Sending laughter around the world
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Louise Peacock
Louise Peacock is an Associate Professor in Theatre Practice (Comedic Acting) at the University of Southern California. Prior to that she was Senior Lecturer in Theatre at the University of Hull. She teaches in the areas of Commedia dell’Arte, Theatre Clowning and Stage Comedy. She is the author of two books, Serious Play: Modern Clown Performance (Intellect, 2009) and Slapstick and Comic Performance (Routledge, 2014). She has written numerous peer-reviewed papers and chapters on Commedia dell’arte, stand up comedy, clowning and stage comedy. She is currently co-editing Popular Performance: An Introduction which is due to be published by Bloomsbury in early 2017.
Abstract
Clowning for refugees, clown performances in refugee camps or conflict zones is a performative practice which has existed for almost 30 years. However, very little academic attention has been paid to performance of this kind. This article, therefore, outlines the history of clowning with refugees (drawing on the practice of Clowns without Borders (CWB), the primary organisation in this field and on the work of other individual clowns). It establishes the key principles which guide this kind of performance, focusing on the practitioners’ emphasis on the therapeutic power of laughter and play, particularly, but not exclusively, for children. Drawing on interviews with practitioners, email questionnaires, videos of clown refugee performance, internet newspaper articles and published material, the techniques and strategies of clown performances in refugee settings are explored through three examples of practical encounters. These case studies (CWB in Lesotho, Circus2Iraq and Mimi the Clown working with the Red Cross in Tunisia) facilitate the exploration of the aims of such work and how such performances might best be evaluated. Whilst the article’s focus is on examining the performative and therapeutic nature of clowning, play and laughter on those who experience clown performances; the fact that such performances take place in difficult and potentially dangerous settings also raises issues in relation to cultural and ethical considerations which are also explored.
About the author
Louise Peacock is an Associate Professor in Theatre Practice (Comedic Acting) at the University of Southern California. Prior to that she was Senior Lecturer in Theatre at the University of Hull. She teaches in the areas of Commedia dell’Arte, Theatre Clowning and Stage Comedy. She is the author of two books, Serious Play: Modern Clown Performance (Intellect, 2009) and Slapstick and Comic Performance (Routledge, 2014). She has written numerous peer-reviewed papers and chapters on Commedia dell’arte, stand up comedy, clowning and stage comedy. She is currently co-editing Popular Performance: An Introduction which is due to be published by Bloomsbury in early 2017.
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©2016 by De Gruyter Mouton
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Comedy matters: On the impact of comedy
- Make Me Laugh: Creativity in the British television comedy industry
- Poor wee souls and fraggle rock: The visceral humor of nurse-peers in a non-accomplishment setting
- Satire and its constraints: Case studies from Australia, Japan, and the People’s Republic of China
- Sending laughter around the world
- Preaching to the converted? How political comedy matters
- “The Muslims are coming”: The enactment of morality in activist Muslim comedy
- “I haven’t heard anything about religion whatsoever”: Audience perceptions of anti-Muslim racism in Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator
- Smiling synchronicity and gaze patterns in dyadic humorous conversations
- Book Reviews
- Peter McGraw and Joel Warner: The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny
- Kai Rugenstein: Humor: Die Verflüssigung des Subjekts bei Hippokrates, Jean Paul, Kierkegaard und Freud
- Gayatri Devi and Najat Rahman: Humor in Middle Eastern Cinema
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Comedy matters: On the impact of comedy
- Make Me Laugh: Creativity in the British television comedy industry
- Poor wee souls and fraggle rock: The visceral humor of nurse-peers in a non-accomplishment setting
- Satire and its constraints: Case studies from Australia, Japan, and the People’s Republic of China
- Sending laughter around the world
- Preaching to the converted? How political comedy matters
- “The Muslims are coming”: The enactment of morality in activist Muslim comedy
- “I haven’t heard anything about religion whatsoever”: Audience perceptions of anti-Muslim racism in Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator
- Smiling synchronicity and gaze patterns in dyadic humorous conversations
- Book Reviews
- Peter McGraw and Joel Warner: The Humor Code: A Global Search for What Makes Things Funny
- Kai Rugenstein: Humor: Die Verflüssigung des Subjekts bei Hippokrates, Jean Paul, Kierkegaard und Freud
- Gayatri Devi and Najat Rahman: Humor in Middle Eastern Cinema
