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Comedy in the Presence of Suffering: The Dark Clown with Peta Lily
In today's episode Caroline talks with award winning performer, theatre maker and teacher Peta Lily about how an horrific and hilarious incident she witnessed during a play in the 1980s triggered her ground-breaking work in the genre of Dark Clown.
We look at the similarities and differences between the Red Nose and Dark Clown.
As we examine the notion of 'troubled laughter', Peta highlights an integral factor of Dark Clown work - we are not laughing at suffering, but laughing in the presence of suffering. Peta talks about her career in Physical Theatre and reflects on how her early nervousness has proved to have been an asset in her journey of discovery in her work.
Please join them as they laugh through a different lens.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Clowns don´t mask their vulnerabilities. They express their sadness, discontinuation, and surprise in a way we don´t in everyday life.
- As humans we have the ability to laugh in spite of ourselves. Even when we feel bad if we start to laugh, we often just can´t stop.
- Many of us like dark comedy. It acts as a release for the audience and the performer.
- Being able to laugh in the presence of suffering is empowering.
- What makes us laugh is very individual.
BEST MOMENTS
‘The clown wears their vulnerability as their outer self, ´
‘Also, the dark clown player gets to channel emotions.’
‘That expression of troubled laughter is fantastic.’
Experience the exciting Clown & Dark Clown workshop on 8 & 9th May 2023. It is open to beginners as well as those with some previous experience.
Go here for more information and to book: https://www.petalily.com/courses.html
ABOUT THE GUEST
Peta Lily is an award-winning performer/theatre maker and Workshop Leader. She was an early leader in the physical theatre movement and has toured her work internationally.
Peta is best known for developing the new genre of Dark Clown: which extends the possibilities of clown to deal with challenging subjects and ‘Marginalised Emotions’. Her paper The Comedy of Terrors – Dark Clown & Enforced Performance was delivered at the Bath Spa University and her work is cited in Jon Davison’s Clown (Readings in Theatre Practice) Palgrave MacMillan 2013. Award-winning documentary maker Robert Golden made a short film about her work - Peta Lily’s Dark Clown: Taking Laughter to the Limits.
EPISODE RESOURCES
Peta Lily on Social Media:
Twitter: @peta_lily
Instagram: petalily
Peta Lily on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peta.lily/
Peta Lily Shows on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063201700223
Peta Lily Theatre Workshops on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/73969775207
Website & theatre blog: https://www.petalily.com
Peta Lily Company on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgEB33xdaSrP-MW7IGJM6g
Experience the exciting Clown & Dark Clown course in person in London: https://www.petalily.com/courses.html
ABOUT THE HOST
Caroline Partridge is a unique and creative individual. She is an actress, puppeteer, educator, and artist with funny bones. She loves a story and is an expert at conveying wit and wisdom with warmth, understanding, and empathy.
CONTACT METHOD
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/caropartridge
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-partridge-03131520
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/partridge_caroline
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
This is a podcast series about discovery, understanding, revelation, and stories.
How we perceive the world is rooted in everything that has influenced us throughout our lives, emotionally and psychologically. We become the sum of our parts and each of us has our own unique view of the world. 'Vision' truly is an act of interpretation.
In this podcast series through fascinating conversations, I set about trying to understand how we form our perceptions, view different perspectives, and examine how perception has influenced, inspired, or hindered the lives of each of my unique guests.
View all episodes
By Caroline PartridgeIn today's episode Caroline talks with award winning performer, theatre maker and teacher Peta Lily about how an horrific and hilarious incident she witnessed during a play in the 1980s triggered her ground-breaking work in the genre of Dark Clown.
We look at the similarities and differences between the Red Nose and Dark Clown.
As we examine the notion of 'troubled laughter', Peta highlights an integral factor of Dark Clown work - we are not laughing at suffering, but laughing in the presence of suffering. Peta talks about her career in Physical Theatre and reflects on how her early nervousness has proved to have been an asset in her journey of discovery in her work.
Please join them as they laugh through a different lens.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Clowns don´t mask their vulnerabilities. They express their sadness, discontinuation, and surprise in a way we don´t in everyday life.
- As humans we have the ability to laugh in spite of ourselves. Even when we feel bad if we start to laugh, we often just can´t stop.
- Many of us like dark comedy. It acts as a release for the audience and the performer.
- Being able to laugh in the presence of suffering is empowering.
- What makes us laugh is very individual.
BEST MOMENTS
‘The clown wears their vulnerability as their outer self, ´
‘Also, the dark clown player gets to channel emotions.’
‘That expression of troubled laughter is fantastic.’
Experience the exciting Clown & Dark Clown workshop on 8 & 9th May 2023. It is open to beginners as well as those with some previous experience.
Go here for more information and to book: https://www.petalily.com/courses.html
ABOUT THE GUEST
Peta Lily is an award-winning performer/theatre maker and Workshop Leader. She was an early leader in the physical theatre movement and has toured her work internationally.
Peta is best known for developing the new genre of Dark Clown: which extends the possibilities of clown to deal with challenging subjects and ‘Marginalised Emotions’. Her paper The Comedy of Terrors – Dark Clown & Enforced Performance was delivered at the Bath Spa University and her work is cited in Jon Davison’s Clown (Readings in Theatre Practice) Palgrave MacMillan 2013. Award-winning documentary maker Robert Golden made a short film about her work - Peta Lily’s Dark Clown: Taking Laughter to the Limits.
EPISODE RESOURCES
Peta Lily on Social Media:
Twitter: @peta_lily
Instagram: petalily
Peta Lily on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/peta.lily/
Peta Lily Shows on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063201700223
Peta Lily Theatre Workshops on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/73969775207
Website & theatre blog: https://www.petalily.com
Peta Lily Company on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOgEB33xdaSrP-MW7IGJM6g
Experience the exciting Clown & Dark Clown course in person in London: https://www.petalily.com/courses.html
ABOUT THE HOST
Caroline Partridge is a unique and creative individual. She is an actress, puppeteer, educator, and artist with funny bones. She loves a story and is an expert at conveying wit and wisdom with warmth, understanding, and empathy.
CONTACT METHOD
FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/caropartridge
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-partridge-03131520
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/partridge_caroline
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
This is a podcast series about discovery, understanding, revelation, and stories.
How we perceive the world is rooted in everything that has influenced us throughout our lives, emotionally and psychologically. We become the sum of our parts and each of us has our own unique view of the world. 'Vision' truly is an act of interpretation.
In this podcast series through fascinating conversations, I set about trying to understand how we form our perceptions, view different perspectives, and examine how perception has influenced, inspired, or hindered the lives of each of my unique guests.