Lyon

I skipped class today and instead went to Lyon for Amanda's birthday. 

We had a great time! I heard that class (Auto-course showing) was pretty dismal though. Not feeling so sorry I missed it to be honest!

Riding In Cars With Clowns

Class with Tom Tom today. We worked in groups of about 8 all up on stage at the same time. What started as a warm up became nearly the whole class! We danced to funky disco music and showed off our great moves. And spoke about our Clown problems. Whatever. It was fairly random - just following the fun.

I had a good time doing the 'drive-your-car' dance which I just made up on the spot. It involved getting out the keys, opening the door, turning on the ignition, putting down the pedal, and steering...all whilst pulsating to the beat. I played it a bit like I think I'm super cool - a bit cocky - and it worked. People were laughing a lot. And Tom Tom got me to try a motorcycle and aeroplane too which was fun. I also found something speaking in an asian accent again, although it wasn't always a winner. Tom Tom warned me not to be too clever, which I have a tendency to do.

~

At the end of class we did a quick exercise in which there was a 'clown doctor' whose job is to "come in, save the show and leave again."

"Guy! He Is GOOD! [As Monsieur Loyale]"

Philippe began class today talking about children and how they are usually happy to be with the family when there are guests around. I like to play up and to be noticed. He spoke about his son Balthazar, and how he dressed up as D'Artagnan as a child...but really didn't have a clue who D'Artagnan was. But he would have fun pretending to be D'Artagnan regardless. He also spoke about what a child is like when they want to stay up late after bedtime. They use all of their charm to get another 10 minutes awake time. These are key things for Clown too. To have fun with pretending to be something (regardless of whether it's 'correct' or not, and to do everything you can to stay on the stage. 

~

For today's exercise (named 'Spotlight 22') we had to pretend to be a good technician. 

Philippe got me to play Monsieur Loyale, and my job was tell the audience that there is going to be a quick break in the show so a technician can fix the lights. I'd then welcome on a clown and they had to have fun to pretend they knew what they were doing. Philippe suggested saying stock technician phrases like "we've got juice" and "the guy that did this job before did a really bad job." 

I didn't write many notes at all today because I was onstage for the entire class! I had a good time as Monsieur Loyale and did a good job. At one point Philippe yelled "Guy! He is GOOD!" as if it pained him to do it. It felt good because I was able to help the clowns. Sometimes I could sense a game they could play, and so I tried to steer them towards that. For example, with Jonathan I could hear that he was talking loudly and excitedly to the audience, so I came out and pretended to be angry telling him that his job is not to chat to the audience but to fix the lights. And then he had a nice game to play with the audience in which secretly spoke to them, and then pretended that he wasn't when I entered. And as Monsieur Loyale you can play a good fixed point / play-it-straight to the ridiculous clown beside you. There were several times that a clown and I had the audience in hysterics! People were really thankful and supportive too, cheering me on and congratulating me after class. So although I didn't do anything as a clown, I rocked it as Monsieur Loyale, and that felt great.

"One Idea Is Always The Best."

We continued with yesterday's Slovenien exercise: "Have fun to make us believe you speak this language."

Philippe was much harder on us today, kicking people off the stage far swifter than normal, and some people took his criticism to heart today too. There were a few people crying in the audience, and you could feel the weight in the room.

"When it's a catastrophe you have to do something...otherwise you leave."

~

Jonathan and I gave the exercise a go - we tried many things - but nobody laughed. "Too much acting...horrible." Philippe said that we need to have little private moments between ourselves, especially if we don't understand why the audience aren't laughing.

~

"Everything you do you hope that an impresario is there to sign a contract."

"Always you do something idiot – and you dream of your contract in Hollywood."

"It's the dream of something that makes the clown beautiful… If you don't have this dream you will be [a] Covent Garden clown."

"We have to see the clown behind the character happy to present himself like this."

"Bad is good if you are not ashamed"

I was thinking about another difference between actor and clown: An actor doesn't come out of their character. But a clown comes in and out. A clown plays a bit, then stops and checks in with the audience, then plays a bit more. An actor never stops and checks in like this.

Philippe noted that we don't see our pleasure to be in our costumes any more like we did in the beginning. And this pride is important.

"It's shit because you don't have a dream."

"It's good when we see 'ah the artist doesn't know what to do'… And wuhp! he says the show!"

~

After, we did an exercise in which we had to play an important person. You say to Monsieur Marcel "I want to play someone with a big responsibility...like the boss of British Petroleum. 

And Monsieur Marcel says "he receives a lot of faxes." And that's all we know.

