I’m working on a playable clown show.
If it all comes together
this will be my fourth interactive stage show. Looking at my creative
output over the past few years, it's pretty obvious: the interactive stage
show has become a bit of an obsession!
In 2016 I debuted
The Incredible Playable Show, made up of alternative-controller games designed for the stage. In 2018 I
created
The Scrambled Eggman Show, a gameshow with challenges made by hacking Sonic the Hedgehog games. In 2022 I reworked my
livestream performances into
The Crowd Creativity Show, a suite of performance art bits where the audience directs me in creative
acts.
I’ve been developing games for well over 20 years now, and
it’s been my line of work since 2010. I joined my first clown class in 2018,
to help me become a better showman, and honestly it’s transformed my approach.
While I’m still very much a game developer, in practice and at heart, the stage has become a creative home. Nowhere have I felt quite as at-home as in the world of clown.
 |
| Me as my clown character, Mademoiselle Cafetière Photo by Filiz Moore, taken at Scritch Cabaret |
The clown is the antithesis
to the video game. Where the game is defined by rules, the clown is lawless,
driven by impulse, emotion and imagination. Where the game designer values
immersion in a world, the clown acknowledges the artifice of the stage. Where
the gamer seeks mastery, the clown revels in failure.
In a game
every element is strictly defined. For the clown, a stick can be a sword one
minute and a walking cane the next.
Nevertheless, for some reason I keep coming back to the computer. There’s something that the rules and
the strictness of the machine offer which pairs well with the freeform nature of clown. So much so that it makes a
juicy double-act.
That’s why I’m making a playable clown show.
What is clown?
My introduction to clown was with Holly Stoppit.
Holly is a Bristol-based clown who is not just a performer but also a
qualified drama therapist. As well as running drama workshops for theatre
practitioners, she also uses clown as a therapeutic approach for adults with
mental health issues. It’s a connection that makes sense, as Holly’s approach
to clown is very much grounded in mindfulness. Classes typically begin with a
meditation. Reaching the headspace of the clown comes from being present and
deeply aware of your sensations and emotions.
Every clown will have a different answer to the question of “what is a clown,” but for me it’s always been defined by the headspace Holly helped us find: the clown sees the world as if for the very first time.
The clown is curious, the clown is playful, the clown is open, and the clown is unaware of existing social rules. The clown acts on impulse. Your clown is who you would be if there is no expectation of who you are supposed to be.
In talks I demonstrate this with a paintbrush. As an adult, I know how to use a paintbrush: you dip it in paint and use it to spread that paint on a canvas. To the clown, it’s a totally unknown object. What do its bristles feel like? What is the texture of the handle? What does it taste like? Does it make a nice sound when I stick it in my ear? Could it be my friend?