Beyond clowning
Bouffon scratch night for Roxy
There is an area of comedy that goes beyond the clown, who lovingly reflects society to itself, but seeks out society’s darkest, most scabrous elements and shows them up in bold and gory detail.
That comedy is the Bouffon. And the infamous Clown Cabaret Scratch Night has decided to dip into this dark and twisted area of comedy again, to present an evening of completely new work, still in its infancy and seen by an audience for the first time.
The event is run by trio of Tim Licata, Artistic Director of Plutôt la Vie, Sarás Feijoó who is the Creative Director of CloWnStePPinG and Fringe First award winning Melanie Jordan.
They say that the night – Bouffon Scratchings – offers an opportunity for emerging and established performers to explore the theatrical territory and tradition of Bouffon; a style of performance was explored and re-invigorated by Jacques Lecoq and Philippe Gaulier at Lecoq’s famed theatre school in Paris.
Tim Licata told Æ: “The play of Bouffons, sometimes thought of as ‘dark clown’, is a much more satirical, sometimes scathing, look at society and social morays of our times.
“The funding we received from Creative Scotland to continue the Clown Cabaret Nights has allowed us to introduce this additional Bouffon Scratchings event once a year – Halloween seemed the appropriate time!”
The acts chosen for the evening are all pieces of new and developing short material from the following artists. The scratch night will be their first try out in front of an audience.
The Bouffon Acts Include:
The Damned Cockroach
Physical and Street Theatre Performer: Lewis Sherlock.
There was this massive cockroach, right, sitting on a park bench… it looks out on the desolate landscape, at the end of the world mind you, and says, “I’ve been here before haven’t I?”
The last cockroach, the worst cockroach, comes now to deliver a message, the last message, its wicked, horrible message… to the already dearly departed, decomposing human population. The message is . . . a thank you.
An Evening with a Professional Troll
Glasgow based theatre maker: Ronan McMahon
Welcome to An Evening with a Professional Troll. I have over 10 years experience providing Trolling Solutions to businesses, political campaigns, and individuals just like you. Sit back and enjoy a journey into the world of professional trolling, from humble beginnings to great achievements, from the comment box to the ballot box, from 4Chan to 8Chan to Can-can-ing down the corridors of power, from me to you.
True love’s kiss
Freelance performer and designer in puppetry, singing, mask work and acting: Lisette Boxman.
One Princess’s search to find her destiny: True Love… and a perfect prince for her perfect happily ever after. Now pucker up.
Angelus Novus
Working on this project are writer Dylan Read, mask-maker Iain Sommerville, and sound artist Nikita Gaidakov, alongside the Bouffon Scratchings chorus.
“His eyes are staring, his mouth is open, his wings are spread. This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it in front of his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what has been smashed. But a storm is blowing from Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such violence that the angel can no longer close them. The storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward.” (W.B.)
Inspired by Walter Benjamin, Paul Klee and Big Data.
Filicide
Performer and workshop leader: Bec Phipps
In 2002 Alison Gorrie bludgeoned her 5 year old son, to death in the Bell’s court area of Leith. It was Christmas day. She then jumped 30 feet from a window. She was found unconscious and bleeding with multiple injuries. She told ambulance staff “I’ve done something terrible….don’t treat me…I want to die”
Reality can’t keep up with the virtual perfect lives. Real life is messy, loud and irritating. Real life can push every button in our being.
We share in hushed tones that we have stood on the edge.
Real life can push you over.
SHEEPISH
Glasgow based Physical-theatre Performance Practitioner: Calum MacAskill.
A love story of meat, sex, supply, demand and vulnerability performed to Ella Fitzgerald’s Someone to Watch Over Me.
A 7-foot-tall sheep enters the stage, coyly and shyly…
Bouffon Scratchings 2017
Assembly Roxy: 2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU
Saturday 28 October 2017.
Evening: 7.30pm.
ENDS