So we all gave that a go, either by ourselves or with an assistant. Philippe recommended having an assistant, but to make sure they are lower than you. It's nice to see a clown happy to be an assistant too. To come out on their cue and be helpful. And often we loved the assistant more than the boss.

~

I had a go as the boss and Hannah was my assistant. At first I spoke in a loud voice with a Scottish accent talking about how busy I am. I stopped and took a look at the audience...nothing. Then I tried an asian accent and yelled "Assistant!" Hannah then rushed out to my side, and I said "You have faxes for me?" Hannah then ran off stage and returned quickly saying "I have so many faxes for you" pretending to give me faxes. As she left again I repeated "Assistant! You have faxes for me?" and a game was created in which Hannah was rushing on and off stage with more faxes, and the more she did this, the crazier we got. The audience were laughing a lot, and when we started to reach a climax Philippe played the music again so that we could leave the stage with our game.

At the end Philippe said "Not too bad." He noted that we had good complicité, the pleasure of a child, and that we made a good point by having just one idea. "One idea is always the best." So that was a good discovery and a good moment in an otherwise fairly bleak day!

"It's a game between two idiots who want to make us believe they know something about fax."

"You Can't Do Everything You Want To Do. You Have To Do [Things] Round Your Clown."

Philippe opened the class today by saying "to be honest… on Friday I was fucking surprised... so many people discovered something… after three weeks... I never saw that." 

~

A few people showed auto-course numbers from last week:

Katie presented a number in which she did some bad Irish dance and then told us the story of Othello with an Irish accent.

"The dance, why not? But the speech… Impossible... Not naïve enough."

He then got Katie to make various different sounds with her mouth – a trumpet, washing machine, the sound of an English breakfast cooking, an old telephone, creaky stairs - and then got her to tell us the story of Othello but make one of those sounds every time he hit his drum (which was a lot).

"You have to discover a way to speak. If you speak normal, it's not clown."

~

Boris did a number in which he had trouble introducing himself. But he did some gestures and actions that seem quite habitual - little things that say 'it's not great, let's try again' or along that line - but they weren't clear. They were for him, but not for us.

"We have to understand what you want… You are an idiot… But you want to show something… And I don't understand what you want."

~

Michaela's number was a flop from the start...but then she brought out a list of everything she has to do to be a good clown (very German) and we started to like her. Philippe then got her to speak very loud in German - to pretend to be furious - and she started banging her caveman club against her head...which was bizarre but funny.

"Never will you be charming 'classic'… But like this you are charming."

~

Michael did a solo number in which he switched between two characters, but he was laughing to himself as if he though it was funny. Philippe had an issue with him laughing, because the audience feels cheated if he laughs but we don't. 

"We want to see a guy happy to be on the stage but not laughing."

~

Philippe then announced that the next exercise will be in the Sloven language. "Sloven is a bit Serbian… A bit Russian."

The director of the circus says you have to save the show because the actors can't make it. It's a slovenian production of Romeo and Juliet. But the actor who plays Romeo is in Moscow and the actress who plays Juliet is in New York. A you know about the show is that there is a balcony.

So essentially...have fun pretending that you can speak Slovenian very well!

Most of us were really bad at this exercise. Lots of flops. But Boris found something good by pretending to cry. Philippe reminded him that he should cry "not because you're sad...[but] because it makes the audience laugh."

~

"You want to make us laugh and you want to stay on the stage"

"You can't do everything you want to do. You have to do [things] round your clown."

"Follow one idea and you're going to discover something fantastic...When you have one idea you are an idiot fantastic."

"You have to try everyday something new."

"I don't know if it has to be you, but we have to trust you as a stupid human being."

 "You have to feel the flop and to react… To show something absolutely special."

~

Auto-course for next week: We go to Monsieur Marcel because we want to play Cleopatra by William Shakespeare. Monsieur Marcel says "Cleopatra without Anthony is nothing..." and that's all!

"Every Good Flop You Receive Helps You A Lot..."

Othello auto-course showings today.

~ 

Philippe started the class by asking me to get up onstage. He asked me to tell the class what yesterday's exercise was, and then he began asking me questions about my personal life. Skyping Amanda in Toulouse and visiting her in Lyon... He also told me that I've been really bad in this workshop so far, and reminded me that I am an actor but not a clown. I answered his questions as myself, albeit with a slightly higher and louder voice than I usually would. I was a bit shy and embarrassed (it was a strange way to start the class)! He said that like this - when I don't play so much - I am more nice, and that I might discover something from this place.

