“There is no fourth wall.”
Recently I have been assisting a number of clowns to create short acts for the Brisbane Clown Cabaret. Here are some of my observations for creating a clown act.
Firstly, remember that clowning has direct engagement with the audience, there is no fourth wall. Your act must be created with this in mind. Everything you do is directly shared with the audience, from first entering the stage to sharing your comic victories and dramatic failures (which actually are funny). This constant looking and sharing is what keeps the social contract with the audience alive.
In creating the act I always like to start with articulating a sentence that describes the act. This is a great curatorial tool to keep the ideas aligned with the act. For example: an orphan clown who never gets chosen trying to auction themselves to be adopted, a clown whose sentient hand tries to sabotage their act, a clown applying for a job as a cleaner but cannot use a broom. There is an essential pathos or absurdism in the premise.
Secondly, develop a number of small comic games or moments around the premise. If you are using props (eg broom) then create two or three visual gags with the prop. You can later add these into the dramatic flow of the act. If no props then create vignettes around the premise/theme. Don’t be afraid to lean into pathos as clown is as much about the human condition as slapstick.
Now decide on the journey of the act and the easiest way is to follow a three act structure. That is to say, a beginning (we meet the clown and their current paradigm), a middle (we are introduced to the problem that prevents the clown from achieving something they want or simply disrupts their normal world), then the end in which the clown resolves the conflict. It is important to note that the resolution must be achieved through clown logic and or luck.
Now let’s talk metaphor and symbolism. You will find a richness in devising if you can think of your clown’s dilemma in a more epic scale; find its metaphorical epic message. This may be “If I am truthful to myself then I will be happy/free”, “true happiness comes from within not from what others think of me”, “Creativity is the best way to deal with change” etc. This will help you find the poetry of the act. In terms of poetry and metaphor you can then consider the poetic symbols you might use in the act. For example: a simple cardboard box is a symbol of your heart, a suitcase is a symbol of your ‘baggage’ (self doubt/anxiety/sabotage).
Finally, as I teach in my workshops, you can divide your comic choices into three categories: Chaos, Stupidity and Fantasy. Chaos is creating comedy through using a prop or costume in a chaotic way. Stupidity is simply doing an action (usually a common every day action like putting on a jacket) in an abnormal or silly way. Fantasy is allowing the mundane scene to be transported into a scene of fantasy where ‘normal’ gets reinvented into a fantastic reality (eg trying to sit on a chair but the chair suddenly comes to life and tries to attack you}
I hope this helps you in your clowning.