ABSOLUTE CLOWNS - Clowning Workshop

ABSOLUTE CLOWNS

Finding and refining the character behind the nose

“Clowning is the essence of the art of acting, of theatrical existence. The clown is a metaphysical being that contains within itself the whole idea of theatre.” Slava Polunin

This is an entry-level workshop for performers wanting to dip a toe into theatrical clowning - an exploration of the physical expression of the wonderment with which the clown approaches everything around them. The clown is not stupid - simply engaging with a world full of surprises and bewildering, duplicitous objects. Clowns navigate their universe with joyful interest and sometimes mischief, though not (from the audience’s perspective) in the most obvious logical way. Clowns are regularly perplexed, but never defeated.

The 2-hour workshop will be followed by a debrief/unload discussion.

“The experience has been amazing. I’ve learnt so much - don’t be in my head too much and let it flow through me. I would 100 per cent recommend this to other people" Previous A.C.T. participant

www.absolutetheatre.co.uk
Absolute Theatre: Registered charity no.1002931 

Theatre Deli, 107 Leadenhall Street, London EC3A 4AF
Theatre Deli is a welcoming and creative working space with its own cafe in the centre of London. It is a 5-minute walk from Aldgate tube or Fenchurch Street railway station; 10 minutes from Monument, Bank or Aldgate East stations. It is on the #25 bus route.

LED BY SIMON FRASER

Simon is the Creative Director of Absolute Theatre, having been part of the company for over 25 years. Besides performing and creating music for theatre productions, he has often led impro and clowning workshops for all ages. His fascination for clowning led him to outline the framework for a show which became ‘The 4 Clowns of the Apocalypse’, a collaboration between Absolute and Portuguese company Teatro do Montemuro, which has toured in the UK, Portugal and other European countries.

“For a long time, clowns didn’t do much for me. I wasn’t coulrophobic, just indifferent. Only when I became aware of the potential of theatre clowning did I get interested. Besides the opportunity to play, this was a discipline where an actor could find a new dimension to explore. Here was a character for whom everything was a source of wonderment and inanimate objects would conspire against."Simon Fraser