~

He then said that anyone who wanted to do the 'pretending to be furious' exercise from yesterday could have a go now. So Tessa got up to have a go. And when Tessa got up Hannah thought it was because they were going to do their prepared auto-course number together. So Hannah started the show, talking to the audience saying it's been a hard week but she just wants to say that she knows everyone is going to be great! And then Tessa came out from backstage genuinely confused asking whether this was the 'pretending to be furious' exercise, or the auto-course showing. And then Hannah was confused. Philippe said they could do as they liked. And then they both were confused - whispering to each other and looking to us with goofy faces. Then they decided to do their number, and asked for music. But then they had several problems with the music. And then Tessa forgot to do her proper walk, so they started again. And then they finally did their bit with the handkerchief (which was just putting it on the ground and leaving the stage slowly with their arms out pointing to the handkerchief! 

It was absolutely brilliant! Everybody was laughing their heads off! "Fantastic." We didn't know exactly when they started the show, so they had a great connection with us. Philippe said we all should do this. It helps to build complicité, as opposed to coming out to the audience cold. Philippe said they should do this number for the show at the end of the term. Such a great way to start the day! 

~

Nicko and Miluka did a number in which they came out on stage with their hands tied together by some fabric. It was a big flop. There was no connection or complicity with us. "That is a very important point. Little by little we have fun with you. You can't enter 'shlack!' [heavy]"

~

Simone, Miwa and Jonathan did a fantastic number that had everyone in hysterics. Jonathan (with his loud gay spanish voice) introduced the play with a brief synopsis...but over his speech every now and then Simone would say "wooh!" in a high voice and Miwa would say "yes!" in a low voice, and every time they did this Jonathan had to say "wooh" or "yes" in response. So they had a great game, with Jonathan trying to announce the show but totally in the shit. We loved all of them. "The beginning is fantastic." They lost it at times, not knowing what to do, but Simone saved it a few times by doing deep breathing and encouraging us to do it with him. It was a pleasure to watch. And it would be a great way to start a show!

~

Liz and I presented our number, which after a week of umming and ahhing we finally settled on today. We decided that we would take turns in major, with Liz starting by wiping her head with a handkerchief as if she's really hot and sweaty and then saying "Shakespeare", and then me sneezing into a handkerchief saying "Othello." A stupid idea, but potentially loveable...the clowns only know that you need a handkerchief for Othello...so it must be about the flu!

Upon going on stage, I started by saying to the audience (in my normal slightly sensitive voice) that I'm feeling a bit sensitive because of what Philippe has been saying to me about not being a clown…so just acknowledge how I'm feeling and be nice to me. It wasn't funny. But it helped I think. Because when I entered on stage running around the circus to music I could play with what I said a bit. Looking to different people in the audience as if saying "hey - I'm feeling a bit sensitive today."

In performing our number, they liked Liz. She was light and silly and she was getting laughs. But when I went I was heavy and bad. But I found a good game admitting that I was bad. I'd sneeze and then look at the audience...nothing...and then pass it back to Liz saying "go on Liz, save the show." People were laughing at me because I was admitting I was bad. And little gestures that show that, like turning to the back wall in shame, got laughs. 

So it we had a good go. Riding the wave of the flop. Philippe killed us eventually, and said "we don't think they're best friends" as said there was a bit of rivalry evident between us, but that shouldn't be how it is. It can't be that I think she's better than me. It's just that it's a good day for her and a bad day for me.

"But something is good… What happened?"

So being more sensitive and open with the audience is a winner. Showing myself. I'm a super sensitive person. Perhaps that is the ridiculous part of me that I should be selling? Or perhaps it's the 'want to be good/don't like being bad' part?

~

Sophie and Connor did a great number in which Connor entered on horseback (Sophie) and lots of problems ensued. It was funny because what they were doing was absolutely random and ridiculous. And they were idiots. Then a game arose in which Sophie started coming on to Connor in a sexual way. It ended with Connor dragging Sophie off stage looking very afraid (in a naïve way). 

Philippe told Sophie her "voice is too much English and not enough coming from something strange" but that their number was "very good."

~

Rosemary and Steph did a number in which Rosemary finally shone! She was very loveable as a patriotic Canadian idiot who likes to lead. She was great running around the circle singing Oh Canada and bossing Steph about. Their number was a mess - "too many things...the handkerchief should be enough" - and "the couple is not good" (Steph was negative), but Rosemary was "not too bad." It was a nice moment, because she's been having a really hard time in this workshop and has never got one laugh before today.

