Any touring show that can win awards for both:
Most Outrageous Fake Accent (Ottawa Fringe), AND
Best Strip Tease Dance Scene - (Providence Fringe)
I have to admit I’m curious, even if it’s for the most random of reasons.
I also have a soft spot for traveling solo performers, I know it’s tough trying to get an audience even when you live in the Twin Cities and have contacts, much less coming in from out of town.
And traveling clown shows in the Fringe have seldom let me down. If you’re gonna take a show on the road, it better be entertaining.
The Wickie
Richie Whitehead
Venue: Barker Center
Show Description:
A maritime tale of madness.
A salty man vs an angry ocean.
A clownesque, physical comedy about a lighthouse keeper who loses his shoe.
Genre & Content:
Clowning, Comedy, Physical Theater, Solo Show, Storytelling, Audience Participation
Warnings: Flashing lights
The More Information tab on their Fringe page has some helpful context:
It takes a village to raise a child - and a clown show is no different! Created over residencies and performances, The Wickie is a mosaic of insights from those who helped creator/performer Richie Whitehead bring their comedic vision to fruition. A graduate of the French clown school, École Philippe Gaulier, Whitehead has collaborated with contemporary clowns, physical theatre devisers, and traditional directors to craft the playful audience interaction and physical comedy of this one-person show. After two years of preparation, The Wickie is touring this summer through the Midwest and Canada.
FAQ
What is a clownesque, physical comedy?
Contemporary clown is a theatre genre that mines the messiness of the human experience for comedy and drama. It encourages the performer to share their playfulness, imagination and ridiculousness with the audience in pursuit of laughter. Clown emphasizes creating rapport with the audience and embracing the risk and aliveness of live performance :)
Is there audience participation?
Yes! There are a few moments of audience participation. They are opt-in, consent-based opportunities for the audience to play a small part in the show if they wish!
Doing a little digging around, I found some interesting details on Whitehead from a bio for another past clown show of his called Captain Curiosity (a comedic science show touring libraries and schools in the U.S.):
Richie Whitehead (Captain Curiosity) is an actor, clown and teacher who finds great pleasure in combining his love for playful performance with his passion for education.
His first dive into creating theatre for younger audiences was when the French Ministry of Education contracted him to create and perform The Emotions Show (2019), a show about emotional intelligence that teaches students basic English, throughout the Paris suburbs.
Since 2019, he has collaborated with WOW O'Clock to direct, write and perform in 5 original shows that have toured extensively across the US and Europe, including the Professor Universe Show (2020), The Great Chicken Melodrama (2021), Into the Deep (2022), All Inside Together (2023) and Found in the Stars (2024).
(So, it appears he knows what he’s doing. Also, how can you not be curious about someone who created a show called The Great Chicken Melodrama? I look forward to the fake accent.)
Here’s some handy links to my Fringe Top 10, Top 11 to 20 and Returning Favorites lists for this year, as well as all the coverage of this year’s Minnesota Fringe Festival.
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