The here and clown
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Published Version
Date
2024
Authors
van Wyk, Klara
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of German, University College Cork
Published Version
Abstract
his practise-as-research paper applies Cormac Power’s three categories of presence (2006) to contemporary clown training and performance in the theatre with specific reference to a recently devised performance that used clown principles to open up challenging discussions around shame, race and Afrikaner Identity. Through my perspective as a South African educator, clown practitioner and postdoctoral fellow, I propose that the contemporary clown’s failed efforts to sustain the audience's belief in their persona is what paradoxically leads to the clown’s success by drawing attention to presence as a multibodied phenomenon. Failure, a key principle of clowning, is an effective performance strategy that relies on the performer's awareness of their presence as a dynamic exchange to establish and maintain connection with an audience through listening and reacting to audience appreciation (laughter) or lack thereof (silence). Through critical reflection of the clown as both a state of presence and a performative strategy, this paper highlights the valuable role that the clown’s insider-outsider position plays in bringing about awareness and learning in both theatrical and pedagogic contexts.
Description
Keywords
Clown , Theatre , Presence , Cormac Power , Pedagogy , Laughter
Citation
van Wyk, K. (2024) 'The here and clown: Exploring clowning in relation to presence in theatre', Scenario: A Journal for Performative Teaching, Learning, Research, 18(1), pp. 85-100. https://doi.org/10.33178/scenario.18.1.6