Mad? Who is Mad?

 

Mad? Who is mad? Me? You? Them?

Some friends of mine call me mad especially when differentiating between two people called Maggie – “Oh you know... ‘Mad Maggie’. It is a term of endearment.

When I began clowning, I was called mad (by some men), however, this was often more about undermining or critiquing my behaviour as unsocialised, when in fact, I was creating comedy through laughter. It has to be said - that this clowning took place in everyday life and not on stage, where unsocialised behaviours are accepted through the framing of performance.

In my doctoral thesis Toward A Female Clown Practice: Transgression Archetype and Myth I wrote: ‘If women’s unsocialised behaviour is framed as madness then women, when permitted, should make good clowns.’

Indeed, the (re)presentation of madness and unsocialisation are significant and important features of a feminist clown practice, for they are able to act as culturally constructed woman-focused clown signifiers. I concluded that my various clowns and clowning experiments illustrated that a quasi-madness is realized when in the ‘clowning zone’; when one’s ‘hidden side’ and ‘unexpected behaviour’ are revealed.

It was Academia that provided a safe setting to explore practically and theoretically the seriousness of female clowning, and permitted me to express my creative and artistic madness, which I continue to explore and teach.

Here's to all the 'Mad Maggies'! 

I have to say, there is something immensely liberating about creating clown performances - or just clowning per se. Join me on this one day of clowning and experience the escape from social norms. For people who would like longer experiences I am running a feminist clown course - one space left and a six week comedy writing and performing course where participants are encouraged to clown and write.

For people looking for love and a laugh - check out To Wit To Woo on Pi Society for a one hour workshop working on creating comedy with Maggie Irving