~

Yung Yung did a solo number telling us the synopsis of a Othello but it was "extremely boring."

Philippe asked: "Why don't you do it with someone else? It's easier."

~

"Every good flop you receive helps you a lot to become normal on the stage… You have a flop...I am really happy for you because you discover so many treasures with your flop… And it's normal to flop."

~

At the end of class we did a short exercise with seven men all on stage in a line. Our job was to pretend to be a charming singer, and Monsieur Marcel had sold us that to do that we had to show our teeth.

Then music was played (or a foreign crooner) and we had to imitate it. I tried to be simple, and just stuck with a big big smile. I didn't do much else. When it came to my turn I sang "hey" which is a sound the singer seemed to repeat a few times. I'd go on to try and sing in a foreign language but end up just going back to "hey" and making a song out of "heys". I got laughs. I wasn't playing too much. I was just listening and looking to the audience whilst doing something slightly strange with my face (big grin). "Not too bad again."

~

Then seven women had a go pretending to be a deep realist singer. Monsieur Marcel had told them that a deep realist singer moves their head sometimes...to try and find something deep. The clowns we loved didn't play too much. They were really light, they were with us, and they had fun.

~

So a pretty amazing day for the class today! After a week of slow and painful flops we had several explosive wonders! And it was a big day for me too. I started to discover a place that I can grow from. And despite what he says about me being an actor and not a clown, I'm still on the search to find my idiot!

"[For] An Actor, The Good Friend Is Fear. The Good Friend Of A Clown Is A Flop."

Today's exercise was to "Pretend to be furious, but we see you love the spectators."

"Pretend you don't want to enter on stage, but we see you love being on the stage."

~

I got up first today (it was a wise choice because by the end of class people were sprinting to the stage to have a go). As I walked backstage Philippe warned the audience that he is an actor and "he will act" rather than be a clown. And unfortunately the old fart was right. I tried many different things - different ways of pretending to be angry - different ways to make the audience laugh - but I never really did. The only time I got a response was when I scream "F U C K" really loudly and then looked surprised at myself as if I'd just said a naughty word. I tried it again, but it didn't work twice. Although looking back now I think the face I made after swearing was what made people laugh, not the swear word, and so I should have repeated that game. I was up onstage for about fifteen minutes - Philippe just let me keep peddling in the shit.

"Too much actor."

"He is an actor. An actor - he doesn't have flop."

Philippe said I forgot the flop and said you always have to remember the flop. I ignored the flop. I didn't allow myself to feel it. And for it to help me.

I asked whether I had the flop when I was bad, and he said "you can be bad without a flop."

Everything you do, you have to think "ahhh – the flop is coming."

~

Paula went after me. She entered strong with too much force and we didn't like her. But when she left the stage with the feeling "oh to be a clown is not a piece of cake" we loved her. So…Enter as if you are leaving the stage!

~

"You don't follow the people laughing." If somebody laughs, follow them. Play to them! And then you might get a few more people laughing. Follow them! Build your laughs!

"We have to see it's a trick to be loved by the audience."

"My exercise is not difficult… You do it all the time with friends."

"If we don't love your idea you have to change."

~

"The flop is something that helps you to be open with us."

"The flop is a friend… The flop belongs to bad students."

"The clown wants success but to have success he has to have a flop around him." – Whereas an actor needs fear around him (as it helps with sensitivity).

"[For] an actor, the good friend is fear. The good friend of a clown is a flop."

~

Philippe keeps repeating the importance of the following things:

Accent

Having fun with the voice

Fantasy: "As a clown, always you need a fantastic fantasy...Otherwise it doesn't work."

Commercial: "They laugh...[the clown thinks] 'I sell it tomorrow'...it's the spirit of clown."

~

Jonathan had a go at the end of class. Philippe got him to pretend to be a drag queen, and then whenever he hit his drum Jonathan had to stop what he was playing and look at the audience as his clown. "It's not the gay looking at us, it's you....To be gay is not a character, it's a trick."

i.e. You need to look at the audience. You - the clown - not what you play. And that is perhaps one difference between an actor with a character and a clown pretending something. The actor looks as their character, not as themselves. I also think it's something to do with the level of believability, or perhaps how much the actor takes on the character, that makes it actor or clown. The clown doesn't get embody the character like an actor does. The clown just puts something on lightly and quickly. 

I found it really difficult today because I'm trying to find how to play clown but I can't help but approach it as an actor. But I need to approach it as a clown. So I'm going to try and not embody anything. To just be really loose with what I play.