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Kids beware, the clowns are coming

The clowns from Moscow Magic Clown Theater are ready to entertain you. PHOTO COURTESY OF MOSCOW MAGIC CLOWN THEATER

It's summer vacation time and kids are on the loose, busy looking for something fun to do. Moms and dads need worry no more, the circus has come to town.

It is the second visit of Moscow Magic Clown Theater to Taiwan and the troupe is fully prepared for its two-week traveling show around the country.

This weekend, the circus will perform at the Cultural Affairs Bureau of Hsinchu County (新竹縣文化局), Sinjhuang City Cultural Center (新莊文化藝術中心) and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念館).

Coming from the mystical lands of the far North, 10 clowns wearing colorful makeup, baggy pants and funny shoes will play with simple props like bike, chair, flowers and balloons to create 16 short performances centered on the art of pantomime.

Each performer gives a distinct character to his or her roles, and the end result is a dazzling lineup of characters including a large-breasted nanny, a sullen-looking artist, a sweet dolly girl, ballerinas, fat ninjas and a robust biker.

The performances are full of slapstick humor and loud, explosive action. Audience members who want to try out their comic skills on the stage and have fun will also be encouraged to step up.

``This year the troupe takes out some of the stunt-oriented performances and aims for simplicity. With the help of limited props, the performers focus more on their carefully choreographed body movements to convey comic effects. Such an approach is more difficult and refined than, say magic routines,'' Younger Lin (林志揚) of the organizer Baroque Artist (靖音藝術有限公司) said in a press conference set up for the show on Monday.

The troupe has a wide range of productions designed for all age groups. ``For a clown theater, we have a relatively big age gap among audience members. So we have to make sure that everyone in the theater can enjoy the show. This year the troupe has designed a new set that can be appreciated on different levels. Both kids and adults can see something humorous and funny about the pieces,'' Lin said.

Established in 1998, Moscow Magic Clown Theater has recruited professionally trained performers in Russia and traveled all around the world with its constantly revised productions. The troupe is famed for its culturally-sensitive shows that include cultural and social references of the countries they go.

For those of you who don't want to miss the chance for a good laugh, go to http://www.bqam.com.tw or call (02) 2365 6287 for information on dates and time of additional shows.
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