Serious clowning...

In writing and making “ Clowning Around” we have been trying to make contact with clowns, clown agencies and institutions who would like to collaborate with us to make the clowning within the film as authentic and interesting as possible but unfortunately we have mostly drawn a blank. Most didn’t like the idea of either an alcoholic clown, a manipulative clown, two clowns fighting or just felt generally this was an image of clowns they didn't support. Whilst kind of understanding the protection of a tradition that has been popular and practised for thousands of years (the most ancient clowns have been found in the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt, around 2400 BCE) and can be treated with disdain or ridicule by people, I felt and still feel that the film will not be disrespectful to them but be entertaining and delve into the psyche of this kind of live performance, where you are putting on a happy face and going out to make people laugh.

So, feeling like no clown in the world wanted anything to do with us (slightly over dramatic maybe), I was very happy when a fellow filmmaker Elsa O’Toole (www.elsaotoole.com) recommended a friend of hers who was willing to help us out with getting clown contacts or an insight into this kind of performance.

The ‘helper’ in question is a lady called Natasha Mcghie (right), a regular street performer in London’s Covent Garden (THE place for street performing if you've never been there) who agreed to meet up for a chat shortly before she heads off to Glastonbury for a show next week . Having spoken to her briefly on the phone, she was enthusiastic about the project, loved the visual elements we were bringing and most importantly understood the subtext of what we were looking to portray.

I met her shortly after she had finished her show yesterday (check out her website http://www.felicityfootloose.com/index.html) and went for a quick pint to let her know what I was looking for help with and if she could help us (as she is not strictly a clown) or if not, would recommend anyone. After managing to find her (I have a habit of meeting complete strangers in very crowded places in London!) what immediately struck me was how ridiculously nice and friendly she was. She is one of those people who is instantly likeable, open and honest and we ended sharing two rather than just the one pint as we discussed everything from the film, to the art of clowning, to the psyche of a performer.

Where I was looking for her help was in three ways…firstly, the opening scene (which I am re-writing) in which BONZO and MR. FERNELLI are a double act and perform at a school for some children, a scene that will ultimately end up with FERNELLI usurping BONZO as the main clown in town. In order to get genuine reactions from the kids and also to establish with our audience that these are real clowns, I wanted some pointers on a simple routine we could work with the actors to achieve this.

Secondly, the big fight scene in which BONZO defeats MR.FERNELLI is very simple and the routines are ones everyone knows, so wanted some ideas from her as to if there was a way we could do this more ambitiously or whether it was best to keep it as is.

And thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, to work with the actors on the physicality of their characters, as I want them to come across as clowns, not actors in costume, so if there was anything she could add that would enhance this, which we could also create video content for and post online. That is not to say our actors (as we have two very talented and experienced guys in Bill Thomas and Matthew Jure) won’t take this into consideration, but having someone who has lived this, would provide a valuable insight.

Natasha said she would happily provide ideas for routines and chat to/work with the actors, and would also talk to a few jobbing clowns she knew to see if they would help us too. We also started talking about the psychology of a performer who deals with live events and interaction, the highs and lows, the nerves, the thrill, the ‘I just need the money’ jobs and what motivates someone to do so. Not only was this interesting for me (as someone who is a complete coward and ill at the very thought of performing in a street full of passer bys or to a room of unruly kids) but it got me thinking of how we can incorporate this into the characters into the film and the narrative itself, perhaps giving some reason as to how MR.FERNELLI managed to bring BONZO’s initial downfall.

So, lots to think about, lots more ideas and another dimension being added to what is becoming an epic production. Each time we meet someone new, an element improves and it was great to meet Natasha and know that she is happy to help us where she can, and beyond that nice to know that there are performers out there willing to help us :-)