiotic, absurdist, off-chain fun." The uniqueness of the crowd interaction in particular is what really interests Fouhy. "Unlike opera, or musical theatre, clowning is directly to the audience," she says. "There is no fourth wall. It is a very sweet interaction between performer and audience that brings instant joy."

Studying at Gaulier was a hugely important stage of Fouhy’s development as a clown and performer. "I think now I am more aware of the different ways you can have fun on stage," she says. "It was great being exposed to so many performers at that school."

Viggo Venn, "a clown, improviser and full-time Norwegian," performs solo in Pepito, and with fellow Gaulier graduate Zach Zucker in the international smash hit Zach & Viggo. This year, however, Zucker is sitting the Australian circuit out with a shoulder injury, so Pepito is taking the limelight.

Venn, in his "Cleese-esque, lanky, and rubber-grinned" style, uses his physical comedy to "go straight for the belly laughs that make absolutely no sense and rock your entire system.

"There are lots of feelings/ideas that can’t be articulated through words and are better communicated through images and shapes," says Venn. "Jokes are good for releasing basic tension but when you dip into physical comedy it allows the audience to feel it throughout their whole body." The take home message from Venn?

"Life is short, do whatever you want and be good to each other."

 

Honk Honk Honk Honk Honk, The Garden of Unearthly Delights, 16 Feb-18 Mar (not Mondays), 9.30pm, $18-25 Being Hueman Being, The Producers, 3-18 Mar (not Mondays), 6pm, $10-17 Maggot, RAJOPOLIS, 13-18 Mar, 7.15pm, $20-25 Viggo Venn: Pepito, The Garden of Unearthly Delights, 16 Feb-18 Mar, (not 19 Feb, 7,14 Mar), various times, $10-35