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Clown
Bluey & Flossie |
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Clown Bluey and Flossie
Expo '98 Portugal
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I came into clowning via a theatrical background having travelled from New Zealand in 1968 specifically to work in professional theatre. Being a "Kiwi" and having auburn hair, I have always been tagged with the Australasian nickname Blue (red-haired: Bluey or Bricky!) and so it seemed natural, when starting clowning, to keep it as my clown name; however, I also have a traditional European Whiteface Clown, by which I am known as "Jean Barrel", part of "Professor Lockstock & Barrel". But more of that later. Having joined British Actors Equity in 1969, I regularly attended my local Wessex Variety Branch meetings where I met well-known New Forest clown Sam "Sammy Sunshine" Rowe and it was he who enthused me to "don the motley". Hearing of my interest in circus and clowns, he asked whether I was interested in performing at any of his gigs - to which I enthusiastically agreed. Some weeks later, he rang to tell me that I had my first gig with him: appearing at the Royal Albert Hall, London (and in front of Royalty!) and so I made my first debut as a clown in one of the finest "arenas" in the land!
Sammy, a clown of many years experience and ex-member of Hal "Kerby Drill" Brook's famous "Super Sausage Squad" took me in hand and taught me many things about clowning, for which I shall be forever indebted. We worked together for some years, performing at shopping centre promotions during the week (Sammy on stilts and myself as fat P.C. Bluey) and Arena Acts during the summer weekends. We were promotion clowns for all newly opening Payless Stores for 15 years and also for B & Q DIY Stores for 13 years. Besides appearing in Sammy's own famous Arena Act (which revolved around escapades with his mini motor cycle contained in a suitcase and myself as the stupid officious fat policeman forever being bested by the cunning auguste (Sammy), we also evolved two new acts. One was an Arena Act themed as a "Clowns Bar-B-Cue", while the other was a tongue-in-cheek horror Act "The Bloomas", complete with vast black coffin, vampire and a host of special effects! We were invited to present this act at the prestigious International Clowns Convention Gala Show at Bognor Regis, England in 1988.
My first clown character came about through necessity: Sammy's motorcycle act required a foil to help form a storyline and create an antagonistic adversary to Sammy's daft character: hence the fat Policeman. I based him on one of the pantomime police comedy duo I had played in Panto in New Zealand. He is larger than life, exaggerated with a huge tum and bum. His blue uniform is padded with foam, has large flashing red buttons, striped socks and is topped with a British Policeman's helmet that also flashes blue. He wears enormous boots and his pocket blasts out two-tones on demand! He comes complete with folding mini-police motor cycle (for outside events) and a trick bicycle for indoor use. As this character tends to be a little "abrasive", I developed a more sympathetic clown for children's parties!
When my partnership with Sammy Sunshine dissolved after many years, I evolved my own Arena Act using a half-sized Model T Ford Fire Engine, and my wife Jenny, who had started clowning as "Flossie", joined the act as my foil "Flossie Fleabag, the Fire Dog". Needless to say, she gets all the sympathy from the audience, whilst Clown Bluey gets all the water!! Flossie has developed into an excellent clown who balloon models, face paints and stilt walks with great skill.
Many years ago, I joined Clowns International, which is the oldest and premier clown organisation in the world and before long was invited onto the Committee. I am proud to have served as Chairman for eight years and am presently the incumbant Secretary.
Click Here To Go To The Clowns International Page
In 1990, I was invited to be Foreign Vice-President of Clowns of America International Inc and held that position for eight years.
Early in 1992, I joined forces on a casual basis with David "Perzo" McIntyre to form "Professor Lockstock & Barrel", and we put together a traditional musical entree, with David playing the fumbling old eccentric Professor, whilst I was the straight Whiteface Clown, "Jean Barrel". During this act, which we based loosely on the traditional clowning of the famous Swiss Clown "Grock" and Italy's "Charlie Cairoli", I played the alto saxophone and musical saw, whilst David played violin and soprano saxophone. We sucessfully worked the act at "Floriade" in Holland and also represented Great Britain at the prestigious Clown D'oro in Sicily. My whiteface clown, "Jean Barrel", was awarded the 1992/3 Trevarthen Award for Best European Whiteface Clown at that year's International Clowns Convention.
I continue to clown solo and with Flossie and I continue to learn about the great art of clowning - I don't think a day passes when I cannot learn something new about clowning. It has certainly taken me to some extremely interesting places including Israel, Holland, Sicily, America, Bahrain, Qatar, Dubai (United Arab Emirates), St. Petersburg (Russia), Canary Islands, Portugal not to mention places closer to home including Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man and Wales!
In addition to clowning, I have continued with my original acting , taking part in many television and films as a "walkon" or "extra", although I did play the lead in "Diver Bill" for the BBC. This was a documentary all about the Diver who single-handedly saved Winchester Cathedral which had been built on marshland and was slowly sinking into oblivion.
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